Guest article by Lindsay Schwartz, Ph.D., FGSA, Founder and Principal, Workforce and Quality Innovations, LLC.
Person-centered care is an important part of long-term care. Person-centered care means the care an individual receives is focused on their preferences. It is not only focused on physical well-being but also mental and spiritual well-being, and quality of life. You may hear the term person-directed care which is person-centered care but also includes having the individual direct or make all decisions on their care.
When working in long-term care it is important to commit to ensuring you are providing person-centered care to maintain the dignity of individuals you care for. This focus on person-centered care will require flexibility, creativity, and a commitment to meeting the needs of diverse individuals, families, and co-workers. Do not be intimidated if you feel you are not creative or flexible – you can learn these skills and develop a commitment. It is important to not only learn from people, but to also accept and celebrate their differences.
To practice person-centered care, you must honor and adapt to an individual’s personality, preferences, cultures, and gifts. This includes recognizing and honoring the individual’s social network, circumstances, personality, preferences, culture, traditions, values, identities, needs, strengths, and gifts.
The core values of person-centered care include respect, dignity, choice, privacy, independence, and autonomy – which means the right of an individual to make informed decisions about their care or life. To honor and practice these core values, you must know an individual’s history and preferences. Talking with an individual, learning from other staff, and reading the individual’s care plan are ways you can get to know the person you are caring for.
An example of person-centered care is letting an individual decide when they will shower instead of a schedule made by staff. It’s important to not focus on the task (shower in this example) but instead focus on the person. Focusing on the person means interacting with them, being flexible and doing the task around their preferences.
Person-centered care is one of many ways to make an impact in the lives of individuals you serve. It can also be very rewarding for you as you will get to know individuals and their incredible life experiences.
