Topic 1

• An adult or child who is ill

  Results in education may suffer as they may lose concentration in school/college/university due to worrying about their own ill health or simply due to feeling too unwell to focus on learning
• The individual may fall behind


  Missing days at school can often mean missing out on work and falling behind of the rest of the class- this can also contribute to poorer educational achievement in the longer term
• The individual may miss out on opportunities for higher education


  University admissions for courses like nursing take attendance into account when offering places
• A sick adult


  May end up giving up a course if they fall behind e.g. leave their night class or university
• Potential effects on education for family members of someone who is ill

  1. Parents may have to miss out on their education e.g. at night classes if they have to look after a sick child

  2. Missing these classes could lead to parents not getting the qualifications they need
• Brothers and sisters of a child who is ill or children who have a sick parent

  Get worried and lose concentration at school, which will have a negative effect on their educational achievement
• Potential effects on education for family members of someone who is ill


  Family members may also miss days of school or college as they may be needed to help look after the sick individual
• A child of a parent who is ill


  Could get more help with homework than in the past because the parent is at home and has more time- this could perhaps improve the child's attainment at school
• Employment

  Potential effects of employment for an adult who is ill:

   May have to give up job because of ill-health and being physically unable to do it

   May have to take time off work due to medical appointments

   May have to change the type of job if the work becomes too strenuous

   May need to reduce hours/go part time due to ill-health
• Potential effects of employment on family members

  1. Partner or older children's employment may be effected

  2. Days off to care for sick person could affect partner or children's chances of promotion

  3. Someone in the family may have to give up their work to stay at home and look after the ill person

  4. Another family member who didn't previously work may have to find employment to provide for the family
• The ill person was originally the breadwinner

  Another family member who didn't previously work may have to find employment to provide for the family
• Another family member finding employment

  • Teenagers finding part time work
• The impact of illness on an individual's income

  1. May have less income because he/she can't work and sick pay is usually much less than full pay

  2. May have to get his/her income from a different source e.g. if it's a long term illness the individual may be asked to leave work and then may have to depend on benefits which can reduce income considerably

  3. May have his/her income drastically reduced in the longer term; the individual may not get another job because of his/her sick record or inability to work and long term dependency on state benefits means individuals often experience poverty

  4. May have to use their income in different ways e.g. may have to pay for travel for treatment and hospital appointments which eats into the individual's income. Also, being at home all day due to illness can be expensive e.g. increased heating costs can use up more of the individual's income than usual
• The individual’s family members:

   May also find their income is reduced due to not being able to do overtime or

  having to work only part time so they can provide care

   May have to get their income from a different source e.g. a parent may have to

  leave work to look after a sick child or a partner may leave work to provide care

  and therefore depend on state benefits which usually means a lower income

   May also have to be use their income in different ways as there may be cost

  involved in accessing care, e.g. travel for treatment or hospital visiting can also

  eat into the family’s income.
• Leisure activities affected by ill-health for individuals

  • May not take part as often due to lack of time (treatment), lack of energy, or feeling less sociable
  • May have to give up some activities altogether due to poor health
  • May have to change the type of leisure activities to suit their illness
• Leisure activities affected by ill-health for family members


  • May also be affected
• Leisure activities may also be affected by ill-health for both individuals and their family members
• Family members


  • May not be able to do as many leisure activities as a family group as they did previously
  • May not be able to participate in leisure activities as much as they used to due to their caring responsibilities
  • May have to give up some of their own leisure activities altogether, e.g. membership of clubs to care for the sick individual or to take on their responsibilities in the home
  • May not be able to attend leisure activities as regularly as they did in the past e.g. children of a sick parent may not be able to get to clubs and activities, perhaps due to transport problems if their parent is not well enough to take them
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill

  May have fewer relationships than before if he/she has to stop work and leisure activities- may also only want to see closest friends/ fewer opportunities to meet new people and develop new relationships
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill

  Some relationships may be strengthened, e.g. family members may come and stay or close friends may help out as much as they can
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  May develop new relationships, for example, with others in similar situations and develop strong friendships
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  The illness may mean less contact with family because the individual may be less able to travel to see them
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  May also have less contact with friends due to feeling too ill to see them
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  Relationships may become strained, e.g. may push her family away of resent help people may give
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill

  May have fewer relationships than before if he/she has to stop work and leisure activities- may also only want to see closest friends/ fewer opportunities to meet new people and develop new relationships
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill

  Some relationships may be strengthened, e.g. family members may come and stay or close friends may help out as much as they can
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  May develop new relationships, for example, with others in similar situations and develop strong friendships
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  The illness may mean less contact with family because the individual may be less able to travel to see them
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  May also have less contact with friends due to feeling too ill to see them
• Potential effect on relationships for an adult or child who is ill


  Relationships may become strained, e.g. may push her family away of resent help people may give