Person-centred care planning is an integral component of delivering social care services that prioritise the individual’s needs and preferences. This article delves into the key elements of person-centred care planning, outlines its principles, and offers guidance on tailoring care plans to fit specific services and the individuals they support.
What is person-centred care planning?
Person-centred care planning is a collaborative and holistic approach to developing care plans that prioritise the individual’s needs, preferences, and goals. It revolves around treating each person as a unique individual with their own strengths, values, and aspirations rather than focusing solely on their medical condition or care requirements.
Key aspects of person-centred care planning include:
- Individualised Approach: Recognizing and respecting the individual’s preferences, values, beliefs, and cultural background. This involves tailoring care plans to meet the specific needs and goals of each person.
- Collaborative Decision-Making: Involving the individual, their family members, caregivers, and other relevant stakeholders in the care planning process. This ensures that the care plan reflects the preferences and priorities of the individual and promotes shared decision-making.
- Empowerment: Empowering the individual to actively participate in decisions about their care, treatment, and support. This may involve providing information, education, and support to help the individual make informed choices and take control of their own health and well-being.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Recognizing that the individual’s needs and preferences may change over time and ensuring that the care plan is flexible and adaptable to accommodate these changes. This may involve regular reviews and updates to the care plan based on the individual’s evolving needs and goals.
- Goal-Oriented Approach: Setting clear and achievable goals in collaboration with the individual and working towards these goals to improve their quality of life and well-being. This may involve breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps and regularly monitoring progress towards these goals.
Importance of person-centred care planning
Person-centred care planning is of paramount importance in the provision of high-quality social and healthcare services. Person-centred care planning acknowledges the autonomy and dignity of each individual. It empowers them to actively participate in decisions about their care, treatment, and support, promoting self-determination and autonomy.
By focusing on the individual’s unique needs, preferences, and goals, person-centred care planning ensures that care plans are tailored to meet their specific requirements. This leads to more effective and personalised care, improving outcomes and satisfaction for the individual. When care plans are developed in collaboration with the individual, caregivers, and other stakeholders, they are more likely to accurately reflect the individual’s needs and priorities.
This leads to higher-quality care that addresses the whole person, not just their medical condition or care requirements. Person-centred care planning takes into account all aspects of an individual’s life, including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. By addressing these holistic needs, it promotes overall health and well-being, contributing to a better quality of life for the individual. Involving the individual in the care planning process fosters open communication, trust, and partnership between the individual and their caregivers.
This improves the quality of the care relationship and enhances the individual’s confidence in their care providers. When individuals feel heard, respected, and involved in decisions about their care, they are more satisfied with the care they receive. This leads to increased engagement in their own care, better adherence to treatment plans, and ultimately, improved health outcomes.
Person-centred care planning promotes continuity of care by ensuring that care plans are comprehensive, well-coordinated, and responsive to the individual’s changing needs over time. This helps prevent gaps in care and ensures a seamless transition between different healthcare settings and providers.
Understanding Person-Centred Care Planning
Person-centred care planning is a mandated requirement by all of the UK’s national regulators. It revolves around placing the individual receiving care services at the forefront, making them the focal point of the care process rather than prioritising convenience, standardisation, or efficiency. This approach emphasises personalised and tailored care that addresses each person’s unique requirements and desires.
Additionally, it involves actively involving the individual in creating their care plan and making decisions about their care, with input from family, friends, or advocates as needed. Cultural, ethnic, sexual, and other aspects important to the individual should also be considered, avoiding stereotypes and recognizing each person as an individual. Furthermore, person-centred care planning aims to identify and bolster the individual’s strengths rather than solely focusing on areas where they require assistance.
Example of a Personalized Care Plan
A personalised care plan may encompass various areas, such as:
- Personal information
- Mental health details and history
- Medical history
- Communication preferences and needs
- Social support
- Environmental risks
- Nutritional preferences and requirements
- Interests and activities
Each of these areas should include:
- Current situation and the individual’s experience
- Goals, aims, and desired outcomes
- Support strategies aligned with the individual’s preferences
- Interconnections between different aspects of the care plan
It’s essential to recognize that not all areas will be applicable to every individual, and the plan should be flexible to accommodate changes in needs or preferences over time.
Auditing for Person-Centred Care Planning
When auditing care plans, it’s crucial to assess whether a person-centred approach is being followed. This can include:
- Ensuring the individual understands the care plan and how care will be delivered
- Confirming meaningful involvement of the individual in designing their care
- Using language familiar and personal to the individual
- Avoiding duplication from other care plans
- Making care plans accessible and understandable to the individual
- Regularly reviewing and updating the care plan based on changing needs
- Involving family, friends, or advocates in the care planning process as appropriate
- Promoting independence through the care plan
- Establishing personalised goals and outcomes, with evidence of the individual’s involvement, input, control, and ownership.
Advanced Care Planning Solution
Person-centred care planning can be a key element in streaming care. The care planning needs to be preferred and tailored so there is no compromise on the needs of the residents. For this purpose, you can trust the digital care system such as Care Vision. With the highest quality advance care planning feature of Care Vision, you can create customised care plans.
The carers can put daily notes so the care plans can be modified accordingly. From initial inquiry to pre-admission support plan, you can trust it for several reasons. This makes care planning easier and more efficient. With this, you can ensure excellent quality of life for the residents.
Conclusion
In conclusion, person-centred care planning is an essential component of providing high-quality social and healthcare services, prioritising the individual’s needs, preferences, and goals. Fostering collaboration, empowerment, and flexibility ensures that care plans are tailored to meet the unique requirements of each person, leading to improved outcomes and satisfaction. With advanced digital care solutions like Care Vision, customised care plans can be efficiently created and modified, enhancing the quality of life for elderly residents in care homes.
