Donald Macaskill Talks About Tech & Preserving Social Care

Estimated studying time: 6 minutes

On this weblog instalment we interview Donald Macaskill to seek out out extra about his work because the CEO at Scottish Care and his views on expertise use within the social care sector.

It offers perception into:

• Donald’s background in well being and social care and the issues he’s enthusiastic about.
• How expertise interfaces with care and a few of the present points and boundaries.
• His focus areas for the yr forward supporting the social care sector.

We reside in an ageing society. However what does that actually imply?

Within the subsequent 20 years the steadiness of younger and outdated will shift to the purpose the place there might be one aged individual for each two individuals of working age.  The problem this presents is two-fold, a discount in members of the family in a position to present assist and a smaller pool {of professional} carers.

TL Tech is a Good Houses Options supplier with a distinction.  We assist individuals get the most effective out of good dwelling applied sciences and create distinctive dwelling environments to satisfy their wants and funds.  Our imaginative and prescient is to “create a house that cares for you as you age”.

Good dwelling applied sciences have the ability to remodel lives, particularly for the susceptible in our society.  This weblog sequence might be seeking to showcase the alternatives, discover out extra in regards to the individuals working on this subject and the way we will create a world the place “good meets form®”.

How did you get into working in social care?

I’ve a background in psychology and dealing in studying incapacity and palliative finish of life care.  My work has at all times centred round individuals and particularly supporting those that could also be excluded, individuals on the perimeters and the margins.

What’s the most rewarding a part of your job?

Probably the most rewarding factor is with the ability to work at a really particular person person-centred stage.

What does wholesome ageing imply to you?

It must be about wellbeing, it must be a holistic strategy.  Within the context of expertise, it’s not about perform alone, it’s about what that permits me to do and who I’m as a person.

There’s a basic notion that aged persons are expertise averse, what’s your expertise?

I don’t consider that is true, individuals need ease of entry, clear objective and explicit private profit.  In the event that they don’t see that they are going to be disinterested.

In the intervening time we’re not giving sufficient consideration to the actual wants of individuals as they age within the client expertise that we’re growing.

There was an enormous development in client electronics that assist wellbeing and web related gadgets that assist in the house.  Do you see a spot for these kinds of applied sciences in supporting assisted residing and supply of care?

At Scottish Care we see expertise as an enabler of relationship reasonably than a replacer of relationship.  Once I take into consideration expertise it must be one thing that’s including worth to who I’m as an individual and what I wish to do and who I wish to be. Once I consider those that require assist due to incapacity or age or another attribute, I’m on the lookout for expertise that permits independence.  I’m not search for fancy gizmos and sadly this give attention to gadgets and merchandise, makes many lose contact with the significance of the relational dimension.

Entry to digital services and products is quick turning into important to the best way we reside.  How can we ensure that elements of our society aren’t left behind?

For the reason that pandemic there was an incredible emphasis on getting gadgets for individuals.  However there are two primary points that we’re not addressing as a society. One is connectivity, in that we assume there’s sufficient web protection.  The opposite is accessibility, we must be extra cognisant of points like visible impairments, listening to and dexterity. Many gadgets can be heavy to carry.

One other associated challenge is how we strategy knowledge safety, privateness, autonomy, particular person management.  Everyone knows about Greta Thunberg and the work that she does to lift consciousness about local weather change.  I don’t assume it’ll be lengthy earlier than somebody like Greta essentially calls into query how third events deal with our knowledge.  The youthful era are far more knowledgeable in regards to the worth of their knowledge.

Do you have got a favorite e book, creator, blogger or podcast?

I’m a dipper particularly these busy days and so for me any assortment of poetry every day conjures up me. However I additionally discover looking out and discovering brief items on Twitter a incredible useful resource,

What do you love to do exterior of labor?

I chill out with an excellent piece of music and within the absence of reside music that’s by means of my headphones. I’m additionally fortunate to reside 2 minutes from a seashore so want I say extra in regards to the freedom and peace that brings.

What are your high suggestions for sustaining wellbeing?

Tech can by no means exchange contact. So, I believe it’s necessary to seek out time to chill out and change off; distract your self with what fulfils you and work at remaining related – by means of discuss and presence if doable.

Do you have got any resolutions for 2021?

I’ve an inherent private suspicion of constructing resolutions as I believe psychologically to take action within the depth of winter whereas we should always all be hibernating could be fairly damaging.  However placing that philosophical concern to at least one facet, my precedence for this yr, each personally and professionally, in three phrase is to Protect Social Care.  I’ve considerations in regards to the political points, the danger that care turns into medicalised and we then lose sight of the distinctiveness of social care which is about enabling individuals to fulfil their wellbeing not simply to be clinically secure.  I wish to get to the tip of this yr with social care being recognised as one thing which is of equal price as healthcare.  And which means funding, prioritising it and appreciating it for what it’s and what it contributes.

Speaking to Donald, it’s clear he’s very enthusiastic about empowering individuals to reside unbiased and fulfilled lives, the place they’re handled with dignity and their wants revered.

Some key takeaways from our dialogue embody:

• Relationships – Social care is about relationships and placing the individual on the centre of every part.
• Know-how – Know-how is simply a part of the answer and must be designed to accommodate our altering wants as we age.
• Preserving Social Care – 2021 could possibly be a big turning level for social care.

If you wish to preserve up-to-date with Donald’s ideas and actions, he writes an everyday weblog over on the Scottish Care web site, which you’ll entry right here.  I actually like following them, as Donald has an actual expertise for writing and at all times manages to encapsulate how he’s feeling along with his phrases and shares his favorite poetry.

Scottish Care have a beautiful mission that they’re co-ordinating known as the Social Care Backyard.  This can embody a Social Care Mosaic for the Care Futures Backyard.  The idea got here out of the Collective Care Futures programme as a option to think about and create a shared imaginative and prescient for the way forward for social care in Scotland.  You’ll be able to contribute to the Social Care Mosaic right here: https://scottishcare.org/social-care-mosaic/ When you preferred this put up, try our web site for extra technical recommendation and our Alexa tutorials on our Youtube channel. You can too subscribe to our mailing listing to be notified when we’ve new posts and assist materials out there.