In this post: What makes a person-Centred care plan? Why is person-centred care important? Four Principles of person-centred care Tools to assist person-centred care planning Why are person-centred care plans so important? Qwikify discusses the importance of person-centred care plans while also touching on what elements create a good person-centred care plan and how you can easily implement these into your care facility.
Why is person-centred care important?
Being person-centred ensures that any plan put in place for the care of a patient or resident is completely focused on that individual. Avoiding a one size fits all approach.
“Being person-centred is about focusing care on the needs of the individual. Ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.” (NHS England)
A person-centred approach is tailored to the individual needs of the person and, crucially, ensures that those in receipt of care are always treated with the highest levels of dignity, compassion and respect.
According to The Health Foundation, the four main principles of person-centred care are:
Affording people dignity, compassion and respect.
In any care setting, it’s critical to note that each person has their own set of values and beliefs and so, a person-centred care approach must take into account what is important to the person and why when creating a plan. This ensures that the person feels comfortable with the plan and the personal level of respect that comes with it.
Offering coordinated care, support or treatment.
Critically, when care providers look to offer coordinated care that is aligned to the individual needs of the person, a full set of up-to-date person-centred care plans are readily accessible by all of those involved in the care and well-being of the person. This doesn’t just include the person responsible for creating the plan, this involves each and every individual who may provide any level of care to the person as well as family members to ensure that the care is as aligned and as coordinated as possible.
“Health and wellbeing outcomes need to be co-produced by individuals and members of the workforce working in partnership, with evidence suggesting that this provides better patient outcomes and costs less to health and care systems.” (NHS Health Education England)
Tools to assist person-centred care planning
Many providers have already made the switch to user-friendly digital care planning tools, like Qwikify, that can be fully customised, reviewed, stored and shared within minutes.
This means that regardless of experience or IT expertise, all members of staff can play a role in ensuring each person involved with the care of the person can play a part in ensuring that the personalised element is maintained and can be updated as and when required.
Offering personalised care, support or treatment.
One of the main reasons why person-centred care plans have such a positive impact is that many vulnerable people feel as though the power to make decisions based on their care is taken away from them. Offering a personalised collaborative level of care allows the person to make decisions about their care with their families and care providers.
Supporting people to recognise and develop their own strengths and abilities to enable them to live an independent and fulfilling life.
Regulation 9 of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, states that “Providers must work in partnership with the person, make any reasonable adjustments and provide support to help them understand and make informed decisions about their care and treatment options, including the extent to which they may wish to manage these options themselves.”
Enabling those in care to feel empowered enough to make decisions relating to their physical, mental, and emotional care can often mean less dependence on the caregiver and the opportunity to lead a much more independent, more fulfilling life.
Take a look at the video below. The Nursing & Midwifery Council have explained the importance of Person-centred Care really well:
Why are person-centred care plans so important?
A person-centred care plan is a document that outlines all of the crucial components needed to ensure those who are in need of additional support receive the best possible level of personalised care.
Healthcare professionals will discuss the plan in detail with the care recipient as well as their family members or friends who are involved in the well-being and overall care of the person involved.
Without focusing on only the person’s illness or symptoms, a person-centred care plan takes time to understand the much larger picture to ensure that the care is delivered with compassion, empathy, dignity and respect.
A person’s ethical and cultural background will be considered to help those responsible for the care to avoid common stereotypes and to deliver a fully personalised approach to care.
Flexibility is key and the plan should be agile enough to change as the person’s needs and care requirements change, too.
To find out more about how a digital solution can help you to deliver the highest level of person-centred care plans, drop us a line by clicking below.