Definition of Social Health Care

Social health care is an area that combines two aspects: health and social needs. In particular, it focuses on those groups that have special needs, whether physical, mental, sensory or social.

The objective of social health care is to improve the quality of life of especially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, the population recluse, the disabled, the chronically ill or the mentally ill.

In other words, it is about caring for anyone in a situation of dependency to improve their overall well-being.

Socio-health care studies

This type of study is part of professional training. Students are prepared to dedicate themselves to professional tasks such as the following: caregiver of the elderly, plant manager in residences, caregiver of people with some disability physical, mental or sensory, home care or care in social institutions.

Regarding the courses, very diverse subjects are studied, such as support psychosocial, health care, hygiene or educational intervention. Students who are preparing in this area have to carry out an internship in some

institution health or social sphere.

The day-to-day of social health care in a professional who cares for the physically disabled

The professionals who serve this group have to carry out specific tasks. Among them, we can highlight the following:

- Move people from their wheelchair to another seat.

- Make postural changes for the prevention of ulcers.

- Stimulation exercises through physical activity.

- Labor insertion to facilitate integration social of the individual.

- Activities to promote personal autonomy in all kinds of situations.

In short, social and health care for this group has a triple purpose: to attend to their physical needs, improve personal autonomy and ensure their integration into society.

Social health care in prisons

From a strictly sanitary point of view, the professionals who work in this sector carry out all kinds of activities with the prison population: cures to the sick and disease prevention, promotion of hygienic habits, care for dependent people or care for prisoners with health problems mental.

From the social point of view, equally diverse actions are carried out: facilitating the inmate's admission to prison, specific attention to mothers with children, facilitating the coexistence among inmates, care for families, etc. These tasks are performed in coordination with other professionals, such as social workers or social educators.

Photos: Fotolia - Tyler Olson - zinkevych

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