Key Research - 'Radical Help' - Elena.

Our course leaders has suggested this reading which focuses and highlights the key issues with the Welfare State, which may cross over with the subjects that we are focusing on during our project. This was just such an enjoyable and eye opening read, I really recommend it.

Radical Help by Hilary Cottam, really touches on how the Welfare State is out of date and out of sync with Contemporary life, and consequently needs to be reconstructed and changed to help support these issues that really affecting everyones livelihoods in Britain today.

Some key points :

“What is common to these modern problems if that the solutions require our participation.” (p.31) We have to become active agents, through working together, drawing on new ideas and above all on each other create the changes that need to be made.

CAREis a problem – it’s the main thing that is missing from both the health and social sector – these have simply become “just jobs” rather than focusing on the individuals needs and wants in order to support them.

“To pay for this care seems so acute it threatens ...” (p.33) the welfare state profusely – something that seems so simple and easy to do is such an issue to pursue for the welfare state.

Even though our current welfare state has helped to live out healthier and longer lives… “Our pensions system is not fit for purpose, our health services struggling to cope and adult social care services in crisis” (p.35)

90% of care is provided by private social care organisations – but they cannot deliver the promised services or care due to the realities of their budget. This then means “poorly trained and badly paid care workers are only allotted 15 minute slots for home visits – where they are expected to bathe, dress and feed an older person”(p.36) this has just become a constant and never ending cycle of issues with the care systems.

However without these support systems for older people to have at home, this instead leaves hospitals struggling to have enough beds for patients, as many elderly patients are stuck and cannot get the social care or family support that they need to be at home safely and without risking their own wellbeing.

“ 40% of hospital beds are occupied by older people who do not need to be hospiaks, at annual cost of £900 million.”(P.36) The current challenge of caring for an elderly population is so huge and expensive that we appear to be paralysed: frozen and unable to make any changes.

That’s why having art and design intervention would at least support or encourage change to develop for these elderly patients – even to make improvements to their lives and environments to bring enjoyment and positivity in whatever circumstances that they might find themselves in.