When Physical Distancing means Losing Touch: COVID-19 and Deafblind People

On 20th March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared its preference for the term ‘physical distancing’ over ‘social distancing’, a move supported by many health experts, academics, social workers and governments. This term is indeed clearer and more accurate, and it emphasises the importance of maintaining social connection, particularly now. Isolation can have a negative effect on our mental well-being: we must stay physically distant but not socially disconnected. But what about those for whom the physical and the social are not so easily separated? Those who rely on physical contact for communication, for access to information, and for safe travel. Those for whom physical contact is a way in which friendship is expressed and through which they understand the world around them. This is the reality of many deafblind people

A Multivariate Segmentation Model of the Older Uk Consumer Market

Although the importance of older consumers to marketers is well documented, there exists a relative paucity of UK-based empirical studies into the attitudes, values, and behaviours of these consumers. Moreover, these consumers are often treated as a homogenous mass. Based on an extensive survey into a range of socio-demographic, biophysical, socio-psychological, psychographic, and behavioural variables amongst adults aged between 50 and 79 years (n = 650), this study confirms that the older consumer market is not homogeneous. Rather, analysis of the data leads to the first comprehensive segmentation model of the older consumer market in the UK. [to cite]

Developing our understanding of an impairment much misunderstood: Researching the experiences of deafblind people

Deafblindness, sometimes termed dual sensory loss, is a complex impairment, and deafblind people have been described as some of the most vulnerable in society. Yet, the condition is also a much misunderstood impairment, and despite both its known psychosocial impact and the substantial diversity of the deafblind population, work with deafblind people has been largely marginalised by the social work profession. In this chapter, I describe the provenance of my long-standing practice and research interest in deafblindness, before exploring some of the challenges that can result in the exclusion of deafblind people from social work research. I then outline the ways in which funding from the BASW Social Workers’ Educational Trust helped me to respond to these challenges during my doctoral studies (2012-2020) involving older deafblind people. Recognising that research on vulnerability has principally concentrated on policy analysis and theoretical debate, my study explored the lived experience of the phenomenon amongst adults ageing with deafblindness. The chapter presents the core findings of the study, paying particular attention to the ways in which misunderstanding contributes to deafblind older people’s felt vulnerability, and then highlights the implications of these findings for social work practice in the field. The chapter concludes with some suggested further reading and helpful resources

Conceptualising energy use and energy poverty using a capabilities framework

In this article we conceptualise energy use from a capabilities perspective, informed by the work of Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum and others following them. Building on this, we suggest a corresponding definition of energy poverty, as understood in the capabilities space. We argue that such an understanding provides a theoretically coherent means of comprehending the relationship between energy and wellbeing, and thus conceptualising energy deprivation, that makes sense across settings including both the global North and South: a coherence which has previously been lacking. At the same time, it has the flexibility to be deployed in a way that is sensitive to local contexts. Understanding energy use in the capabilities space also provides a means for identifying multiple sites of intervention, including some areas that are currently largely overlooked. We argue that this is advantageous for attempts to address energy poverty in the context of climate change and imperatives for the containment of aggregate energy consumption

Deafblind and Neglected or Deafblindness Neglected? Revisiting the Case of Beverley Lewis

Deafblindness is a particularly complex impairment and deafblind people are considered to be some of the most vulnerable members of society; this includes vulnerability to abuse and harm. This paper explores this unique impairment in the illustrative case of Beverley Lewis, by reviewing archived published and audio material about the life and circumstances of the death of this young woman, including media reports, parliamentary debates and commentaries. Whilst it appears that the implications of Beverley's deafblindness may have been overshadowed in media reports and inquiries, the paper suggests that further lessons for practice can be learned from the case by focusing on this condition. Drawing on contemporary research by specialist charitable organisations (Sense and Deafblind UK), the authors identify research highlighting deficiencies in support for many deafblind adults, which have implications for safeguarding policy and practice. It is concluded that attention is needed in three areas: increased awareness amongst social care and health practitioners of the particular vulnerability to abuse of deafblind adults; improved access to specialist assessment and specialist social care support, including one-to-one human support; and improved communication between social care and health agencies, alongside more tangible signs of acceptance of shared responsibility for supporting deafblind adults

Vulnerability Among Older People Ageing with Deafblindness

Summary: Vulnerability is an under-examined concept in social work. Scholarly activity principally concentrates on policy analysis and theoretical debate; less attention is given to lived experience of vulnerability from the perspectives of particular groups, impoverishing understanding of the phenomenon. This paper presents findings from the first United Kingdom based study of the lived experience of vulnerability from the perspectives of older deafblind adults. Adopting a qualitative design, data were collected via 18 semi-structured interviews with eight participants (aged between 49-83), undertaken between October 2014 and July 2016. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Participants interpret vulnerability as layered, describing what they feel vulnerable about, what they feel vulnerable to and when they feel vulnerable. The latter layer is predominant: vulnerability experiences are time-limited, and situation and setting specific. Situational and pathogenic sources of vulnerability include the responses of other people, particularly the experience of being misunderstood or perceived as incapable. The layers of vulnerability are not discrete: they can be combined and avoidance of one vulnerability can exacerbate another. Applications: Findings strengthen arguments against categorising particular groups, including deafblind people, as permanently and immutably vulnerable. Such categorisation, focused solely on impairment, provides an inadequate understanding of experience. Policymakers should consider adopting a layered approach to defining vulnerability. Assessment of these layers and how they interact may offer social workers enhanced understanding of deafblind people’s experiences and assist in determining what matters to them. Assessment should explore coping strategies, and assumptions of incapability based on impairment be rejected

Necessary energy uses and a minimum standard of living in the United Kingdom:energy justice or escalating expectations?

Access to affordable energy is a core dimension of energy justice, with recent work examining the relation between energy use and well-being in these terms. However, there has been relatively little examination of exactly which energy uses should be considered basic necessities within a given cultural context and so of concern for energy justice. We examine the inclusion of energy-using necessities within the outcomes of deliberative workshops with members of the public focused on defining a minimum-standard of living in the UK and repeated biannually over a six year period. Our secondary analysis shows that energy uses deemed to be necessities are diverse and plural, enabling access to multiple valued energy services, and that their profile has to some degree shifted from 2008 to 2014. The reasoning involved is multidimensional, ranging across questions of health, social participation, opportunity and practicality. We argue that public deliberations about necessities can be taken as legitimate grounding for defining minimum standards and therefore the scope of ‘doing justice’ in fuel poverty policy. However we set this in tension with how change over time reveals the escalation of norms of energy dependency in a society that on climate justice grounds must radically reduce carbon emissions

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Guidelines for Social Workers in England

These guidelines are written for social workers and other social care professionals who work with people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and their families. They aim to enhance awareness and understanding of this disease, and thereby improve social care for this specific group of people who often have very complex and rapidly changing needs

Lower lid entropion secondary to treatment with alpha-1a receptor antagonist: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The use of alpha-1a receptor antagonists (tamsulosin) is widely accepted in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). It has previously been implicated as a causative agent in intra-operative floppy iris syndrome due to its effects on the smooth muscle. We report a case of lower lid entropion that may be related to a patient commencing treatment of tamsulosin.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 74-year-old Caucasian man was started on alpha 1-a receptor antagonist (Tamsulosin) treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Eight days later, he presented to the ophthalmology unit with a right lower lid entropion which was successfully treated surgically with a Weiss procedure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report a case of lower lid entropion that may be secondary to the recent use of an alpha-1a blocker (tamsulosin). This can be explained by considering the effect of autonomic blockade on alpha-1 receptors in the Muller's muscle on a patient that may already have an anatomical predisposition to entropion formation due to a further reduction in muscle tone.</p

Macular Hole Surgery

Macular hole surgery is one of the most rapidly changing fields in vitreoretinal surgery, the authors discuss the recent acknowledgments and surgical options. Macular holes are classified, and surgical techniques are described in order to have the most successful procedure. Diagnostic tools and surgical instruments improvement allow surgeons to face difficult cases with a variety of surgical options unknown until a few years ago and is mandatory nowadays to approach the different patients with a broad mind