Person-centred care made simple

Recognising that everyone has different needs, preferences, and abilities is essential in a care setting. In order to provide person-centred care, it's crucial to understand and cater to the specific needs of each individual.

That's why, at Person Centred Software, we help to make the delivery of person-centred care simple for care providers with our Connected Care Platform, a suite of integrated solutions that cover the entire spectrum of care management, helping to drive outstanding person-centred care and improve the lives of those receiving care. 

The Digital Care Planning System’s Person-centred Care Plans feature helps care teams to make person centred care planning easier to implement and maintain, helping care staff to be fully aware of each resident's care needs.

When using the Digital Care Planning System, care staff can truly personalise care with 'Person-centred Interactions'- all interactions revolve around the person being cared for. The system includes features such as 'Who I Am' and 'Plan Care Day', which allow care workers to tailor their approach and provide personalised care based on the individual's preferences and needs.

With the 'Goal Tracking and Outcomes' feature, care providers can support residents with their goals and keep track of the progress towards meeting them. Having this capability allows a person-centred approach to caring and fulfilling goals. For example, when an older adult is discharged from the hospital and enters a care home for the first time, the goal might be to ensure their initial day in the care home is peaceful and comfortable.

What is person-centred care?

Placing people at the heart of care

Person-centred care is about placing the person being cared for at the heart of care and doing everything you can to put their needs first. A person-centred approach involves the individual in their own care instead of relying solely on health and care professionals to make decisions for them - it emphasises shared decision-making, where the individual is regarded as an equal partner in their care.  

Furthermore, it's about having the individual's best interests at heart and doing what you can to maintain or improve their wellbeing while using their preferences, needs and values to guide clinical decisions. Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them, considering their desires, individual circumstances, interests, and lifestyles, helps to place the person being cared for at the centre of the care process.  

Getting to know the person being cared for on a personal level and recognising their unique qualities is essential - finding out their experiences, interests, opinions, and goals and truly understanding all aspects of their identity all help to make the care they receive more person-centred. 

When health and social care services prioritise person-centred coordinated care, it results in improved outcomes for individuals and increased efficiency for the services themselves. 

Providing person-centred care should involve the person receiving care every step of the way, and at Person Centred Software, we make that achievable with our Digital Care Planning System.     

What are examples of person-centred care?

Taking into account people's preferences and chosen needs

When providing care, it's crucial to prioritise person-centred care that caters to the specific needs of the individual. The primary goal of person-centred care is to improve a person's health and well-being outcomes.  

Whether they make a small difference or a big one, health and care professionals can significantly improve a person's care by adopting a person-centred approach in everyday practices. 

There are numerous examples of person-centred care, and while it's impossible to mention them all, some include:  

Treating the person receiving care with dignity, compassion and respect 
Tailoring care to suit individual needs  
Providing coordinated care, support, and treatment 
Supporting the individual to understand and learn about their health 
Assisting individuals to recognise and develop strengths and abilities so they can improve their wellbeing, take care of themselves, and maintain their independence 
Involving care recipients in their healthcare decisions at all times 
Making clinical actions more person-centred, for example, if a person being cared for has low blood glucose levels, and it's noted that they love red jelly babies, care staff can boost their blood glucose levels through a person-centred clinical intervention

Each person has their own identity, wishes, needs, choices, beliefs and values. A 'one size fits all' does not work when providing care and support. It's vital to encourage individuals to express themselves and to change their minds about things when they want to. Taking the time to discuss their desires, needs, and dislikes is crucial.

Person-centred care is about providing tailored care based on an individual's specific needs - this approach should consider the individual as a whole rather than just their medical condition.

Why is person-centred care important?

Improving people's health and wellbeing outcomes

In a care setting, person-centred care is important because it focuses on people's needs to improve overall health and wellbeing outcomes.   

In order to focus on and prioritise people's needs, health and care professionals must take a person-centred approach and form a relationship with the person receiving care - this means rather than the professional solely advising on care and treatment and the care recipient simply following instructions, they develop a partnership, share the decision-making process and collaboratively work together as a team to:   

It's important to keep in mind that people who utilise health and care services are usually worried and vulnerable and rely on health and care professionals for guidance, comfort and reassurance. In order to ease anxiety or any doubts they might have, compassion and understanding are just as necessary as the drugs and treatments health and care professionals prescribe. Professionals need to take the time to get to know each person receiving care as an individual and understand their needs, preferences, and values, as this will help to better guide clinical decisions, which result in improved wellbeing and health outcomes.  

Person-centred care places the individual at the centre of their care, offering numerous benefits, including but not limited to:

Helps people get the care they need when they need it  
Enables people to be more active when looking after themselves  
Allows people to get involved in the decision-making process regarding their treatment and care rather than having health and care professionals impose what's best for them. 
Improves overall wellbeing - if people know they are receiving care that meets their needs, it helps reduce anxiety and increase confidence and happiness

1. Respect

Involving the person being cared for in any decision-making process, acknowledging and respecting their values, needs and preferences, treating them with dignity, and always being sensitive to their needs is essential. 

2. Independence

Encourage the people you care for to do things for themselves, even if it's just a small task. Avoid doing things for them just to save time. Instead, support them in doing tasks they are capable of or almost capable of. Promoting independence can empower individuals to feel in-charge of their own lives and increase their self-value.

3. Individuality 

A person's individuality is defined by life experiences, upbringing, personality, religious and cultural identity etc. It's important to acknowledge and respect individuality by recognising and responding to each person in a way that is acceptable and meaningful to them. Providing care and support cannot be accomplished with a "one size fits all" approach.

4. Privacy

Everyone has the right to privacy, which means they have the right to control how information about them is used and shared. It's important to respect people's preferences when sharing personal information. Privacy is also linked to dignity, especially for those who need help with personal care - for example, toileting and bathing, doors should be closed during personal hygiene activities to ensure privacy.

5. Partnership

Instead of health and care professionals providing advice on care and treatment and the care recipient just following instructions, professionals should collaborate with individuals regarding their care and treat them as equals. Partnering with the individual involves including them in the decision-making process, working alongside them to determine the best care and treatment options, identifying their needs and what's important to them, and figuring out their goals and how to achieve them together.

6. Choice

It's important to support each individual in making their own choices and decisions regarding their care and treatment and provide them with the necessary information to do so.

7. Dignity

Promoting dignity in care is extremely important; showing respect and value for each individual, supporting their independence and helping them to feel dignified is a key part of person-centred care. It's the responsibility of health and care professionals to help the person being cared for to maintain their dignity, for example; 

Giving the individual space and time to do things at their own pace 
Providing privacy during intimate care tasks
Being respectful when helping with personal hygiene tasks
Offering people choices over their care options and asking about their preferences for care

8. Rights

It's important to ensure that the people you care for and support have the same rights as they did when living independently. Each person you support has the right to say no and have a say in how they want to be supported. They also have the right to choose what they want to eat, wear, and do with their time, along with choosing their friends and relationships. Making changes to consider an individual's rights is important, provided that their safety is not compromised.

What are the 4 principles of person-centred care? 

Helping to maintain a sense of identity, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing

Person-centred care is internationally recognised as a vital component of high-quality healthcare.  

Health and care professionals must give a person-centred approach and be motivated to support the care, protection and wellbeing of the individuals they care for. The way in which professionals carry out their duties can make a significant difference. 

A person-centred approach that caters to an individual's needs is crucial in maintaining their sense of identity, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing while allowing greater autonomy and control over their care and treatment.  

To help people better understand a person-centred approach, The Health Foundation, an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and healthcare for people in the UK, has laid out 4 principles of person-centred care that should be considered whenever care and support are being provided to people in a care setting.  

Affording people dignity, compassion and respect

Offering coordinated care, support or treatment

Offering personalised care, support or treatment

Supporting individuals to recognise and develop their own strengths and abilities to enable them to live an independent and fulfilling life

Download our free guide 

We have created this guide to provide you with a comprehensive and visual breakdown of the importance of a person-centred approach; we have ensured to include everything you need to know about person-centred care, such as:

Examples of person-centred care
The values that underpin it
The principles that guide it
How Person Centred Software helps make the delivery of person-centred care simple for care providers

... and so much more!

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