Several years ago, I wrote a book entitled “The Person-Centered Way: Revolutionizing Quality of Life in Long-Term Care”. It came out right as the concept of person-centered was just becoming recognized in senior living communities across the country. I’ve presented countless times on this philosophy of care and there were times that I was met with great support from administrators, nurses, social workers, activity professionals and others in senior care. There were also times I received dirty looks, rolling eyes and statements such as “Yeah, right. We’re just going to let elderly residents do whatever they want”, or “You want us to do what!?”. Either way, the conversations were exciting and memorable.
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Today, most professionals in senior care fully accept the ways of person-centered care and culture change, as they have both not only become the norm, but the golden standards of care. That being said, there are still some senior care companies lagging behind and haven’t stepped up and embraced person-centered care. One of my concerns beyond this, is that the concept may have become so overused and overstated that its meaning has been watered down. That’s why I think it’s important to take a step back, and re-evaluate what real person-centered care is and how it should be a part of each and every senior care community in the United States.
Would the Real Person-Centered Care Please Stand Up?
Who among us, after moving into a beautiful, friendly and clean senior community would want to be treated like another old patient who is going to be a behavioral problem, a flight risk, fall risk, picky eater and just a pain in the you know where? Of course, I’m exaggerating and being humorous, but some employees in senior care may see another old person just like everyone else – needy and dependent. They may see the older adult as a diagnosis rather than a person. “Oh, he has Alzheimer’s disease”, or “Another resident with Multiple Sclerosis”. True person-centered thinking places the individual before the disease. It makes the individual the center of care, not the tasks involved in caring for that person. Real person-centered care takes into account the person’s emotional and psychological needs, established social needs, deeply-held and personal spiritual or religious needs, as well as care preferences. There is a major difference between the two approaches of care.
Nuts and Bolts of Person-Centered Care
Regardless of what professionals may call it, person-centered care, resident-directed care, relationship-centered care, underneath are some very important core values that act as building blocks for quality senior living. First and foremost, staff should express their respect for seniors and let them know how much they are valued as people who still have a lot of life to experience and gifts to give to others. After seniors have lived in a care community for some time, it is anticipated that their needs will change. It is therefore important to provide personalized physical spaces throughout the community to accommodate for privacy, visiting friends and family, and to meditate and pray.
Another important aspect of person-centered care is the caregiver’s ability to see through the eyes of the older adult receiving their care. What is their world like? It’s important to not only understand the senior’s perspective about care, but quality of life as well. What do they prefer to eat? When? How do they like to be addressed by the staff? When do they like to wake up and go to bed at night? Person-centered care involves a deep knowledge of the senior’s likes and dislikes, preferences, lifestyle, and habits.
Prior to moving in, these people enjoyed a social life and person-centered care recognizes the need for social engagement as part of a larger picture in providing quality of life and well-being. The senior care community should offer many opportunities for individuals to express themselves, engage in events and hobbies, social groups, and other fulfilling activities that bring them meaning, purpose and joy.
Final Words
It has been a while since my book was published on person-centered care. And, after being met with mixed responses about the practicality of ideas in it, person-centered care is now the gold standard and those communities not engaged in it will lag behind in many ways. It is very exciting to see this philosophy spread and change into better versions of itself. What will life in senior care be like when we need it?
(NOTE: Interested in CEUs for Nursing Home Administrators? Checkout my Nursing Home Administrator CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
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