What are the benefits of emergency management doctrine, and how do you Essay - 3

What are the benefits of emergency management doctrine, and how do you think its creation may be enhanced in the context of the UAE - Essay Example ces had to evacuate their homes for the sake of visitors and holy servants who crowded the area for such functions and since the climatic conditions are always harsh, the inhabitants had to move around all day long distributing water to quench thirst. The United Arab Emirates, for the last eighty years has been on the move coming up with an effective emergency management plan. From the Saudi Arabian documentation, the first response to such emergencies was by the establishment of a fire brigade in 1927 to serve pilgrims who flock Makah each year for special prayers. The establishment of emergency management doctrine has brought along great benefits to the United Arab Emirates. It has been possible to save lives and assets from damage. United Arabs Emirates has been the centre of discussion because of the terrorist attacks for example the Khobar tower bomb attack in 1996, which claimed 19 lives, the Yanbu and Asir floods caused pure destruction to property estimated over 230,000 km2, the fire and meningitis outbreak during Hajj and Ramadan festivals in 1997 and 1987 respectively affected close to 2,000 pilgrims (Alamri 15).. These are just a few examples of the damages caused by hazardous happenings. Through emergency management doctrine, it has been able to contain most of the calamities through resource optimization; which means being in a position to deploy and respond to emergency situations. For instance, due to a daily increase in the number of worshippers flocking Makkah, the Saudi Red Crescent Society has already come up with a medical e vacuation system which involves the use of twenty five helicopters. This in turn will help save innocent lives in case of disease outbreaks. In addition, it has eased the motor vehicle crashes and traffic jams. This is evident through the creation of Makah Metro, which has the capability to connect all the holy places around Makah 24/7. This works in line with a digital traffic control system; Saher. This ensures all

Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Information Systems - Essay Example The researcher of this essay provides the reader with detailed explanation of Apple's company success. From the earliest government sponsored projects to produce computers based on vacuum tubes to today’s multi-core systems, the saga of computer technology has seen major players ousted and minor players become leaders. While many companies have come and gone over the past 40 years, Apple Computer comes across as one of the companies which has stood the test of time and has managed to turn out convincing products that have given it an image of innovation and being a radical organization. The essay describes that Apple is an American company and one of the front runners amongst computer hardware, software and allied equipment manufacturers. The company prides itself on creating innovative products for the consumer electronics and technology sectors. In 2005, it posted global sales of nearly 14 Billion dollars and had more than fourteen thousand people working for it around the w orld. The researcher then uses different analysis models, such as Porter’s Five Forces, Value Chain, Competitive Advantage, Value Proposition, Revenue Model and Information System to describe and present Apple's corporative strengths and weaknesses in modern market. For example, the five forces model shows that Apple has a significantly strong position in the market for some of its products e.g. the iPod and the iTunes Music Store but for others it is positioned on rather weak footing e.g. personal computers.

Business Plan for a new Iphone development company Essay

Business Plan for a new Iphone development company - Essay Example In fact the Primus Digital Company in the oligopoly market requires strategic thinking unlike other market forms such as perfect competition or monopolistic competition. Oligopoly can provide a different range of outcomes. In some cases company can employ some restrictive trade practices. In other situations, competition between sellers in an oligopoly market can be relatively low prices and high production. Built by Apple Inc. the Apple iPhone is a phone that has many applications such as ‘ifart’, ‘iamrich’ running on its platform. In fact the Apple iPhone has thousands of applications running on its platform such as music, games, cookery, jokes and so on. The company began as Apple Computer, Inc. in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated in January 3, 1977. There is great demand for the Apple iPhone in the UK market and in fact O2, Apples exclusive UK mobile phone partner reports that, â€Å"pre-order demand for new 3G iPhones crashes O2s website within an hour of going live†. Demand for the new 3G version of the iPhone has outstripped supply, and O2 says it has run out of stock for customers wanting to pre-order the device before it goes on general release. Primus Digital Company has realized this and has been quick to take advantage of it by coming up with some music software applications that could be seamlessly integrated into Appl e iPhone platform. The existing customer profile for Apple iPhones is not only richly varied cutting across customer demographical barriers but also includes such variances as against competitors’ in capabilities For instance competitors are faced with enormous barriers to entry that European Union regulators have come to accept as inevitable. Primus Digital Company is a new company looking to develop music software applications which could be integrated to the Apple iPhone platform. Primus Digital Company is a small scale software development company in UK . It was

Assessment and Feedback Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Feedback Essay Assessment drives the choices students make about their learning. It is widely recognised that assessment and feedback contain the strongest potential to change how, and what, students do to succeed in their learning (Ramsden, 2003). This Effective Teaching Guide on Assessment provides practical suggestions on assessment and feedback. Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning David Boud, a recognised researcher and scholar of assessment in higher education, suggests that assessment has many purposes, but particularly to help students to improve their learning and certify students’ learning. These two purposes lead to different ways of thinking about what, how, and when to assess students: According to Boud and Associate’s Seven Propositions for Assessment Reform in Higher Education (2010), assessment has most effect when: 1. Assessment is used to engage students in learning that is productive (including the need for assessment to be designed to focus students on learning); 2. Feedback is used to actively improve student learning; 3. Students and teachers become responsible partners in learning and assessment; 4. Students are inducted into the assessment practices and cultures of higher education; 5. Assessment for learning is placed at the centre of subject and project design; 6. Assessment for learning is a focus for staff and institutional development; and, 7. Assessment provides inclusive and trustworthy representation of student achievement. The power of feedback Feedback plays an important role in improving students’ learning. A useful summary is that provided by Gibbs and Simpson’s (2004). In their meta-study of the research about how assessment and feedback support student learning, 7 of their 10 identified conditions relate to feedback, and students’ understanding of feedback. These are: †¢ Sufficient feedback is provided, both often enough and in enough detail; †¢ Feedback focuses on students’ performance, on their learning and on actions under the students’ control, rather than on the students themselves and on their characteristics; †¢ Feedback is timely in that it is received by students while it still matters to them, and in time for them to pay attention to further learning or receive further assistance; †¢ Feedback is appropriate to the purpose of the assignment and to its criteria for success; †¢ Feedback is appropriate, in relation to students’ understanding of what they are supposed to be doing; †¢ Feedback is received and attended to; and, †¢ Feedback is acted on by the student. Hounsell (2004) also makes the following points about feedback: †¢ It can be extrinsic (assessment-focused) or intrinsic (activity and  practice-based); †¢ It can be immediate and verbal (in order to address the potential lack of engagement when it arrives after an assessment); †¢ It can be provided to be a whole class; †¢ It can be many to many where students are involved in identifying the strengths and weaknesses (peer feedback); and, †¢ Feedback can be a loop – it can be offered on unfinished work. Another useful idea is feed-forward. Feed-forward encourages students to use something like a marking rubric (also captured by the idea of criteria and standards) to help plan their approach to an assessment. While a marking rubric is routinely used by university teachers to mark/grade students’ work (as an expression of what a student needs to demonstrate (and the level they need to achieve) to receive a particular grade), the idea of feed-forward is about encouraging students to use that same information in the rubric to plan their work, and perhaps even, to self-assess it before submitting it for formal feedback. In summary: Feedback example: Develop a marking rubric as a cover sheet. The rubric identifies the elements of the assignment, together with a breakdown of marks for each element or a description of the standard for an A, B, C, D, P etc. Feed-forward example: Provide the marking rubric to students before the assignment is due so that they clearly understand what’s expected, the levels of achievement, and can plan their approach accordingly. In marking student work, you’ll need a suite of feedback techniques. Remember, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time providing feedback, you want to make sure that students read, use and engage with your feedback to improve their next assignment. The best way to do that is to have a range of techniques that you can draw on, when you need to. The table below describes some feedback techniques. One observation you might make about each of these techniques is that they are focused on: (i) engaging students with the criteria and standards, and (ii) with what the student does with the feedback they receive. If you’d like to read more about these two ideas (and others like them), two articles may be especially useful to you: Rust, Price O’Donovan (2003) and Price, O’Donovan Rust (2004). Consistency and fairness in marking and feedback Consistency in marking, or moderation, is aimed at ensuring fairness in marking, and requires finding or establishing agreement between markers. Making sure that assignments contain criteria and standards is a good start because the expectations involved are clear to the student and clear to the marker. Although this does not absolve the marker from interpreting students’ work, without criteria or standards, the job of marking ends up being much harder. The procedures for marking are set out in the University’s Assessment Procedures (an excerpt of the principles is below): Where there is more than one marker, selected pieces of work from each assessment task should be reviewed by the subject coordinator to verify the level and consistency of the marks allocated by the marker. This process, called moderation, increases the reliability of the assessment process and application of standards, promotes consistency, supports objectivity and establishes a shared understanding of standards and fairness in assessment. The university also has a grading schema with a range of Pass grades. Graduate capabilities Alongside the conventional grading schema, from 2012, all commencing first year students will receive a result on the achievement of the university’s six graduate capabilities at the end of the year: †¢ Writing †¢ Speaking †¢ Inquiry/Research †¢ Critical thinking †¢ Creative Problem-solving †¢ Teamwork There are some subjects which have been designated cornerstone, mid-point and capstone status. This means that their curriculum has been designed to teach, assess, provide feedback and report specifically on these graduate capabilities. For each graduate capability, students will receive one of three results: exceeded expectations, met expectations or did not meet expectations. Each faculty has carefully crafted a description of what these standards look like. It may be the case that you will be asked to provide feedback to students about their graduate capability achievement as well. Because faculties will have already done substantial work outlining those standards, it is likely you will be asked to offer students that feedback. Summary When considered together, assessment and feedback are incredibly powerful levers for influencing the direction of students’ efforts, and their learning. For many students, the assessment in the subject is the actual curriculum. It is largely students’ reading and perception of what the assessment demands of them which is a key determinant in how they spend their time in a subject. Therefore, the messages that students take away about assessment from the documents; the Subject Guide; from interaction with other students, are important considerations. In the second week, you will discover just how crucial feedback is to this process and how the  adoption of standards and criteria will help you mark and grade more efficiently and effectively. References Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions Under Which Assessment Supports Student Learning. Learning and Teaching, Issue 1, pp: 3-31. Hattie, J. Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. Hounsell, D. (2004). Reinventing Feedback in the Contemporary Scottish University. Scottish Quality Enhancement Workshop on Assessment, University of Glasgow [available online at: www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/events/20040604/Hounsellpaper.pdf]. O’Donovan, B., Price, M., Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Orrell, J. (2006). Assessment beyond intuition. Central Queensland University [available online at: http://www.learning.cq.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=8896, accessed Feb 2011]. Price, M., O’Donovan, B., Rust, C. (2004).Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to teach in higher education. (2nd edition). Routledge, NY London. Rust, C., Price, M., O’Donovan, B. (2003). Improving Students’ Learning by Developing their Understanding of Assessment Criteria and Processes. Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(2), 147-164. Taylor, J. (2008). Assessment in First Year University: A model to manage transition. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 5(1).

Carers of elderly Dementia sufferers

Carers of elderly Dementia sufferers Introduction The aim of this patient case study is to discuss the care and nursing interventions that an older person with dementia received in his home within the community during placement. There will be discussions focusing on normal ageing process, taking into account the relevant biological, sociological and physiological perspectives and the impact this had on this individuals life experience. The relevant epidemiology and aetiology factors will be examined and the social and kinship support networks will be identified, how they work together to provide individual holistic patient care, and finally the impact of current legislation on the overall care provided will be analysed. The learning experience and actions that I will take in order to ensure my continued professional development and learning will be discussed, followed by the conclusion. The rationale for this is to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and practical links in caring for individuals with this condition in th e community Confidentiality is maintained in conjunction with NMC (2010). Thus a pseudonym (Scot) is adopted where the clients name is mentioned. Scot was chosen for the purpose of this case study because his strength of character was admired and a good relationship was established. . The patients permission was obtained after an explanation of the purpose and proposed content of the case study, with a CPN present. Context Scot is a 67 year old man with a long term history of psychosis. Recently he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, a type of dementia which affects the brain cells and brain nerve transmitters, which carry instructions around the brain. Scot is also a non-insulin dependent diabetic and has hypertension, both of which are controlled by oral medication and had been non-compliant of late. Due to the decline of his mental state, he has been refusing access to his main carer (his wife) and was at risk of self-neglect. His aggressive outbursts follow an unpredictable pattern where his mood could change from pleasant and content to a highly agitated in a short pace of time. More recently, he has been observed to become low in mood and isolate himself. In particular, Scots aggressive behaviour could put others at risk of harm, or Scot could put himself at risk of retaliation from others. He has become lost and disoriented, even within the relatively small confines of the family home. S cot and his wife had been married for over 40 years. Initially his wife managed well, but as time went by and the dementia worsened, she found it increasingly difficult to look after her husband, do her household chores and have any life for herself. She could not leave him alone while she shopped, and it was too difficult to take him along. Eventually the stress, the low morale and the frustration of caring for Scot began to toil on her (Hoe et al 2009). What seemed to have been the last straw for Scots wife was when he started squatting in corners and urinating on the floor. Scot began to progressively have less interest inside and outside home, which is highlighted by intellectual, emotional and memory disturbances of dementia (Dexter et al, (1999). The deterioration again led him to becoming absent- minded, forgetting appointments, forgetting about his meals and forgetting things he has left in the house. It further progressed to extreme situations where he would recall past eve nts of his youthful days but not about the recent events. He would also get up in the middle of the night wandering around the house, which resulted in many falls and injuries to him. This major memory disturbance resulted in manifestation of confusion affecting his daily structure and routine of life. Current medication He had been well managed on Quetiapine until he had stopped taking the medication and his psychosis had worsened. Quetiapine is an oral antipsychotic drug used for treating schizophrenia and similar disorders. Like other anti-psychotics, it inhibits communication between nerves of the brain. Frequent adverse effects include headache, agitation, dizziness, drowsiness, weight gain and stomach upset (Ballard et al 2005). There is an interaction between Scots medication and his behaviour which requires a more skilled professional being required to administer medication. Aetiology Dementia as a disorder, is manifested by multiple cognitive defects, such as impaired memory, aphasia, apraxia and a disturbance in occupational or social functioning Howcroft (2004). Thus disturbances in executive functioning are seen in the loss of the ability to think abstractly, having difficulty performing tasks and the avoidance of situations, which involves processing information. The brain shrinks as gaps develop in the temporal lobe and hippocampus. The ability to speak, remember and make decisions is interrupted (ADS, 2011). Medical history Seven (7) years ago, he had a mild stroke. He has fractured both of his wrists and has no sensation of the heat or cold on his hands but can move and use his fingers perfectly fine. Referral Scot was referred to the CMHT on the 03 May 2011 by his General Practitioner (GP) with severe cognitive impairments due to Alzheimers disease for further assessment and treatment, as concerns have been raised about his vulnerability to exploitation by others. Epidemiology The Health of the Nation (DOH, 1991), Our Healthier Nation (DOH, 1998), and more recently, Living Well with Dementia (DOH, 2009) use information from the public health domain to look at trends and set targets for improvement. It aims to secure continuing improvement in the general health of the population by adding years to life and life to years. Overall, about 5% of the population over 65 has dementia, and the prevalence increases markedly with age (PSSRU 2007, ADL 2011)(Appendix 1). A new dementia map of the UK shows stark variations in the number of people suffering from the disease and those who have actually received a medical diagnosis (Appendix 1). Dementia Care Mapping (DCM), an observation tool designed at Bradford University, is a process internationally recognised for promoting a holistic approach to improving life for each individual because it evaluates the quality of the care being provided from the perspective of the person with dementia (BBC 2011) These prevalence rates have been applied to Office of National Statistics (ONS) population projections of the 65 and over population to give estimated numbers of people predicted to have dementia to 2025. The number of people with dementia nationally is forecast to increase by 38% over the next 15 years and 154% over the next 45 years. The estimates for early-onset dementia (onset before the age of 65 years) are comparatively small but, according to national statistics, are significantly under reported. Dementia is a major cause of disability in older people. According to the 2003 World Health Report Global Burden of Disease estimates, dementia contributed 11.2% of all years lived with disability among people aged 60 and over; more than: Stroke (9.5%), musculoskeletal disorders (8.9%).Cardiovascular disease (5.0%) and all forms of cancer (2.4%). Dementia costs the health and social care economy more than cancer, heart disease and stroke combined. Fewer than half of older people with dementia ever receive a diagnosis (DOH, 2009). Assessment A health needs assessment was carried out using my placement tool called CAREBASE and Observation. Assessment is a systematic process that aims to provide a framework for the collection of information relevant for the clients health experience, engage the client in a therapeutic relationship, and identify appropriate care, interventions and services (Thompson and Mathias, 2002). Psychiatric assessment therefore is the attempts to attribute a persons suffering to an underlying illness and thereby identify appropriate treatment (Barker, 2004). Scots assessment took a form of an assessment interview in consultation with his wife and children. The areas which were assessed included a clear description of his current symptoms; a detail and precise description of the problems that he is experiencing and a description of his social, occupational and domestic circumstances. Some other areas of importance were the support available and level of dependence as well as a comprehensive risk asses sment. These enabled me to elicit important information for a good clinical judgement (Guthrie and Lewis, 2007). A relaxed environment was facilitated in Scots home. Open questions were asked to gather as much information as possible to build a holistic picture of Scot, his needs and his community. I then transferred the details onto the University Tool as its contents met my expected learning outcomes. The model chosen to assess Scots needs was an adaptation of Roper Logan Tierney (RLT) model (1983) and the actual and potential problems based on the 12 activities of living were highlighted. This model was chosen as Walsh (1998) suggests it is trying to promote maximum independence and meet Scots needs. Haggart (1994) suggests the Neumans systems model seeks to involve patients in their health care and focuses on prevention. This is congruent with the needs of community nursing. Analysis Scots baseline observations on assessment were: temperature: 37.4 degrees Celsius, her pulse was 105 beats per minute and her blood pressure was 145 millimetres mercury systolic and 90 millimetres mercury diastolic. Scots Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and he scored 26, which classified him as being overweight. The lifespan of an obese person is 9 years less than someone of lower weight (Netdoctor, 2004). Obesity causes raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels which lead to CHD and stroke. It also fosters inactivity and generally involves an unhealthy diet which together contributes to cancer, diabetes, gall bladder disease, arthritis and musculoskeletal problems (NAO 2001). Because Scot has a chronic illness such as diabetes and is overweight these factors contribute to delay in healing. King (2001) suggests people with diabetes experience more wound healing problems. However, this does not affect Scot as he had no wounds. A recent study by Brown et al (2004) indicates that majority of people who are obese have some form of skin problems. In Scots case dryness, broken skin, red patches and itchiness were identified. A moving and handling assessment derived by Pilling (1993) score of 5 was obtained for Scot due to his body weight being above 17 stones. Scot is fully mobile and therefore no equipment was needed. Pilling and Frank (1994) report that this is a tool and should not be substituted for professional judgement or knowledge of correct handling techniques. With regards to sleep, it was identified that he has unstructured and lesser sleep patterns which is a contributing factor to his restless and agitations during the day. He also has difficulty in hearing. Furthermore, assessment of other age related physiological and psychological degeneration of vision, auditory, speech, impaired cognition etc. are essential for baseline assessment and understanding the effects of physical and mental capabilities of an older person. Care Plan All identified needs of Scot, which were highlighted as personal hygiene, nutritional intake, safe environment and sleeping (Roper et al, 1996). , were integrated into his care plan approach and the appropriate interventions were taken. The care plan was for Scot to be given one to one counselling sessions each day and encouraged to discuss topics related to reality such as current affairs, his family, home life or social life. The rationale for this action is supported by Schultz and Videbeck (2002), who assert that familiarity with, and trust in staff members can decrease a clients fears and suspicions, leading to decreases anxiety. Discussing familiar topics also stimulates patients to maintain contact with the real world and their place in it (Stuart and Laraia, 1998). He is to be monitored on his medication and mental state in order for him to maintain optimum level of physical and mental wellbeing. This was to include exercise, social group activities and a good balance of flui d and food intake. He was also to be encouraged and engage in social activities during the day to help him have adequate sleep during the night. It was also included that Scot should be on primary observation to ensure his safety. Scots family are his main carers. His daughters visit him regularly. Twigg (1994) suggests that the largest provider of care services in the community is the army of family, friends and neighbours who are reported to number over six million people. The National Strategy for Carers (1990) defines an informal carer as someone providing care without payment for a relative or friend who is disabled, sick, vulnerable or frail (Cooper et al, 2008). Fitting et al (1986) found that women more often feel obliged to give care than men and have more difficulty in coping with the dependency of their dementing relative. INTERVENTIONS Following Scots initial assessment, certain problems were identified and her care plan was initiated. Scots identified problems were nutrition, safety, sleep, pain, medication and dying. The agreed goal for Scots problem of nutrition was to ensure adequate dietary and fluid intake and this was to be achieved by referring Scot to the dietician and offering Scot small, appetising meals and monitor dietary intake. Nutritional assessment according to Harris and Bond (2002) should be integrated with the overall nursing assessment and the plan of care and implemented and evaluated and involves identifying and evaluating patients nutritional status using assessable techniques to quantify any impairment or risk, such as food record charts and risk assessment scores. The degree of Scots safety was assessed due to his potential risk of falling and causing harm to himself. To promote safe environment for Scot, all potential hazardous objects were removed, and that familiar objects including pictures, calendars, activity sheets were rather put in place to orientate him to his surroundings. To reinforce this, he was discussed with what was happening around him. All interaction with Scot also involved communicating clearly about one topic at a time so that he is not confused with excessive information (Holden et al, 1982). He was given hearing aid equipment, which was constantly checked for proper functioning. This was emphasised with effective verbal and non-verbal communication. During these times it was imperative to use tone of voice which was conductive to his hearing, appropriateness of touch, good eye contact, gestures and allowing Scot to express his fears and desires, all in an atmosphere of acceptance and reassurance. This was to build a rap port and maintain a trusting therapeutic relationship with him (Egan 2002). To reduce some of the night time disturbances, Scot was involved in a sleep hygiene programme which included maintaining regular times for rising and going to bed, avoiding stimulants such as alcohol and tobacco and using the bedroom only for sleep. Taking him for a walk, attending OT sessions and other social group activity also increased his daytime activity. Relaxation and breathing exercises was part of the caring process for Scot, which were intended to give him mastery over his symptoms especially when he became anxious or unable to sleep. And although there seemed to be no significant process being made by Scot on the breathing exercise, the programme continued to be reassessed and reviewed. His care programme also took into account some of the normal ageing process associated with old age such as the presence of pathology affecting the overall functioning of the individual. For instance, during Scots assessment for nutritional intake it was important to take into account the fact that many older people have a reduced food intake as result of being less active and reduced lean body mass which leads to a low intake of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals (Norman, et al 1997). A further factor considered was that of the medication which when used to treat certain conditions can in fact cause depression, which is brought on by the toxicity of the drugs. The elderly are more prone to toxicity because of their impaired absorption, metabolism, and excretion of drugs (Cosgray and Hanna, 1993). It was imperative to note that the older person tend to take medication errors such as omission of doses and incorrect dosage when they are self-administering a drug and many elderly people tend to take a number of different drugs for different ailments which causes further confusion. Thus all non-prescription medications such as bottles, out of date prescription items were also removed from the reach of Scot. This was to prevent Scot having access to potentially dangerous medication and inadvertently taking them incorrectly. Until his condition improved, his medication was given to staff in the community. Scot constantly brought up the issue of dying during every one to one session with him. Although he did not want to end his present condition by committing suicide, he accepted death as an invertible end, which he anticipates will inevitably come soon for him (Sampson et al 2011, Samson 2010). His main concern was to be able to work and spend time in his garden again before he died. However, he did have the tendency to be rather depressed of what he saw as not doing much in his prime days to fulfil his ambitions. This sometimes brought on a sense of guilt and sadness to Scot. The National Service Framework for older people (DoH, 2001) emphasised the need to support carers in their role. Scots wife was therefore educated about how to handle the decline capabilities of her husband including how to provide safe environment for Scot and help him with respite programmes that will give her a break from her care-giving responsibilities. Scots wife also received education and information about how and why her husband behaves in his condition and how she can reduce the feelings of anxiety, tension and loss of control that has resulted from the impact of Scots deterioration. CONCLUSION From this study, I learnt that, assessing the health needs of patients like Scot can be beneficial to him and his family. By conducting a thorough assessment and involving patient participation, a satisfactory package of care was made available to meet Scots health needs. Furthermore, I learnt patients can be fully aware of all the services that are available and the capacity of making choices at the time of assessment The NHS plan (2000) was a modernisation strategy where 19 billion pounds was invested for a ten-year plan 2000-2010. It introduced the National Service Frameworks (NSF), which set national standards and identify key interventions for a defined service or care group, put in place strategies to support implementation and established ways to ensure progress within an agreed time scale. The plan was developed to shift the balance of power from top down to bottom up and involve patient participation. The impact of the policy related directly to patient care and all patients including Scot are entitled to a basic package of care by being a member of a PCT. Scot benefits from an enhanced package of care, as the NSF for older people (2001) and NSF for diabetes (1999) is available. Local community facilities such as a bowling club and voluntary services such as Alzheimers Society and Age Concern are also used by Scot. By the end of my placement, evaluations showed that although there have not been significant changes in Scots mental and physical state, it is also imperative to note that he has been supported and maintained well to carry some of the daily activities of living. Whilst Scots care plan continued to be reviewed, there is also an on-going support and educational programmes for his wife, which will enable her to effectively care for Scot. I have understood that whenever I undertake care, I must take a holistic view of the persons physiological, psychological and social circ umstance in order to provide effective and continuous care. The model of care used on the (activities of living) worked fairly well for Scot. However, I do not feel it is a holistic model of care and focuses largely on the biomedical model of health. REFERENCES Alzheimers Disease Society ADS (2011) The prevalence of dementia. London. Alzheimers Society Ballard C, Margallo-Lana M, Juszczak E, Douglas S, Swann A, Thomas A, OBrien J, Everratt A, Sadler S, Maddison C, Lee L, Bannister C, Elvish R, Jacoby R (2005) Quetiapine and rivastigmine and cognitive decline in Alzheimers disease: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. British Medical Journal 330: 874 Barker, P. (2004) Assessment in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. In search of the whole person. London: Nelson Thornes. Guthrie, E. Lewis, S. (2007) Psychiatry. A clinical core text with self-assessment. London: Churchill Livingstone. Hoe, J., Challis, D., Livingston, G., Orrell, M. (2009). Changes in the quality of life of people with dementia living in care homes. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders 23(3), 285-290 Cooper, C., Katona, C., Orrell, M., Livingston, G. (2008). Coping strategies, anxiety and depression in caregivers of people with Alzheimers disease. 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Chapman Hall Egan G (2002) The Skilled Helper: A problem management Opportunity Development approach to helping 7th edition C A Brooks/Cole Fitting M, Rabins P, Lucas M J, Eastham J 91986). Caregivers for demented patients: a comparison of husband and wives. Gerontologist 26(3):248-252 Haggart, M (1994. A Critical Analysis of Neumans Systems Model in Relation to Public Health Nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 18: 1917-1922 Holden U Woods R T (1982) Reality orientation:psychological approaches to the confused elderly. Edinburgh Churchill Livingston http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12598706 Accessed 10/05/2011 http://www.alzheimers-tesco.org.uk/Accessed 13/05/20011 King, L (2001). Impaired Wound Healing in Patients with Diabetes. Nursing Standard. 15(38): 39-45 Kenney R A (1989) Physiology of ageing:a sypnosis 3rd edition Year book medical publishers, Chicago Livingston, G., Leavey, G., Manela, M., Livingston, D., Rait, G., Sampson, E., Bavishi, S., Shahriyarmolki, K., Cooper, C. (2010). Making decisions for people with dementia who lack capacity: qualitative study of family carers in UK.. BMJ 341, c4184- Mental Health Observatory. Estimating the prevalence of common mental health problems in PCTs in England: A first approximation of the expected caseload for new psychological therapy services. May 2008. http://www.nepho.org.uk/mho/needs Morrissey M and Beila C (1997) Snoezelen: benefits for nursing older clients. Nursing Standard. 12 (3); 38-40 National Service Framework for Older People (2001). www.dh.gov.uk. (Accessed 13 May 2011) National Audit Office (2001). Tackling Obesity in England. London, NAO National Service Framework for Diabetes (1999). www.dh.gov.uk. (Accessed 23 April 2011) National Statistics (2001). www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. (Accessed 5 May 2011) Netdoctor (2004). www.netdoctor.co.uk. 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Sony vs Connectix :: Argumentative Persuasive Software Essays

Sony vs Connectix Introduction Reverse engineering has become a controversial topic in the software industry. In 1999, Sony filed a suit against Connectix alleging copyright infringement concerning a Macintosh emulator of the Sony Playstation known as the Virtual Game Station. This emulator allows Macintosh users to play Playstation games without a Sony Playstation. A federal judge ruled in favor of Sony, and issued an order that Connectix halt its sales of the emulator. The next year Connectix appealed the ruling, and the Federal Court of Appeals reversed the original ruling. Video game business in the United States alone is a billion dollar industry and legal decisions such as this one have huge ramifications not just for the game industry, but for the entire software industry as well. In order to determine the right decision, one has to examine different ethical perspectives ranging from determining what action results in the most happiness of the stakeholders involved to what inherent rights each individual stakeholder is entitled to. Background Sony is the creator of the Sony Playstation. Video game console manufacturers generally use the console as a loss leader and hope to profit on their gaming platforms by selling licenses to produce games to software manufacturing companies. Thus, Sony created a barrier of entry in console manufacturing because other hardware manufacturers would have to be willing to lose money per hardware unit sold in order to compete with Sony. Also, such a manufacturer wouldn’t receive the software game revenues that Sony receives, which gave Sony what seemed to be a monopoly on the Playstation platform. The Sony Playstation consists of hardware components and software components. The software component is the Sony BIOS, which is resides in read-only memory. Sony holds a copyright on the BIOS.1 The Connectix Virtual Game Station emulates the functionality of the Sony Playstation. A consumer could purchase a Playstation game, load it into his Macintosh CD-drive, and play the game using the Virtual Game Station. Connectix created the emulator by purchasing a Playstation, copying the contents of the BIOS into the memory of a Macintosh, and observing the input into the BIOS and the output of the hardware.

The Need to Introduce Flexible Benefit Plans for Employees

The employees of today†s workforce are divers. With such a workforce at hand, an employer must have a flexible benefit plan to match the composition of its employees. Flexible benefit plans are a written plan under which employees of a company are allowed to choose two or more benefits consisting of cash and qualified benefits (Everett & Miller, 1994). Some benefits offered under a flexible benefit plan are health care, dental, reimbursement accounts, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, long-term disability, vacation, retirement savings, spouse accidental death and dismemberment coverage, and dependent care (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). A young couple can be assured that their jobs not only meet the daily needs of their growing family, but that their children are covered for very little cost in their own employer-provided hospitalization and health care insurance. A worker employed by the same organization, approaching retirement, can choose benefits that will maximize his/her retirement income as much as possible. With his/her own children grown-up, he/she needs to attend only to his/her own needs. Also known as â€Å"cafeteria plans,† the organization offering a choice of applicable benefits to their employees ensures that the benefits for which they pay are the most useful for each of their employees. Costs are rising in almost every area of benefit provision and administration. The organization is able to secure more favorable rates for those benefits used, if the organization is not required to provide the same service to each employee (Webster, 1996). Employee benefit plans have had a long history, and can be traced back to 1794, when the first profit-sharing plan was created by Albert Gallatin in his glassworks in Pennsylvania (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). Another notable benefit plan includes those made by the American Express Company in 1875 with the first private pension plan, and the first group annuity contract issued in 1921 by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). These early benefit plans were only the beginning of the benefit packages. As it turns out, the Social Security Act of 1935 gave employees across the country a legal framework that supported the development of many forms of employee benefits. Very few employers provide full family health care coverage at no cost to the employee in today†s world, but everyone can save when they provide that coverage only to those who need it. Even though the employee almost always shares the cost now, the employer still provides the major portion of the cost of health care insurance. In today†s increasingly competitive business climate, everyone is forced to operate as efficiently as possible. The advantage to the organization and employees of having a flexible benefit plan is clear. Businesses are not required to pay for services its employees will never seek. For instance, pediatric care was provided across the board in one organization, a significant numbers of the company†s leadership were well past the point of needing that type of coverage for their family (Webster, 1996). Flexible benefit plans can be a very important tool for recruiting new employees and retaining current employees. Also, the costs of administering such plans may be offset to a large extent by the payroll tax savings generated when employees convert previously taxable compensation and income into a nontaxable fringe benefit tax (Everett & Miller, 1994). Flexible benefit plans also provide the employee with the advantage of being able to ensure that benefits chosen are those that best meets their needs. The primary advantage of flexible benefit plans is that the employer and employee receive certain tax advantages. This depends on the types of programs the employee chooses. In some cases, the employee may choose cash rather than any benefits at all, but that option is dependent on company policy. For instance, many companies offer pay in lieu of off the job vacation time, but other companies insist that employees take their accrued vacation time. Another advantage of flexible benefit plans is the ability of the organization to shift some of the cost of benefits to the employees who use them, while simultaneously offering tax advantages in other areas such as 401K plans. Any benefit that is not paid in cash, but is treated as such, is taxable to the employee, but the employee tax liability decreases the employer†s. Any benefit that does not satisfy the nondiscrimination clause of the Internal Revenue code is taxable (Webster, 1996). Other benefits are nontaxable either to the employee or to the employer. To be nontaxable, the benefit must be a qualified benefit under Section 125. Such qualified benefits include accident or health plans, disability benefits, accidental death and dismemberment benefits, the first $50,000 of group term life insurance, a group dependent care assistance plan, and a group legal services plan (Webster, 1996). A disadvantage of flexible benefit plans is that employees are often overwhelmed by the numerous choices a plan may have to offer. In many cases, companies are contracting accountants, financial planners, investment counselors and other consultants to help employees wade through the vast array of options (Jurek, 1995). Such consultant use increases the employers† costs of providing the flexible benefits plans, but employers believe the guidance is needed. As for the IRS, it only requires organizations make flexible benefit plans available to all employees, not explain the intricacies of all options. Employers† that provide flexible benefit plans show the desire to in increase employees† loyalty to the company. In an increasingly tight labor market and faced with the necessity of operating as efficiently as possible, in order to remain competitive, employers view the flexible benefit plan as a tool to enhance employee morale. Flexible benefit plans are also used to improve employer-employee relationships, reduce overall costs of providing benefits, and reduce the incidence of employee turnover (Leonard, 1994). Replacing an employee can cost more than the annual salary of that employee, so it is to the employer†s advantage to retain as stable a workforce as possible (Leonard, 1994). From both the employer and the employee point of view, flexible benefit plans make sound financial sense (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). These plans provide a way for employers to control and budget benefit cost. At the same time, it is also a way for employees to enhance their benefits while paying expenses with pre-taxed dollars.