Effects of stress on physical health

Introduction Stress forms an integral part of our daily life despite negative notions people have developed against it. According to Wein (2000), stress ensures that the body functions optimally particularly when responding to adverse situations. He further explains that the flight or fight response guarantees individual’s safety since the body is able to react swiftly to the changes in environmental conditions. However, chronic exposure to stress may pose adverse effects to one’s physical health.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of stress on physical health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To begin with, stress has been known to suppress immune system thereby increasing the body’s susceptibility to infections (Wein, 2000). Moreover, stress triggers the onset of heart diseases as well as high blood pressure thus subjecting an individual to health risks. Finally, stress is asso ciated with a variety of health problems including backaches, stomachaches, pain, headaches, diarrhea, loss of sleep as well as weight gain (Wein, 2000). Chronic exposure to stress lowers the body’s immune system thereby reducing its ability to respond to invaders such as viruses or bacteria. It is therefore important for individuals to know their stress limits in an attempt to effectively manage stress. Health effects of stress Psychological stress triggers the physical symptoms as well as onset of various illnesses in the body. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about ninety percent of all diseases and illnesses are stress-related (Wein, 2000). Chronic stress interferes with the normal functioning of the body systems. At the outset, chronic stress suppresses the immune system, elevates blood pressure, and increases cardiac risk as well as stroke. Effects of stress on the immune system When the body is subjected to stressful conditions, stress hormones such as cortisol hormones are released by the pituitary and adrenal glands so as to initiate the stress response in the body. Such response is vital since both the brain and immune system can communicate to ensure effective stress management. However, such communication may be disrupted when one is exposed to chronic stress thereby suppressing the immune system. This would pave way for stress-related illnesses to attack the body. In such situations, stress hormones are persistently pumped into the blood thereby lowering the fighting ability of immune cells. According to Niess et al (2002), prolonged psychological stress suppresses immune system by reducing the macrophages, CD8+ lymphocytes as well as NK cells. This exposes the body to various infections. Effects of stress on the heart The heart functions best at certain levels of stress. However, chronic stress may lead to adverse effects on the heart performance thus posing cardiac risks. Stressors trigger cardiac events including pathophysiological changes such as myocardial infarction and ischemia, abnormalities associated with the wall motion, sudden death as well as changes in heart regulation (Soufer, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Deepa, Pradeep, Mohan (2001) argue that when an individual is exposed to psychological stress, there is a speedy increase in blood pressure as well as heart rate following an increase in sympathetic response and plasma epinephrine. Such heightened sympathetic nerve response poses high cardiac risks as oxygen demands increases. Heightened psychosocial stress may also aggravate myocardial ischemia (Soufer, 2004). According to Niess et al (2002), psychological stress triggers myocardial ischemia in individuals with recognized cardiovascular disease. They further assert that individuals with abnormalities in wall motion as well as negative personality traits have increased cardiac risks and even death. Deepa, Pradeep, Mohan (2001) argue that the development of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction is preceded by chronic levels of psychological factors an individual is exposed to. Besides, mental stress also induces cardiovascular illnesses through vasoconstriction of the coronary vessels. Psychological stress may trigger recurrence of medical events in individuals with cardiovascular diseases. Finally, psychological stress is also associated with induction of atherosclerosis by thickening the coronary artery (Deepa, Pradeep, Mohan, 2001). Macleod et al (2002) argue that heightened stress affects health through neuroendocrine mechanism as well as unhealthy behavior among individuals in the population. They however, cite bias reporting as some of the reasons why such associations may not be accurate (Macleod et al, 2002). Effects of stress on the intestinal epithelia as well as neuroendocrine system The stress-induced i nteractions between the immune and the neuroendocrine systems may lead to changes in the physiologic functions of intestinal epithelium thereby stirring up relapses in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) (Niess et al, 2002). According to the scientists such occurrence is possible because stress induces the production of neuropepetides such as tachykinins well as cytokines. The interaction between the neuronal and immune system is facilitated by the corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) that is found in the nuclei of the brain cells. Recent studies have shown that activation of CRF receptors in the brain nuclei mediates the stress-induced intonation of gastrointestinal functions. The normal epithelial functions are hindered when the body is subjected to either acute or chronic stress. Such interruptions in the epithelial functions may lead to mucosal inflammation thereby resulting into the clinical manifestation of IBD.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of stress on physical health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion It is noteworthy that stress is an important factor in our day-to-day life. Stress prepares an individual by initiating responses aimed at protecting the body against perceived threats. Such body response involving either fighting or fleeing from the danger zone guarantees the safety of an individual. However, chronic exposure to stress may be harmful to the body. Prolonged exposure to stress suppresses immune system thereby making the body prone to infections. Such chronic stress has been associated with the development of cardiovascular illnesses including blood pressure as well as heart disease. Research shows that almost ninety percent of all diseases are stress-induced. Stress management strategies as well as stress reduction methods including relaxation, exercise and meditation are vital procedures in curbing stress-related diseases. Reference List Deepa R., Pradeep R., Mohan V. (2001). Role of Psychological Stress in Cardiovascular Disease. Int J Diab Dev Ctries; 21:121-4. Web. Macleod, J., Davey-Smith, G., Heslop, P., Metcalfe, C., Carroll, D., Hart, C., (2002).  Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease: Empirical demonstration of bias in a prospective observational study of Scottish men. British Medical Journal, 324(7348), 1247-1252. Web. Niess, J., Monnikes, H., Dignass, A., Klapp, B., Arck, P., (2002).  Review of the influence of stress on immune mediators, neuropeptides and hormones with relevance for inflammatory bowel disease. Digestion: International Journal of Gastroenterology, 65(3), 131-140. Web. Soufer, R. (2004). Neurocardiac interaction during stress-induced myocardial ischemia: How does the brain cope? Circulation, 110(13), 1710-1713. Web. Wein, H. (2000). Stress and Disease: New Perspectives. Web.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Niess, J. H., Monnikes, H, Dignass, A. U., Klapp, B. F., Arck, P. C. (2002). Review of the influence of stress on immune mediators, neuropeptides and hormones with relevance for inflammatory bowel disease. Digestion: International Journal of Gastroenterology, 65(3), 131-140. Macleod, J., Davey-Smith, G., Heslop, P., Metcalfe, C., Carroll, D., Hart, C. (2002). Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease: Empirical demonstration of bias in a prospective observational study of Scottish men. British Medical Journal, 324(7348), 1247-1252. This research paper on Effects of stress on physical health was written and submitted by user Jerry Moore to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Effects of Stress on Physical Health Man has had to deal with numerous challenges as far as remaining healthy is concerned. Researchers have been able to identify several causes of health problems among human beings and most of them have grave consequences. Stress has been singled out by most investigators as being one of the major causes of both physical and emotional health problems (Niess, Monnikes, Dignass, Klapp, Arck, 2002). This has been escalated by the frequent hassles, frustrations, and demands in the day to day life experiences. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of Stress on Physical Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Attempts to handle all these challenges may end up being overwhelming hence creating a general imbalance in an individual. Reasonable levels of stress have been clinically determined as being helpful particularly when faced with a challenging task like a presentation, examination situation, and deadline s since one becomes alert, energetic, and at full concentration. However, reliable studies have established that extreme/chronic levels of stress can be destructive to a person’s physical and emotional health thus affecting the general productivity, relationships, as well as the quality of the person’s life in general. The research paper will explore the various effects of stress on an individual’s health. According to many research findings, prolonged incidences of stress can have serious impacts on an individual’s health. Extreme levels of stress have the capacity of disrupting virtually the entire body system and its functions. Among other effects, stress can increase the rate of heart beat, paralyze the immune system, the risk of heart attack and stroke, affect a person’s fertility, and raise the general levels of fatigue and aging rate. A research conducted by Hapuarachchi, Chalmers, Winefield, and Blake-Mortimer (2003) found that high level s of oxidative stress, a pro-inflammatory state, high infection rate, and cardiovascular diseases were mostly due to stress. Hapuarachchi and the team also established that homocysteine, and the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) may lead to cardiovascular infections. They arrived at these conclusions after investigating the relationships that may exist between stress and homocysteine, oxidative stress and CRP. High levels of CRT and increased levels of pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory states increase the levels of psychological stress (Hapuarachchi et al., 2003). The study findings further indicate that the levels of anger can be influenced by the levels of homocysteine.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A similar investigation was done by Macleod, Smith, Heslop, Metcalfe, Carroll and Hart (2002) with the objective of finding out the association between self reported psychological stress and cardiovascular disease. The researchers engaged Scottish men only with follow up of about 21 years. According to the research findings by Macleod et al., there is greater relationship between higher stress, angina, and some of the hospital admissions (2002). However, critical analyses of the findings in relation to heart disease findings have revealed the impact of reporting bias. Psychological stress, among other psychosocial factors, has been identified by many researchers as playing a role in determining heart-related diseases. This is because stress affects the neuroendocrine mechanisms and cause unhealthy behavior in the victim (Macleod et al., 2002). Research findings reveal that there is a strong relationship between self reported stress and self reported signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, there is a relationship between stress and the number of admissions to hospitals for psychiatric disorders. The correlation between higher levels of stress and angina was also found to be positive. The findings were considered to be under the great influence of reporting bias from the participants leading to high tendency of spurious conclusions as far as psychosocial constructs and health outcomes are concerned (Macleod et al., 2002). It is this critical evaluation of research findings that has helped in the quest for more objective investigations of the association between stress and health outcomes. Most recent researches have made attempts to investigate the effects of stress on the mental stability of an individual. Robert Soufer, a renowned stress researcher, studied how the brain copes with neurocardiac interaction during stress-induced myocardial ischemia (2004). According to Soufer, the administration of acute mental stress can provoke myocardial ischemia in persons with coronary artery disease (CAD). A person’s brain is responsible for coordinating memory ability and hence determines an individualâ⠂¬â„¢s vulnerability to the cardiovascular manifestation of emotional stress. In deed, the brain’s neurochemical pathways associated with inappropriate fear and anxiety are responsible for cardiovascular effects of stress. In some instances, the brain may trigger inappropriate responses to various stimuli resulting in stress/fear which in turn affects the person’s physical health (Soufer, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of Stress on Physical Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from investigating the role of stress in heart-related health problems, researchers have also sought to find out the influence of stress on immune system of an individual. Niess et al. (2002) conducted a study on the role of stress on immunological diseases and related health problems. For a long time, stress has been known to significantly influence the continued inflammatory bowel disease. The researchers’ intention was to find out the validity of this belief. Earlier studies have found that stress greatly affects the immune system. The neuroendocrine system as well as the intestinal epithelia is also known to be escalated by stress. More so, stress has been known to initiate the discharge of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines and neuropeptides which include tachykinins (Niess et al., 2002). It is widely believed that if the neuroendocrine system interacts with the immune system, the intestinal epithelium may be affected resulting in the stimulation of IBD relapses. Prior studies have strongly associated the cause of relapses of ulcerative colitis to stress. The research by Niess and colleagues had the objective of finding out the significance of psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) approach as far as the pathogenesis of IBD is concerned(2002). A number of studies have traced how stress affects the immune system to the ability of stress to alter the body’s immu nological orientation, particularly by affecting the distribution of lymphocytes and the synthesis of cytokines. Stress can also affect other mediators and mechanisms, such as the neurotransmitters, the hormones, and other immune cells which in turn lead to imbalance in the entire body. It is the various body systems that are responsible for responding to and balancing the otherwise extreme (chronic) levels of stress (Niess et al., 2002). The review done by Niess and his team helps in concluding that stress plays an important role in the emergence of several immunological diseases; the immune and the nueroendocrine systems. The research paper has explored the various effects of stress on the physical health of an individual. Stress has far-reaching effects, such as causing or enhancing cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, and myocardial ischemia. The paper has also explored the effects of stress on the immune system and the neuroendocrine system. Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many researchers agree that chronic stress plays a significant role in some of the health problems that people encounter from time to time. It can be concluded that the findings on the effects of stress on the physical and emotional health of people are still varied and complex and further objective studies must therefore be carried out if meaningful conclusions are to be reached. References Hapuarachchi, J. R., Chalmers, A. H., Winefield, A. H., Blake-Mortimer, J. S. (2003). Changes in clinically relevant metabolites with psychological stress parameters. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29, 52-59 Macleod, J., Smith, G. D., Heslop, P., Metcalfe, C., Carroll, D., Hart, C. (2002). Psychological stress and cardiovascular disease: empirical demonstration of bias in a prospective observational study of Scottish men. British Medical Journal, 324: 1247-51 Niess, J. H., Monnikes, H., Dignass, A. U., Klapp, B. F., Arck, P. C. (2002). Review on the influence of stress on immune mediators, n europeptides and hormones with relevance for inflammatory bowel disease. Digestion, 65, 131-140 Soufer, R. (2004). Neurocardiac interaction during stress-induced myocardial ischemia: how does the brain cope? Circulation, 1710-1712. American Heart Association, Inc. This research paper on Effects of Stress on Physical Health was written and submitted by user Lyric Schneider to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Perhaps The World Doesnt End Here Essays

Perhaps The World Doesnt End Here Essays Perhaps The World Doesnt End Here Paper Perhaps The World Doesnt End Here Paper Perhaps the World Ends Here is an ode that elevates each aspect of life in which the table is involved. The kitchen table takes on a symbolic presence for everyday issues, but is the symbolism positive? Depending on observation, the poem can take on a sinister tone and rejects the everyday traditions of a patriarchal society. A traditional patriarchal society makes the father of each household the deciding factor on issues and the way that family operates. The table is a metaphor for the home or community in which you live. Much like a community, there are multiple forces at ork to keep the platform upright and secure. Without full support at all times, the entire structure will topple. The poem constantly reminds you of each individuals necessity to remain supportive. The first line starts with such an example. No matter what, we must eat to live. An individual cannot leave or else faces the risk of starvation. The next line continues with the same logic. So it has been since creation, and it will go on. The author is letting you know that this way of life is all that the people know and believe to be possible. The poem goes on to talk about chasing hickens and dogs away from the table. The line would be sound if not for the mention of poultry. Why chase away a commonly eaten bird when there is such a celebration of bringing food to the table? Is there a fear of an animal knocking one of the table legs loose? Chickens and dogs must be a metaphor for outsiders of the community (table) who are considered savage or animalistic in their way of operating. An instinctive fear and rejection of outside individuals allows the traditional system of operations to remain unchanged. The next sentence follows with another threat owards the table. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees. The babies chewing can be seen as a part of the natural cycle of life but it stands for something deeper. A baby contains total potential from day 1 and knows nothing at all. Being a blob of potential, the parents and society can form each baby to hold the same ideals as they do. However, a baby still has its own curiosity and can form more cognitive reasoning as time advances. By teething, a baby is slowly creating imperfections on the corners. What could corners represent? A corner is another term for a oundation, in this case the foundation of home life. If the table is the centerpiece for tradition, the youth are slowly degrading the integrity of the foundation over time. However, scraping their knees shows that the children are hurt. Perhaps the scraping of a knee is the metaphorical injury due to defying the table. It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. The end of the line is the segment that stands out. Why did the author choose to use the word human? Isnt humanity a given feature upon birth? A word such as civil or well-mannered would ave fit but there is alternative meaning. By instructing human qualities, this implies that people are born as animals and must be taught properly or else face isolation. The idea works well with the previous fear of animals being near the table. Any outsider cannot be trusted; therefore, this animal is probably here to hurt the integrity of our group. Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. Why is there a need to mention drinking coffee while the dreams are happening? Drinking coffee is a leisurely activity that requires a bit of pare time and quiet. Must dreams only be allowed to surtace when there are no issues, nothing to take care of? The dreams put their arms around the children. Once more, the youth are the group that innovation and new ideas turn towards. The dream leaving the parents shows that nothing was ever accomplished. If a dream happens it becomes reality, which is not the case for this group. A perpetual dream hoping for a change is passed from generation to generation without progress. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together nce again at the table. Each person eventually falls apart and the only place they know to go to is their comfort zone, the table. This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun. A poem usually doesnt shed nature in a negative light. The rain and sun are both elements of Joy, forces of nature that benefit life in countless ways. The table has become a bubble of isolation that keeps even nature away. What was once a form of protection now harms the community. Fear has become so ingrained that beneficial elements are being cast away regardless of the evel of threat. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. The poet takes on an almost sarcastic tone at this point. The table takes an ironic twist because what was once was seen a place of Joy and togetherness is now glorified for the ability to run away and remain in isolation. The next sentence of the poem talks of a place to celebrate the terrible victory. Why is the word terrible included? Shouldnt a victory be a good thing? Perhaps the issue is so irrelevant that a victory accomplishes nothing at all. In a patriarchal system where the children and women have no say in ecisions, an overhaul of tradition might be what the people really desire. The table has become a happy prison which you cannot leave. A place where security and tradition are protected at all costs, but reform and innovation are left out. The word perhaps is used twice in the poem: once in the Title and once to begin the last stanza. Each event in the poem has been factual; there was no ambiguity at all with the traditions. The word perhaps really stands out here because the author decided to wait until the very end to express any uncertainty. This seed out doubt undermines every tradition observed thus far. Is the world literally ending at the end? No I dont believe so, the world referred to is the boundaries in which the speaker hits. The poem ends on a nice cyclical note where the focus is around a meal identical to the beginning. The worlds end is a metaphorical one because the author knows that there is nothing else to life than what is traditionally provided. The life being lost isnt that of the world, but of the people with no future, the people who will never adapt and evolve with time.

Best Trust Bank Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Best Trust Bank Case - Essay Example However, after much experience, he learned to be attentive to the needs of the customers and came up with creative strategies in case of problems arising. He always found the best possible solution for the customers and talked to them in a respectable tone that always calmed them down. However, as an executive president, things have changed. He rarely interacts with the customers thus it is difficult to communicate to them. Most of his communications are formal and structured. He also find it difficult to communicate with over 73000 employees all over the globe considering that he cannot even have personal conversations with all employees in his HR department. However, he always finds ways of communicating with employees. One of them includes weekly meeting with all the heads of departments and review various HR issues including employee satisfaction. He also holds meetings with managers who report directly to him at least once every week. Here they review the progress of the employees and challenges faced. He also meets with as many employees as possible outside HR department. He also uses a variety of media to communicate to the world about the policies, benefits and other initiatives conducted by the bank. He records a video four times every year and posts it on the bank’s intranet and allows employees to post their questions online which he and other executives answer immediately on video. There are various sender and receiver skills indicated in this case. The sender skills portrayed include the listening, speaking, writing, thinking and reasoning. Paul is depicted to listen carefully to the needs and challenges of the employees now that he does not interact with the customers anymore (Bateman and Snell 23). He speaks to department heads on various HR issues facing the bank including employees’ satisfaction. He also speaks to employees during various seminars and encourages them on how to overcome the challenges facing them. The

Clinical condition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clinical condition - Essay Example It is worth noting that patients with this medical complication may also experience weight loss in spite of increased appetite and hair loss (Zaidi 89). Other symptoms of the disease can only be identified through physical examination of the patient by a medical practitioner. These include excessive lacrimation, premature ventricular expansions and contractions and rigid thyroid (MacLachlan, Sandra, & Basil 52). A clinical examination of a patient suffering from Graves’ disease may provide the following results; for instance, a Graves’ disease patient can be examined with rapid heartbeats, muscular weakness and protuberance of the eyes (either one or both eyes). Fatigue, increased appetite and weight loss are also other diagnostic results of Graves’ disease (MacLachlan, Sandra, & Basil 76). Medical practitioners have characterized Graves’ disease as a condition whose causes are not readily determined and have since concluded that there seems to be a genetic predisposition for the condition. This is an implication that some people are more likely to contract the disease as compared to others and this is as a result of their genetic inheritance. Nonetheless, a bacterium called Yersinia Enterocolitica has since been associated with the disease. Medical specialists have discovered that the bacterium contributes to the advance of thyroid autoimmunity; which is closely attributed to Graves’ disease (Zaidi 95). Treatment of Graves’ disease must be administered by a certified medical practitioner and includes the prescription of anti-thyroid drugs. This type of medication is known to limit the secretion of thyroid hormone. Medication is always given for between six months and two years. It is worth noting that the administration of these drugs into the human body have side effects of potentially grave reduction of the level of white blood cells (Zaidi 109). Zaidi,

Ethics Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics Case - Essay Example n the case study, manly construction company, to eliminate and avoid the situation of insulating the vault with asbestos that may lead to health issues of the workers. The principle of fidelity reveals itself in the case whereby the manager ignores the commitment to remove and clean up the fallen asbestos insulating the overhead pipes and the vault. The principle of honesty is manifested by the manager’s constant implication that the asbestos cannot cause harm unless they are disturbed, while in reality, the asbestos naturally release particles to the environment causing lung cancer to those exposed. The inspection done by the county inspector on the building violation reveals the principle of lawfulness, which requires the individuals running a company obey the rule of law to uphold a free and democratic society. Rocky the manager for manly construction deserves all the blame from any worker in the company who gets a lung infection because of vault asbestos particles; hence, the revelation of the principle of autonomy. The management forces the workers to work under unhealthy condition posed by the presence of asbestos in vaults, which is a wrong move for the company by threatening to suck any workers who complains of the asbestos. This is wrong because it denies the workers freedom and democratic rights. The main conflict in this case is the differing issue of health risk posed by the asbestos by the workers and the company’s management, which affect the employees, county inspector and the company’s president, Rocky. The process of resolving a problem through the perspective of consequentialist involves the evaluation of the rightness of the consensus among the parties involved in the conflict based on the consequences, also referred to as utilitarianism. Applying utilitarianism to the Blow the Whistle or Breathe Insulation case, there a two options that can be considered. The first option is removing all the asbestos lining the wallboard and overhead

Reshaping Care For Older People In Scotland Social Work Essay

Reshaping Care For Older People In Scotland Social Work Essay This project centres on the response from a group of service users who have been diagnosed with dementia and attend a day care service in the Perth and Kinross area to a consultation regarding the future delivery of care for older people in Scotland. Clearly, the Scottish government has stated that with the population of people aged 65 and over in Scotland expected to increase by up to 21 per cent by 2016 and 62 per cent bigger by 2031, as well as the increasing cost of funding health and social care hospital and care homes particularly, there is an urgent need to do things differently in order to be able to continue to provide sustainable and affordable and high quality care for older people in Scotland (Scottish Executive 2010). With the projected growth in the number of older people expected to create additional significant demand on care and support services; the question thus arise; what is to be done to reshape the delivery of care services in the future given these projectio ns? The consultation exercise focused on two main areas; responsibility for paying for the personal care of older people and the type of care that service users prefer. Free personal care for older people (aged 65 and above) was introduced in Scotland in 2002 after the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 (hereafter referred to as CCHSA 2002) received royal assent. The background for the introduction of the policy is in the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care (1999) which states that personal care should be available after assessment, according to need and paid for from general taxation. Scotland alone as Bowes and Bell (2007) noted, of the jurisdictions of the United Kingdom implemented the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care (as above). In respect of the CCHSA 2002 which is the legislation that implements the policy of free personal care, personal care is defined under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 as including help with continence management, personal hygiene, mobility, assistance with eating, support and counselling services, personal assistance such as help getting up and out of be d, as well as help with medication. Many social policy commentators and researchers as well as various stakeholders have described Scotlands free personal care policy in various ways. Blair (2002) for instance views the free personal care policy as representing the very least that could be offered to older people with enduring ill-health, while Age Concern Scotland (2009) described the policy as successful in helping older people remain living independently in their own home instead of moving into residential care. While Dickenson et al. (2007) viewed the advent of the policy as a defining moment in the development of political devolution in the United Kingdom, Bowes and Bell (2007) described it as a flagship policy of the Scottish Parliament and representing a considerable investment by the administration. In a much less enthusiastic tone however, Ferguson (2005) noted that the recommendation made by the Royal Commission on Long Term Care (stated earlier) was initially rejected by the Scottish Executive as being too c ostly and that it was later accepted by the Scottish Executive in order to avoid parliamentary defeat. However, despite the success of the policy thus far and its political impact as briefly highlighted above, there is a growing concern in relation to its long term sustainability especially with the projected growth in the population of older people in Scotland (mentioned earlier) and the concomitant pressure on the public purse. For example Sutherland (2008) and Bowes and Bell (2007) both highlight the inadequate consideration of the cost of the policy, as well as the report of the Scottish Parliament Audit Committee (2005) which was very critical of the Scottish Executives failure to fully understand the cost of the policy. Bell et al. (2006) noted that there had been an apparent shift in the balance of care towards increased provision of care at home in Scotland before the introduction of the policy of free personal care and has remained the case since the policy was introduced, and remains one of the strongest points in relation to the aims of the policy. Bell et al (2006) further posit that the free personal care policy may have served as a logical solution to what the Royal Commission on Long Term Care (1999) termed the particularly problematic boundaries between health and social care in relation to people with chronic conditions such as dementia whose social and personal care needs result from a medical condition. If we agree with Bell et al here, we can see implications of the policy of free personal care within the integrated services and processes such as single shared assessments designed to encourage and support flexibility in services thus providing better choice for service users, while al so promoting equity through standardisation (Alaszewski et al 2004). The main aims of the policy of free personal care according to Scottish Executive (2005) include; encourage and help older people to remain and stay in their own homes for as long as is practicably possible and reasonable to do so, as well as provide personal care services on an equitable basis based on an assessment of peoples needs. Only one of the service users (out of a group of twelve) who participated in the focus group consultation for this project said she would prefer to go into residential care rather than to receive care at home. This further highlights the already well documented preference of older service users for care in their own home rather than move into residential care a major aim of the policy. Why the Policy is important: The policy of free personal care has been shaped by, and since its inception has shaped other policies in a number of ways both expected and un-anticipated. This interaction with other policies has been mainly in community care and spans social care and health, pensions and benefits, housing, rights and citizenship settings. One of the policy aims pursued by government in the United Kingdom has been the de-institutionalisation of social care; whereby social care is moved away from institutional settings to the community which according to Godfrey et al. (2004) reflects the general preference of older people to receive care at home and within their own communities (also expressed by the focus group participants for this project). The free personal care policy can be seen as a very important policy therefore as it supports care at home (a view shared by the focus group participants for this project) by providing older people with a lot more choice; for exa mple, they can choose when and if they will move from home care into residential care. According to the John Rowntree foundation (2006) the policy of free personal care for older people in Scotland has created a fairer system of care as well as well as reduced means-testing and money worries for those families with modest or limited means. This is also one of the important issues raised by some of the service users who participated in the focus group I facilitated for this project. Some of the participants revealed that things would definitely have been very difficult for them if they did not get assistance with personal care. To further buttress the above point, some of the service users who participated in the focus group were not in support of the government being responsible for the provision of personal care but did however support the provision of free personal care for those with limited means or who do not have a family to support them. One of the points also highlighted by service users during consultation was that the free personal care policy has helped thei r carers (informal carers) as well because it allowed them more time to carry out other less hands-on support and tasks such as social outings. Some of the issues the policy aims to address include; a greater understanding of the role of the family, the provision of informal care and the mechanisms which can be further developed to provide support for the provision and recognition of the important contribution s of informal care. The overall design of the future social care makes looking at the policy of free personal care very important because of its direct and indirect interaction with other policies and areas of social care mad health, as well as housing, benefits and pensions, citizenship and rights. Some of the interactions of the policy with the wider objective of shifting the balance of care away from institutional settings towards care at home have already been mentioned. The policy of free personal care has implications for housing, for instance if more and more people are going to be receiving care at home, to be able to live independently with support therefore, perhaps a good number of houses would require adapt ations especially for those service users with mobility problems whose own houses may not have been built to barrier free standards. If also look at pension credits, for example, according to the Help the Aged (2005) one implication of the introduction of the policy of free personal care is that local authorities have directed increased efforts towards service users income maximisation meaning local authorities will want to make sure service users claim pension credit if they are eligible for it because it will local authorities will be paying less in fees and thus saving money. Erskine (1998) argues that the point of departure for thinking about social policy includes the consideration of social issues (for example, the changing demographic structure of society) and the experience of social groups (for example older people) and thus leads to social action (Alcock 2008) aimed at addressing the issues identified. One of the reasons I selected the free personal care policy for my project apart from the fact that it directly affects the service user group with whom I worked during my practice learning period, there is a wealth of evidence from research which suggests that the current system of adult social care is not sustainable in the longer term especially with the projected growth in the number of older people who will be needing care as well as the severe squeeze on public spending. Clearly, an increase in longevity would be regarded as a sign of success in the improvement of healthcare it also presents a huge challenge. Consequently, the provision of high quality care services and support for older people, given the demographic changes and reduced public finances is regarded as one of the three biggest challenges facing Scotland alongside economic recovery and climate change (Scottish Executive 2010). The policy of free personal care is part of the overall vision of the Scottish government to modernise adult care services, make it fit for purpose, a systems that gives choice and control to service users, is responsive to the needs of a 21st century Scotland and shifts the focus away from crisis response towards a more preventative approach (Scottish Executive (2010). The provision of high quality care and support for older people is a fundamental principle of social justice and is an important hallmark of a society that is both compassionate and caring, Scottish Executive (2010). This is one of the very reasons why the policy was selected for this project; to gather evidence from service users in relation to their views and opinions on the future of care services and support for older people in Scotland. The value of user involvement and participation in the planning and development of the services they receive cannot be over-emphasised as will be discussed in the next section of this paper. This project focuses on service users who have been diagnosed with dementia or a cognitive impairment and attend a day centre service in Perth. Part Two: Reflective Account Service users selection and involvement: One of the reasons I facilitated a response from the service users in my placement agency for the consultation and policy used in this project was because the service users themselves are important stakeholders and are at the receiving end of implementation they experience it on a daily basis. Service users can be viewed as experts by experience and as such their views and opinions are invaluable assets in the planning and delivery of adult social care services. All the service users who participated in the consultation live in their own homes and are in receipt of free personal care and thus have firsthand experience of the impact of the policy and are also in a good position as (service users) to share their perspectives on how adult care and support services can be further developed to meet future needs. After initial meetings with my Link Worker and the other members of staff during which the purpose of the consultation was discussed and ethical issues looked at, I spoke with service users individually (with the assistance of three members of staff) in the day centre. I discussed the purpose of the consultation, took the names of those who indicated their willingness to participate, and informed them about the consent form to be made available before the focus group, as well as negotiated a suitable time and date. My placement agency being a day care centre which the service users attend on a daily basis, what I did was to put up informa tion about the time, aims and date of the consultation on the notice board in the dining room as well as the one in the activity room from about two weeks before the date of the focus group. One of the reasons I did this was so that service users are constantly reminded of the date and details of the consultation. In relation to user involvement, as Ross et al. (2005) points out, there is no single blue print for user involvement as it calls for working with a diversity of perspectives. Importantly, as an emerging social worker who firmly believes in the principles of anti-oppressive practice or what Thompson and Thompson (2001) termed empowering practice I wanted an approach that would foster service user participation, and support their engagement as much as possible in the consultation. I decided to use Beresfords (2002) democratic model of user involvement as against the consumerist model because it is much more in line with the purpose of the consultation itself bringing about change through collective action as well as to give service users more say and control in decisions that affect their lives. In applying the democratic model of user involvement for instance, I encouraged open participation in the focus group. I did not select a particular service user to participate in the focus g roup discussion, rather what I did was to encourage everyone to participate and the response was very positive as twelve out of thirteen service users participated in the focus group discussion. Two of the participants in the focus group had special needs visual and hearing impairment respectively. I arranged with one of the three members of staff who co-facilitated the focus group to work the two service users using individual work sheets to record their views and opinions. I provided each participant with a copy of the aims of the consultation, as well as a copy of the agenda for the focus group discussion. I also used one of the pre-focus group meetings that I had with the service users to encourage their involvement; for instance one of the service users asked me if I would like them to tell me only what I wanted to hear during the focus group discussion and I told the service user that I was not looking for them to tell me only what I would like to hear, rather they should exp ress their opinions and perspectives on the issues we were going to discuss. I believe such an approach to user involvement is important for increasing the confidence of participants in the focus group. Data collection: I used a qualitative rather than a quantitative method of data collection for the project and this was mainly informed by a consideration of what Becker and Bryman (2004) termed the main concerns and preoccupations of the qualitative method actors (for example service users), meanings and descriptions, as well as an emphasis on flexibility, process and context. The main qualitative method I used was the facilitation of a focus group with the service users in my placement agency as participants. I used a focus group approach to gather data from the service users because it generates data in a narrative rather numerical form. It was also very important for the data collection method to be flexible and take account of the circumstances of the data subjects in this case the service users are elderly people with dementia or a cognitive impairment and it was very important to put this into consideration. The focus group approach was the most suitable method because it pr ovided a forum within which the service users could discuss important aspects of a policy which directly affects them, and their views on the future of adult social care services is very useful because they are important stakeholders. If we also look at it from the point of view of service user empowerment and anti-oppressive practice, the focus group approach also gives the service users control as they are able to share and discuss their experiences and the interaction amongst the different participants would generate a lot of data as well as being useful and enjoyable. Other sources of data used in the project include; government policy and legislative documents, literature review, as well as publications/evidence reviews from voluntary groups/organisations such as Age Concern Scotland and the John Rowntree Foundation. Ethical and effective practice: As part of the consideration of the ethical aspects of my work with the service users who participated in the focus group which I facilitated in the course of carrying out this project, some of the things I did include; encouraging participation was voluntary and that consent was obtained from all the service users who agreed to participate in the focus group. I provided each service user with a consent form which they signed as evidence that they consented voluntarily and that they had the right to withdraw their participation at anytime. I also made sure none of the service users was intentionally or indirectly excluded from participating in the focus group (as mentioned earlier), or disadvantaged. As mentioned earlier, I two of the participants in the focus group had special needs one was visually impaired but not blind while the other was hearing impaired and used hearing aids. Some of the things I did to enable their participation in the focus group for instance includes; providing written information in large print format as well as making arrangements for one of the co-facilitators to work with them. I also ensured that they were able to take part in the discussion; for example, asking them politely for their opinions while also making sure (given group dynamics) that the discussion was not being dominated by only those who could actively discuss. Part Three: Assessing the Impact on Users and other Key Stakeholders Several participants in the focus group revealed that the free personal care policy has been of help to them and has enabled them to remain at home rather than moving into residential care. Nearly all the participants agreed that personal care should remain free. However, there were strong responses from some of the participants in relation to responsibility for paying for personal care; one participant was very strong on his position that the family should be responsible for paying for personal care, another argued that while he was not against the idea of the family taking responsibility for paying for personal care, he was being considerate of those who did not have a family or who simply could not afford it because they had very limited or no means at all. The participant with the latter argument suggested that older people should be means tested for the receipt of free personal care. Another participant also argued that older people should continue to receive free personal care because they had spent their working years paying taxes and national insurance and should therefore be taken care of by the state. All participants in the focus group emphasized the important role of informal care and the support they receive from their family members, only one of the participants revealed that she would prefer to go into residential care her reason being that she lives alone in her home and would feel safer in residential care. Several participants said they would prefer to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and free personal care has been contributory to making this possible. There is a strong suggestion from the government documents consulted for this project and publications from key organisations such as the John Rowntree Foundation, that the free personal care policy has been very successful as confirmed also by the participants in the focus group for this project. However, there is also a strong tone of concern (in most of the government publications and evidence reviews) vis-a-vis the financial implications of the policy given the projected growth in the number of older people by the year 2032. For example, if we look at housing, a greater proportion of older people receiving care at home would perhaps increase the demand for housing and housing related services (Scottish Executive 2010). Age Concern Scotland (2009) noted with concern that much of Scotlands housing stock is not easily adapted for someone with mobility problems, and with the balance of care increasingly shifting towards care at home (with free personal care and personalisation as pot ent drivers) there are implications for local services and the design of communities in the future. Most of the participants in the focus group were diagnosed with an early onset of dementia meaning their dementia has not reached an advanced stage and so do not lack capacity. One impact of free personal care for this group of service users is that it has given them choice; they can choose to receive care at home or take up residential care. Nearly all the participants expressed preference for care at home, increased support, choice and flexibility for their family and informal carers, as well as support to keep them (person with dementia) in their own home for as long as possible even during advanced stages of dementia. Participants also said they would like to see more choice and control; some of the participants expressed disappointment in the fact that while they are often consulted with about their opinions, some of the important things they need are not provided. The service users would like to be more involved in decision making as one of the participants in the focus group said; I can tell you a problem that is niggling me and close to my heart and you can go away and promise to do something about it without doing it. Generally, the participants in the focus group appeared to be more concerned about the quality of the services they receive than the cost or who pays for it. The participants all said they wanted services that are reliable as well as responsive to their individual and changing needs. Two of the participants with other disabilities visual and hearing impairment respectively, also agreed that while the free personal care policy has added to the financial resources at their disposal, they still feel they have a number of unmet needs. For example, they mentioned transportation and being able to go on social outings, cleaning their homes as well as taking care of their garden as some of their needs which remain unmet. They also appear to have a holistic view of what free personal care entails; they believe it covers all aspects of care for older people. These two participants also noted that while the free personal care policy has enabled them to receive care at home, it is likely that as their conditions deteriorate they may still have to go into residential care and this may perhaps be the case for the larger proportion of older people with disabilities. In terms of the wider implications of the free personal care policy, one of main objectives of the reshaping care programme (Scottish Executive 2010) for which this project is based overall, as I mentioned earlier is a shift in focus from crisis response to preventative approaches, Scottish Executive (2010). This renewed emphasis on preventative and early intervention approaches by the Scottish government Dickinson et al. (2007) believe would be helped as free personal care may make older people more willing to contact their respective local authorities and thus provide some scope for early intervention and preventative work. As we can infer from the findings and evidence from research presented in this report thus far, the provision of free personal care is just one aspect of the overall picture of services and support for older people in Scotland. There are (as discussed earlier) significant implications for other key areas of public policy including housing, transport, pensions as well as employment. Part Four: Critical Analysis The introduction of the policy of free personal care in Scotland as Ferguson (2005) puts it, marks the beginning of policy divergence between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Fergusons assertion also echoes Mooney and Wrights (2009) account of the difference in the way the four nations which constitute the United Kingdom view, experience and organise policy responses to their social problems. The policy has been largely welcomed and viewed by various stakeholders as part of a Scottish solution to Scottish problems. Drakes (2001) assertion that social policies are not created in a vacuum but are guided by values, principles and objectives is perhaps useful here when we look at the overarching principles and values which underlie the policy of free personal care. For example, Scoot and Mooney (2009) posit that the promotion of shared citizenship and social justice, as well as the alleviation of the effects of economic inequality are some of the essential principles of the p olicy. While these principles and values were never quite in doubt in relation to what the policy stands for, one of the points raised during consultation (in the focus group with participants from my placement agency) and as stated by the Care Development Group (2001) is the issue of equity of access for different user groups in this case for example, service users with dementia. According to the Care Development Group, free personal care is right in principle because it removes the discrimination previously encountered by older people with chronic or degenerative conditions such as dementia who require personal care. The findings in this project are critically analysed (in this section of the paper) in relation to the specific topics covered in the focus group. The three topics are; responsibility for paying for care, the preferred type of care, and planning for the future. Responsibility for paying for care: As I mentioned in previous sections of this paper, participants in the focus group expressed mixed views concerning responsibility for paying for personal care. Although most participants agreed that personal care should be provided for older people and paid for by the government, there were some participants who held very strong opposing views and argued that the family should either pay for personal care or at least make some financial contribution (co-payment) towards it. Another participant also suggested the introduction of means-testing to the policy so that only older people with limited means receive free personal care. Overall, participants in the focus group discussion did not appear to be too concerned about the cost or who pays for personal care. The participants revealed that they were more concerned about the quality of the services they receive, ensuring that such services meet their individual needs and are able to remain in their o wn homes for as long as possible and spend time with their families. Sutherland (2008) reminds us that while free personal care is currently available to older people at the point of delivery, someone still had to pay for it presently the taxpayer. On the question of who should be responsible for paying for personal care, findings from the focus group fall under two broad categories; selective access and universal provision. Both categories perhaps raise a number of interrelated issues including; rights, citizenship, choice, empowerment, as well as the redistribution of welfare resources which according to Hills (2008) is central to the appraisal of social policy. If we apply Drakes (2001) conception of the function of rights to the above findings from the focus group, most participants view free personal care as something they have a right to (as older Scots who had spent their working lives serving the country in different ways) receive and it confers certain benefits on them; choice and empowerment particularly as they can now choose whether to receive care at home or move into residential care as one participant even revealed at least I will not have to sell my house to pay for my personal care. While it was evident from th e focus group as I mentioned earlier, that service users had a holistic view of what free personal care entails, some of them were also not aware of or perhaps considered the wider implications of the cost of the policy for example the implications for housing as I also discussed earlier. The cost of the policy in the longer term has been highlighted in worrying terms by many writers and commentators on social policy, as well as the by Scottish government. Considered against the backdrop of Scotlands changing demographics, evidence from the literature consulted for this project suggests that the policy may not be sustainable in the long term. For example, in an independent report on the free personal care policy by Lord Sutherland (2008) it was argues that a more holistic view of public funding arrangement would be required because the policy is only sustainable (under the current arrangement) over the next five years after which the impact of a rapid increase in the number of olde r people and demographic change will begin to set in. The question then arises; why was the financial implication of the policy not strongly considered before the machinery of implementation was set in motion? There are a number of arguments emanating from several of the literature consulted for this project in relation to the financial cost of the policy and there are suggestions as I highlighted earlier, that costing the policy has been inadequate and that the policy had more of a political aim (Sutherland 2001; Eccles 2001). Blair (2002) posits that social policy plays a pivotal role in the construction of later life itself. Blairs argument that older people are often discussed and defined in reports through the psychological distance of demography, deficit and economics (Blair 2002) is evident in most of the reports and evidence reviews consulted for this project thus beclouding the reality that many older people are already doing well for themselves without or with very little state support as one of the participants in the focus group discussion said we are already doing enough to take care of ourselves but what is wrong with receiving free personal care, have we not worked for it? The preferred type of care: As I reported in previous sections of this paper, only one of the participants in the focus group said she would prefer to move into a residential home. She cited fear and insecurity when her health deteriorates as the main reason for her choice of residential care. As is already well documented in research (Dickinson et al. 2007) older service users would prefer to stay out of the formal system of care for as long as possible given the choice. Although participants in t

Police Supervision

POLICE SUPERVISION PSPOL – 212 CASE STUDIES IN POLICE SUPERVISION ELIZABETH DIAZ FALL 2012 POLICE SUPERVISION PSPOL – 212 POLICE SUPERVISION CASE STUDY (2A) ELIZABETH DIAZ 10/14/2012 BACKGROUND Police Officer Jacob Goulde is a member of the Town of Utopia Police Department. He’s a married father of two. Officer Goulde has had a very good track record in the nine years he’s worked for the Utopia Police Department, but recently he’s been observed making careless mistakes and his behavior is increasingly disturbing to his supervisor, Sergeant Wentworth.During the last four or five months, Office Goulde has been turning in his reports late and with many mistakes. He’s called off from work repeatedly, and shown up late to several of his tours, which is an unusual pattern for him. He’s missed an important squad meeting simply because he forgot about it. He’s also forgotten his radio on the roof of his patrol car, he drove off and the radio sustained damage that amounted to over six hundred dollars ($600). After being confronted by Sgt.Wentworth in a meeting between the two, Officer Goulde was evasive with his answers and confrontational toward his sergeant saying he was â€Å"probably coming down with a cold or something† as a way of explanation for his abnormal behavior. As a parting remark he said â€Å"get off my back† and left the meeting suddenly. After being assigned desk duty, Desk Sergeant Katz also observed odd behavior from Officer Goulde on his tour. He brought it up to Sergeant Wentworth who then asked Desk Sergeant Katz to put this in writing so that he can take a different course of action with Officer Gould.ISSUES Mainly the issues that surround this case are the fact that Sergeant Wentworth has observed all of this declining behavior from Office Jacob Goulde and has not immediately intervened to find out the cause of this extreme attitude shift. Sergeant Wentworth should not have ha d an unofficial meeting with his officer, but instead a more official gathering and offered support to the officer in order to figure out what is causing all of these serious mishaps.Desk Sergeant Katz is also suffering from the â€Å"passing the buck† syndrome. After Officer Goulde was assigned desk duty on his shift, Sgt. Katz should have taken more extreme measures after discovering Officer Goulde drinking from a suspicious looking bottle and later smelling alcohol on his breath. Even though Officer Goulde isn’t his immediate responsibility, in a police department everyone is responsible not only of solving the crime but of holding each other accountable for their errors.SOLUTION (S) A police officer is held accountable to the highest degree of the law, but a supervisor is held at an even higher standard because they’re in charge of overseeing their subordinates. Sgt. Wentworth has failed to approach the issue when it first started, therefore not being proact ive. Now, he’s stuck with this issue and isn’t exactly sure how to follow suit. He must remember that he is the one in command and the one that needs to set rules and guidelines for the subordinates to follow.Perhaps giving the officer desk duty to be observed closely wasn’t the best idea since he should have been the one to look more closely into this problem with his officer. Sergeant Wentworth should have made Officer Goulde go to mandatory counseling to help him with his problems, whatever they are. If he suffers from any sort of substance abuse or emotional distress, he would get the necessary help through the psych services offered by the department (EIU). Also, they have to set up a plan for the two to meet regularly and discuss the effects of the therapy and map out a route with a mutual goal.If this problem persists, Sergeant Wentworth has to take the written report by Desk Sergeant Katz and go through the appropriate channels for a formal hearing, that will somewhat force Officer Goulde to answer questions without allowing him any opportunity to walk out. He has already demonstrated that he has no regard for his Sergeant by being evasive and walking out. Sergeant Wentworth has to become a democratic leader in order to aid his subordinates with any problems they’re facing. POLICE SUPERVISION PSPOL – 212 POLICE SUPERVISION CASE STUDY (2B)ELIZABETH DIAZ 10/14/2012 BACKGROUND Sergeant Wentworth is a sergeant at the Town of Utopia Police Department. After graduating high school and attending at the University of Pleasant, he took the exam for the Utopia Police Department and scored number 3 which landed him a job in 1986. After his probation period ended, he was placed into one of the more productive squads. Sergeant Robert Hulett, who was known as an energetic workaholic, trained Wentworth. He scored number one on the entrance, sergeant and lieutenant examinations for the department.He was even better known for his abil ity to train and develop new officers. Wentworth was bright, quick to learn and had very high aspirations about becoming a great officer in this department and was grateful of being trained by Sergeant Hulett. Officer Shapiro has been an officer with the Utopia Police Department since 1971 and is assigned to Squad Z. He is known around the department for being a quiet individual who worked at his own steady pace. The work he turned in contained errors but generally it was done pretty accurately and mostly on time.Sometimes, Officer Shapiro’s slow manner of speaking and of working irritated his fellow officers and most of all Sergeant Wentworth, who needed him to respond a little more promptly to situations that needed attention. Officer Shapiro’s work attendance was fairly reliable though he never placed punctuality very high on his priority list. Shapiro’s absence last Monday however, caused a great deal of issues to his squad. Several officers had been sent to the Police Range for their firearms qualifications that left the squad short handed for road patrol.Shapiro didn’t call in until an hour after his shift was supposed to start, to say he wouldn’t make it in to work. Sergeant Wentworth had to cover his shift after speaking to Lieutenant Dunbar, who expressed his disappointment with Wentworth about his mismanaging his staff. Lt. Dunbar became even more infuriated when he learned that the tasks assigned to Sgt. Wentworth had not been completed. Sgt. Wentworth summoned Officer Shapiro to his office on Tuesday and advised him that this situation needs to be rectified or there would be a formal complaint filed against him. ISSUESSquad Z and Sergeant Wentworth are having serious issues with the work performance of Officer Shapiro and the issues that have risen because of his erratic work attendance. Officer Shapiro’s slow work demeanor presents a serious contrast between the fast pace work environment of his squad. Off icer Shapiro’s work attendance has caused serious issues not only for Squad Z but also for Sergeant Wentworth who was reprimanded by Lt. Dunbar. Sgt. Wentworth was forced to cover the shift of Officer Shapiro when most of the squad members were sent off for their firearms qualifications. Lt.Dunbar expressed his disappointment in Sgt. Wentworth for mismanaging his staff and not keeping proper track of the people he oversees. Although Officer Shapiro’s work is turned in and completed in a timely fashion, it still contains errors and he seems to be suffering from low work morale, which is why he seems unmotivated to be the best officer he can be. After discussing the possible repercussions of this continued behavior with Officer Shapiro he simply shrugged his shoulders and asked to be dismissed, a clear indication that he doesn’t care or isn’t intimidated by a threat of ormal complaints against him. SOLUTION (S) Sgt. Wentworth, as a supervisor has to have th e ability to be a decision-maker and set up strict guidelines for his staff to follow. Also, have the correct attitude to train his subordinates. A supervisor cannot criticize his subordinates, but instead needs to create an atmosphere where his officers will want to work efficiently. Sergeant Wentworth has to create a work environment where there is high morale and his officers feel productive and united, and demonstrate he is capable of patience with training the subordinates.As a supervisor, he has to recognize the necessity of training employees because they are the organization’s most important resource. Sergeant Wentworth should send officer Shapiro for a refresher-training course where his skills will be refreshed and reinforced, to ensure that he is performing to the best of his abilities. His skills play a very important role in the day-to-day smooth operations of his squad. Also, he should set up some time aside to review his work performance until he is satisfied t hey are up to department standards. POLICE SUPERVISION PSPOL – 212POLICE SUPERVISION CASE STUDY (3B) ELIZABETH DIAZ 10/14/2012 BACKGROUND As the squad supervisor for Squad Z, Sergeant Wentworth has been concerned with the poor performance of the squad’s officers and the recent drop in summonses and arrests. Sergeant Wentworth has been determined to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of his squad and as a result has decided to arrange a squad meeting and has placed it for the last day of the 8Ãâ€"4 tour of squad Z, to ensure that the whole squad will attend. This meeting is an open forum style to allow everyone to air his or her grievances.On the day of the meeting, Sgt. Wentworth opened the meeting by inviting everyone to voice their concerns about the reasons why there’s poor performance and lack of productivity coming from this squad. The first one to offer to speak was Officer Lockwood, who has always been someone hard to communicate with. According to Sgt. Wentworth she blames the supervisors for the lack of production from the squad. She went on to say that the faulty radar units purchased by the department are the reason for the decrease in summonses since they’re always in for repairs.She also expressed that it is the supervisor’s responsibility to provide their officers with working equipment. A remark by Officer Gardenia was very insensitive to Officer Lockwood, who left the room in tears and never returned. Next was Officer Griffin who has issues with several officers who do not clean out the squad cars, then called them â€Å"sloppy pigs†. Officers Goulde and Shapiro supported Griffin’s claims stating that maybe they’re dirty because supervisors fail to report them but they also took personal offense to Griffin’s name calling, which then set off several exchanges about sexism and passing the buck.Sgt. Wentworth who had been quietly observing these exchanges said, â€Å"This meeti ng was a mistake†. Officer McBride, who is usually quiet, spoke and said that the supervisors never really listen to their complaints. She also went on to say that in several occasions they’ve reported the faulty equipment, the conditions of the squad cars and that the morale on the squad has fallen dangerously low. Officer Griffin agrees with Officer McBride’s claims saying he believes the supervisors are only interested in productivity and not listening to what they have to say.Sgt. Wentworth promised that he would take seriously the claims he’s heard today. He then thanked Officer McBride for voicing her opinion and she stated that it’s only the tip of the iceberg and that there are other more serious things going on in this department than he realizes. She advised him to patrol the streets and check on what his officers are doing. ISSUES The main issues in this case study are the lack of productivity and decrease in arrests/summonses of Squad Z. There is an obvious underlying reason as to why this squad’s morale has taken a nosedive.Sergeant Wentworth’s demeanor during the squad meeting was unnerving. He should have never allowed Officer Gardenia to speak to Officer Lockwood in such a way. If his intention was to hear the issues of his officers then he should have never allowed these shouting matches to go on in his presence. Although Officer Griffin’s concerns were valid he shouldn’t have let him go at it with Officers Goulde and Shapiro. Lastly, he shouldn’t have said that the meeting was a mistake, that’s not reflective of a leader. He should’ve considered that the meeting wouldn’t just go smoothly.In fact, he should’ve prepared himself for several possible outcomes of the meeting, that’s what a true leader does. Clearly there are serious issues that aren’t being handled by supervisors in order to restore morale and productivity to this squad. Sergeant Wentworth should’ve have undermined Sergeant McBride by telling her she’d only been here a little while when she intended to give him further perspective about the real issues going on around the squad. Sgt. Wentworth needs to stop the buck here. SOLUTION (S) In order to solve the issues that plague Squad Z, Sgt.Wentworth needs to sit down and make a plan that will show goals he wants for the squad and a time frame in which they must be done by. He has to consider the claims made by his officers and take them seriously. This is the moment when he has to become a Democratic Leader and seek ideas from his subordinates to ensure that these problems are eradicated. Sergeant Wentworth has to lead by example and treat his subordinates as colleagues, as oppose to trying to exert his will over them. He should make it mandatory that his officers attend a team-building seminar to bring his quad together and help them communicate with each other better and therefore maki ng them better communicators toward their supervisors. Sergeant Wentworth seems to not take seriously the internal complaints of his officers, but this should be so. A supervisor’s job is to take serious and show importance to all complaints no matter how important or not they seem to him, because clearly it is important to his subordinate. Sergeant Wentworth needs to work on paying close attention to these complaints, as they seem to be the start of the bigger issues.POLICE SUPERVISION PSPOL – 212 POLICE SUPERVISION CASE STUDY (4B) ELIZABETH DIAZ 10/14/2012 BACKGROUND Sergeant Wentworth went out on patrol shortly after twelve midnight, when he observed two patrol cars parked side by side in an alleyway. After approaching the cars, he asked officer Shapiro and Ashford what they were doing outside their sectors. Officer Shapiro replied they were just talking about where they would meet up later in their shift, which is in clear violation of the regulations set forth by the Utopia Police Department.Sgt. Wentworth sent them both on their way. As he continued to patrol the town, he heard dispatch call patrol car 91 for several minutes. Without response, dispatch gave the call to patrol car 92, which was in a different sector. Sgt. Wentworth called headquarters and asked what was car 91’s last known location and went in search of it. He tried to locate car 91 and the officer but neither could be found. Officer Ashford, of car 92, told the Sergeant that some cars went on to Castle Avenue to sleep.

It was in 2002

My Mom was driving me and my sister to my grandfathers house, it was a bit foggy, I must have been like 500 feet from the house when I was hit. You see, there is a main road the has a small gravel road come off of it, my Mom turned the car to branch off onto the gravel road, when a drunk driving a volunteer fire truck slammed into the side of our van – the side I was sitting in. Our van flipped into a ditch on the side of the road, and the truck was hardly damaged, I guess the gate openers on the front of the tuck helped. Mom started getting really scared that the van would blow up. Se pushed herself out of the car, and got my sister and I out of the car. My sister had a gashed knee, and I had a cut neck and a broken clavicle. The owner of the house we crashed in front of must have heard the accident and helped, I remember someone put us on their flatbed and helped get the broken glass off of me and my sister. I'm sure it wasn't the volunteer firefighter, he was busy fiddling with our van. A cop showed up, then an ambulance, then a tow truck.Now here's the sick part, the cop saw the volunteer firefighter go in our van and turn off the lights, then he walked over to the cop and tried to tell him that our lights were not on when we had the accident- he was obviously drunk. The firefighter was taken to the police station, and he was somehow let go. I can't remember very well but he was arrested a year later for another drunk driving thing, I heard this from the cop, he was our friend. But yeah, that's my story, if you want to hear more of what happened, um do something. I will be checking in forever so yeah. Bye.

Major General Henry Halleck in the Civil War

Major General Henry Halleck in the Civil War Henry Halleck - Early Life Career: Born January 16, 1815, Henry Wager Halleck was the son of War of 1812 veteran Joseph Halleck and his wife Catherine Wager Halleck. Initially raised on the family farm in Westernville, NY, Halleck quickly grew to detest the agricultural lifestyle and ran away at a young age. Taken in by his uncle David Wager, Halleck spent part of his childhood in Utica, NY and later attended Hudson Academy and Union College. Seeking a military career, he elected to apply to West Point. Accepted, Halleck entered the academy in 1835 and soon proved to be a highly gifted student. During his time at West Point, he became a favorite of noted military theorist Dennis Hart Mahan. Henry Halleck - Old Brains: Due to this connection and his stellar classroom performance, Halleck was permitted to give lectures to fellow cadets while still a student. Graduating in 1839, he placed third in a class of thirty-one. Commissioned as a second lieutenant he saw early service augmenting the harbor defenses around New York City. This assignment led him to pen and submit a document on coastal defenses entitled Report on the Means of National Defense. Impressing the US Armys senior-most officer, Major General Winfield Scott, this effort was rewarded with a trip to Europe to study fortifications in 1844. While abroad, the Halleck was promoted to first lieutenant. Returning, Halleck gave a series of lectures on military topics at the Lowell Institute in Boston. These were later published as Elements of Military Art and Science and became one of the key works read by officers in the coming decades. Due to his studious nature and his numerous publications, Halleck became known to his peers as Old Brains. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, he received orders to sail for the West Coast to serve as an aide to Commodore William Shubrick. Sailing aboard USS Lexington, Halleck used the long voyage to translate noted theorist Baron Antoine-Henri Jominis Vie politique et militaire de Napoleon into English. Arriving in California, he initially was tasked with building fortifications, but later took part in Shubricks capture of Mazatln in November 1847. Henry Halleck - California: Brevetted to captain for his actions at Mazatln, Halleck remained in California after the wars conclusion in 1848. Assigned as military secretary of state for Major General Bennett Riley, governor of the California Territory, he served as his representative at the 1849 constitutional convention in Monterey. Due to his education, Halleck played a key role in shaping the document and was later nominated to serve as one of Californias first US Senators. Defeated in this effort, he helped found the law firm of Halleck, Peachy Billings. As his legal business increased, Halleck grew wealthy and elected to resign from the US Army in 1854. He married Elizabeth Hamilton, the granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton, that same year. Henry Halleck - The Civil War Begins: An increasingly prominent citizen, Halleck was appointed a major general in the California militia and briefly served as president of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Halleck promptly pledged his loyalty and services to the Union cause despite his Democratic political leanings. Due to his reputation as a military scholar, Scott immediately recommended Halleck for appointment to the rank of major general. This was approved on August 19 and Halleck became the US Armys fourth-most senior officer behind Scott and Major Generals George B. McClellan and John C. Frà ©mont. That November, Halleck was given command of the Department of the Missouri and dispatched to St. Louis to relieve Frà ©mont. Henry Halleck - War in the West: A talented administrator, Halleck quickly reorganized the department and worked to expand his sphere of influence. Despite his organizational skills, he proved a cautious and difficult commander to serve under as he often kept plans to himself and seldom ventured from his headquarters. As a result, Halleck failed to cultivate relationships with his key subordinates and created an air of mistrust. Concerned about Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grants history of alcoholism, Halleck blocked his request to mount a campaign up the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. This was overturned by President Abraham Lincoln and resulted in Grant winning victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in early 1862. Though troops in Hallecks department won a string of victories in early 1862 at Island No. 10, Pea Ridge, and Shiloh, the period was marred by constant political maneuvering on his part. This saw him relieve and reinstate Grant due to concerns over alcoholism as well as repeated attempts to enlarge his department. Though he played no active role in the fighting, Hallecks national reputation continued to grow due to the performance of his subordinates. In late April 1862, Halleck finally took to the field and assumed command of a 100,000-man force. As part of this, he effectively demoted Grant by making him his second-in-command. Moving cautiously, Halleck advanced on Corinth, MS. Though he captured the town, he failed to bring General P.G.T. Beauregards Confederate army to battle. Henry Halleck - General-in-Chief: Despite his less than stellar performance at Corinth, Halleck was ordered east in July by Lincoln. Responding to McClellans failure during the Peninsula Campaign, Lincoln requested that Halleck become the Union general-in-chief responsible for coordinating the actions of all Union forces in the field. Accepting, Halleck proved disappointing to the president as he failed to encourage the aggressive action that Lincoln desired from his commanders. Already hampered by his personality, Hallecks situation was made more difficult by the fact that many of his nominally subordinate commanders routinely ignored his orders and thought of him as nothing more than a bureaucrat. This proved the case in August when Halleck was unable to convince McClellan to rapidly move to Major General John Popes aid during the Second Battle of Manassas. Losing confidence after this failure, Halleck became what Lincoln referred to as little more than a first rate clerk. Though a master of logistics and training, Halleck contributed little in terms of strategic guidance to the war effort. Remaining in this post through 1863, Halleck continued to prove largely ineffective though his efforts were hampered by interference from Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. On March 12, 1864, Grant was promoted to lieutenant general and made Union general-in-chief. Rather than sack Halleck, Grant shifted him to the position of chief of staff. This change suited the studious general as it allowed him to excel in those areas which he was best suited. As Grant embarked on his Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and Major General William T. Sherman began advancing on Atlanta, Halleck ensured that their armies remained well-supplied and that reinforcements found their way to the front. As these campaigns pushed forward, he also came to support Grant and Shermans concept of total war against the Confederacy. Henry Halleck - Later Career: With Lees surrender at Appomattox and the end of the war in April 1865, Halleck was given command of the Department of the James. He remained in this post until August when he was transferred to the Military Division of the Pacific after quarreling with Sherman. Returning to California, Halleck traveled to newly-purchased Alaska in 1868. The following year saw him return east to assume command of the Military Division of the South. Headquartered at Louisville, KY, Halleck died in this post on January 9, 1872. His remains were buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Major General Henry W. HalleckCivil War: Henry HalleckNNDB: Major General Henry W. Halleck

Complete List of Transition Words

Complete List of Transition Words Once you have completed the first draft of your paper, you will need to rewrite some of the introductory sentences at the beginning and  the transition statements at the end of every paragraph. Transitions, which connect one idea to the next, may seem challenging at first, but they get easier once you consider the many possible methods for linking paragraphs together- even if they seem to be unrelated. Transition words and phrases  can help your paper move along, smoothly gliding from one topic to the next.  If you have trouble thinking of a way to connect your paragraphs, consider a few  of these 100 top transitions as inspiration. The type of transition words or phrases you use depends on the category of transition you need, as explained below. Additive Transitions Probably the most common type, additive transitions are those  you use when you want to show that the current point is an addition to the previous  one, notes  Edusson, a website that provides students with essay-writing tips and advice. Put another way, additive transitions signal to the reader that you are adding to an idea and/or your ideas are similar, says  Quizlet, an online teacher and student learning community. Some examples of additive transition words and phrases were compiled by Michigan State University  writing lab. Follow each transition word or phrase with a comma: IndeedIn the first placeAndOrTooNorFurtherMoreoverFurthermoreIn factLet aloneAlternativelyAs well (as this)What is moreIn addition (to this)ActuallyMuch lessOn the other handEither (neither)As a matter of factBesides (this)To say nothing ofAdditionallyNot to mention (this)Not only (this) but also (that) as wellIn all honestyTo tell the truth An example of  additive transitions used in a sentence would be: In the first place, no burning in the sense of combustion, as in the burning of wood, occurs in a volcano;  moreover, volcanoes are not necessarily mountains;  furthermore, the activity takes place not always at the summit but more commonly on the sides or flanks....– Fred Bullard,  Volcanoes in History, in Theory, in Eruption In this and the examples of transitions  in subsequent sections, the transition words or phrases are printed in italics to make them easier to find as you peruse the passages. Adversative Transitions Adversative transitions are used to signal conflict, contradiction, concession, and dismissal says Michigan State University. Examples include: ButHoweverOn the other handIn contrastWhileWhereasConverselyEven moreAbove allBut even soNeverthelessNonethelessAlthoughThoughHowever(And) still(And) yetEither wayIn either case(Or) at leastWhichever happensWhatever happensIn ether event An example of an adversative transition phrase used in a sentence would be: On the other hand, professor Smith completely disagreed with the authors argument. Causal Transitions Causal transitionss include: AccordinglyAnd soAs a resultConsequentlyFor this reasonHenceSoThenThereforeThusGranting (that)On the condition (that)In the event thatAs a result (of this)Because (of this)As a consequenceConsequentlyIn consequenceSo  much (so) thatFor the purpose ofWith this intentionWith this in mindUnder those circumstancesThat being the caseThen An example of a causal transition used in a sentence would be: The study of human chromosomes is in its infancy,  and so  it has only recently become possible to study the effect of environmental factors upon them.–Rachel Carson, Silent Spring Sequential Transitions Sequential transitions express a numerical sequence, continuation, conclusion, digression, resumption, or summation, says Michigan State, which gives these examples: In the (first, second, third, etc.) placeTo begin withTo start withInitiallySecondlyNextSubsequentlyBeforeAfterwardAfter thisTo conclude withAs a final pointLast but not leastTo change the topicIncidentallyBy the wayTo get back to the pointTo resumeAnyhowAs was previously statedSoIn shortThusIn sumFinally An example of a sequential transition would be: We should teach that words are not the things to which they refer. We should teach that words are best understood as convenient tools for handling reality....Finally, we should teach widely that new words can and should be invented if the need arises.–Karol Janicki, Language Misconceived In sum, use transition words and phrases judiciously to keep your paper moving, hold your readers attention, and retain your audience until the final word.

Current and Fixed Assets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current and Fixed Assets - Essay Example The exchanging over or turning over of this assets is usually done during the normal business environment. These assets include cash and cash in-equivalents which re the liquid assets. These include currency, deposit accounts and negotiable instruments like money orders and bank drafts. There are also short term investments which include trading securities. Other items are receivable assets, inventory and prepaid expenses (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.298). Fixed assets are generally termed as PPE to mean property plant, and equipment. These assets are purchased mainly for long term use. They are used in earning the business profits. These may include land, buildings, machinery, tools, and furniture. They are usually written off against profits in the balance sheet. In management accounting fixed assets are also called capital assets. These assets are attached with monetary value and not the liquid cash like in current assets (Bott, 2005.pp.165). Discussion In a balance sheet there are usually decreases and increases in the assets of the company, both fixed assets and current assets. in the balance sheet an increase in the fixed and current assets is usually debited while a decrease in the two is usually credited. If the asset is capital plus liability then debits are the same as the credits. For double entry to be reflected in the accounts every debit must have a corresponding credit entry. The assets are usually different from liabilities and they take different sides in the balance sheet. To balance an account will simply mean to obtain the difference between the totals of the two sides of an account. If the details of the on the debit side is higher than of the credit side the balance is said to be a debit balance. If the totals on the credit side are higher than of the debit side, the balance is said to be a credit balance (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.300). In this company the fixed asset is the file server which is worthy $15,000. This is property of the com pany thus it will be debited. The amount which the company has paid will be credited and the amount that they will get from the same will be credited. What really happens is as shown on the next page: ACCOUNT TO RECORD ENTRY IN ACCOUNT SIDE Asset(fixed and current) An increase Debit Left Asset(fixed and current) A decrease Credit Right The debit side is usually left while the credit is usually one the left side. The $15,000 will therefore be on the left side since it will be an increase in assets of the company. This is a fixed asset because it cannot be converted in quick or liquid cash. The amount which was paid by the company, that is, $5,000 will be a decrease in asset and this will be credited on the right side of the balance sheet. The money which they will get after selling the software packages will be an increase in the company’s current assets and this will be debited on the left side of the balance sheet (Bott, 2005.pp.159). The profits that are got after selling t he software packages will reduce the company’s properties but this will be replaced by the cash that flows in the bank. The two will be written in different sides of the balance sheet. After the property is sold, the value of them will increase since it will bring in addition profits to the company (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.291). When there is no change in the assets then the company

Owning a Computer for Writer Is Not Necessarily, Equal Right to an Essay

Owning a Computer for Writer Is Not Necessarily, Equal Right to an Equal Share of Resources - Essay Example The articles are on the case against helping the poor. The article argues that everyone on the earth has an equal right to an equal share of resources. In the current situation, two-thirds of the nation is poor and the other third comparatively rich with the United States being the richest of all. The article argues on the plans that are made by those countries that are rich and those that are not rich. This brings the difference between the countries. The third article is about sustainability. In the recent situation, the term sustainability has been wrongly used to refer to practices that are reputed to be more environmentally important than others. The term is indispensable and should be used as the cornerstone for all the planning that is used in a country. The axioms of sustainability are defined in the article. The first axiom is that a society that remains to use acute resources untenably will collapse. The second axiom is population growth or growth in the rates of consumption of resources cannot be sustained. The third axiom is that to be sustainable, the use of renewable sources must be preceded at the rate less than or equal to replenishment. The fourth axiom is that the use of nonrenewable energy sources and the rate at which they decline must be greater or equal to the rate of depletion. The last axiom brought about is that sustainability requires that the substance that is introduced into the environment from human ac tivities be reduced and compact harmless to biosphere roles. The issue that all three essays are concerned with is on resources. In the first essay, the argument is on the reasons that make the author not being able to buy a computer.