How to promote empowerment in health and social care

In all health and social care settings, it’s important to empower your service users as well as your care staff. But what does this mean and how can you empower the people you support in your care home? In this blog, Richard Weir gives some key tips that he’s heard from Log my Care customers.  

What is empowerment in health and social care?

Empowerment in health and social care refers to the process of a supported person having more control over making decisions about their life, specifically their health and wellbeing.

With more responsibility, the people you support will gain more autonomy and confidence. They feel more informed, valued, respected and involved in all decision-making processes for their care plans.

The principles of empowerment in health and social care

National Voices and the NHS Empowering Patients and Communities Board have set out six principles for new care models to empower supported persons in health and social care:

1. Care and support is person-centred: personalised and empowering
2. Services which are created in partnership with citizens and communities
3. Focus is on equality and narrowing health inequalities
4. Carers are identified, supported and involved
5. Voluntary, community, social enterprise and housing sectors as key partners and enablers
6. Volunteering and social action are recognised as key enablers

Why is empowerment important for supported people?

To be included in a brand new care model, empowerment is understandably a very important feeling for supported people and here’s why.

Increased engagement in their care plan  

By giving supported people more involvement in their care plan, they gain a clearer understanding of their treatment, how to navigate the healthcare system and the confidence to ask questions to help them make informed decisions.

Communication is ultimately improved amongst service users and carers, increasing engagement and improving the carer-patient relationship. As well as this, there is a domino effect as this results in better compliance with treatment and better outcomes.

A more positive outlook overall

Following on from the point above, empowerment enables service users to gain a more positive outlook on their health and wellbeing, and therefore their life. Becoming more self-sufficient and having more access to everything they need to live their everyday life gives them a psychological boost.

Rather than feeling like their lives are in someone else’s hands and they are powerless, this sense of control and boost removes these frustrations, replacing them with positivity. Self-value and esteem give them the ability to make positive choices about what they want in life.

What factors affect empowerment in health and social care?  

In order to promote empowerment in health and social care, you need to be aware of the potential challenges that you may need to overcome.

The spectrum of individual’s needs   

Each individual is different from the next, so certain symptoms and treatments may display tougher barriers for some individuals to overcome. However, empowering them to confront these issues by helping them to understand what they are experiencing and the complexity of their treatment can aid with this.

The nature of ageing

As individuals get older, their mental and physical abilities begin to deteriorate; this means they are unable to do things for themselves and often become forgetful. Every individual should be approached in a way that is tailored to their age and ability, so they feel as supported as possible without compromising their independence.

Individual fears and despair

Along with certain types of symptoms, treatments and the ageing process, feelings of fear and despair may arise amongst individuals. These emotions can result in low confidence, especially when it comes to decision making, and overall motivation for recovery. Providing support, respect and trust in the carer-patient relationship can encourage these feelings to vanquish.   

Lack of trust towards carers

Individuals may have previously had a bad experience in another care service; there could have been a high turnover, lack of funding or poor management, and this will damage the trust some users have for care workers. By making sure there are training initiatives always available, communication is strong amongst the team and users, and relationships are formed between carers and users, this can rebuild the trust and establish empowerment.

How to empower the people you support   

There are many different ways you can help ensure individuals have choices that they can make themselves, so they feel empowered.

Create personalised care plans

Creating a personalised care plan is one thing but creating it together with the individual  themselves is another. By getting them involved in the initial conversations and building a foundation with their lifestyle, cultural background and personal goals, they can feel involved and empowered right from the start.   

Plus, conducting regular consultations with the individual to review their preferences, concerns and any lifestyle changes will help them continue to feel empowered. They will feel listened to, valued and part of the decision making for their health and wellbeing.

Encourage open communication

When spending time with individuals, encourage open communication as this will help build trust in the carer-patient relationship. Whether this starts off with small talk and general conversation, this can develop into open communication about their condition and their care.

By providing the information they are looking for and helping them understand, not only can they give feedback if you need it, but it can aid them in making informed decisions about their care and give informed consent too.  

Develop a sense of community   

A sense of community encourages a sense of belonging for individuals which inspires empowerment. By engaging with the community within the care environment and giving them the role to organise and participate in group activities promotes social interaction.

This can also mean giving them roles within the home to help other users overcome obstacles specific to them. Whether that be suggesting alterations that can be made to help those less mobile partake in activities and roles themselves, and consequently implementing them.

Use a care management software

The introduction of technology in care homes also helps empower both care workers and the people you support. Care management software, like Log my Care, enables service users to approve and sign their personalised care plan after discussions with carers, giving them a sense of responsibility and empowerment.

As well as this, we also have features for updating family and friends about their loved one’s care, wellbeing and health in real-time. Our Family Portal is a great way to share photos, videos and specific information with them so your service users always feel connected to them and are more engaged with their recovery.

Outcomes and Goals is another key feature of Log my Care that drives more empowerment for the people you support. By working together with the individual on setting meaningful and achievable goals, you can empower the people you support to have more satisfaction in their daily lives.

Put the service user at the centre of their care journey by implementing these empowerment strategies and improving their quality of care. Build great relationships with your service users with the help of Log my Care’s care management software. Book your 1-1 demo with our team today.