As a statutory adult social worker, I am responding to a service user’s self-referral regarding support for herself and husband, Ian, on hospital advice after Ian suffered a couple of falls. Jackie, 69, is a carer for Ian, 66, who has increasing needs due to dementia. My duty is to conduct a needs assessment for Ian and a carer assessment for Jackie to identify the impact upon their wellbeing, including the effect on relationships with others (Care Act, 2015:c23:p1:s1). The visit’s objective is to obtain better outcomes and maintain independence to enable Ian to remain at home for longer. These aims are achieved by assisting the couple to utilise their own strengths, like skills or help from family and friends, and signposting them to suitable universal or early help services specialising in preventative measures (Scie, 2016). My duty also involves providing comprehensive advice and information in relation to the couple 's rights and entitlements so they can make informed decisions over their choices of support (LGA, 2015).
To reach these goals, I need to understand the couple’s situation, feelings and identify their protective factors. Theories, such as Cycle of Loss give an idea of what the couple are going through and their possible emotional
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This point is particularly relevant for Ian as due to dementia he is classified as ‘vulnerable’ as he lacks the ability to look after himself or protect himself from any form of abuse (Care Act, 2014:c23pt1). Safeguarding is a primary duty of my role as a social worker so it is something I always need to be vigilant about, especially as 12-55% of older people with dementia experience abuse, like financial, physical or emotional, by family members (Cooper et al,