What are the 4 principles of person-centred care?
Anna Lawrence discusses the four principles of person-centred care and the vital importance they are in delivering quality social care for individuals.
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Anna Lawrence discusses the four principles of person-centred care and the vital importance they are in delivering quality social care for individuals.
The 4 principles of person-centred care originate from a guide the Health Foundation published in 2014. They have been designed to deliver high-quality care whilst providing the best possible quality of life for those in health and social care settings.
In this article, we will take a deeper look into person-centred care as a whole, including the 4 principles, and how care management software can help care homes achieve this.
Although there is no single agreed definition of person-centred care, it refers to a person’s preferences, needs, values and lifestyles guiding their clinical decisions.
The individual is an equal partner in planning, developing and monitoring their own care, which results in a respectful and responsive way of meeting their requirements. Taking it further than sharing decisions with individuals about their care, you work together to develop a personalised solution. Person centred care is holistic and avoids paternalism as it takes the whole person into account, not just their condition or symptoms.
There is no single pathway toward person-centred care because it varies from person to person and an individual’s preferences or needs may change over time. Ultimately, it is an evolving area which solely depends on the requirements and circumstances of the person receiving care.
You can find examples of person-centred care in government policies across the UK. Examples of this include:
In more granular detail, examples of person-centred care within a health and social care environment can look different depending on the person’s overall capacity and condition. As a general rule of thumb, however, it’s important to practise all 4 principles to some extent. Some examples include but are not limited to:
When it comes to the importance of person-centred care, there are significant benefits to both the individuals and the workforce.
For individuals, taking an active role in their health care can improve their overall experience including care quality and clinical results. A person-centred approach is important for service users because:
A person-centred approach is important for the workforce because:
As mentioned above, there are 4 principles of person-centred care outlined by the Health Foundation which are:
One of the main foundations of person-centred care is building a relationship between care professionals and service users . To do so, you must treat them with dignity, compassion and respect. You must work together to understand what is important to the individual, identify their goals and encourage them to be independent when making decisions about their care. By respecting their individual choices, you will empower them to feel more in control and create better outcomes.
Communication is key within person-centred care and coordinated care is vital in maintaining accurate care plans and medical records. Without coordinated care across all aspects of healthcare, like support services and care workers, communication can break down and care can become disjointed. In order to fully understand individuals’ personal preferences and needs, all carers must communicate clearly to each other.
Person-centred software can help maintain coordination to the highest standards as all necessary information is shared across the care teams. Using technology can ensure records are legible, accessible and always up to date, fostering transparency within the organisation. Streamlining operations by automating tasks and workflows means changes can be made a lot easier which increases personalisation and more time can be dedicated by staff to provide quality care.
A one-size-fits-all approach is not effective for person-centred care as what works for one individual, may not work for another. So much so, that a blanket approach may have a significant impact on recovery and empowerment. By personalising care to each service user , you are able to fulfil their needs effectively and enable them to manage their condition correctly whilst retaining their freedom.
Following on from above, it’s essential that individuals are involved in decision making and it’s the care provider's responsibility to empower them and allow them to feel more in control. In turn, this enables service users to become less dependent on health care providers, and care professionals to dedicate more time to providing enhanced care.
Overall, it’s important that it is a partnership between healthcare professionals and service users , rather than one being seen as the expert and in control and the other following instructions. Regardless of the specific care an individual receives, it should always be performed with these principles in mind.
Slightly separate from the 4 principles of person-centred care, these core values also play a significant part and should be encouraged with every service user:
Person-centred practice is an ongoing process that should cover every aspect of the healthcare service and be regularly reviewed to continuously improve.
To start, you must gather information from the person to identify their needs, feelings and goals. From there, you must explore various options whilst assessing risks and benefits together with the service user to then agree upon their care plan, what will be provided and how. During the delivery of care and support in-line with the individual’s wishes, you must ensure a person-centred approach is always implemented. Remember to keep active listening, monitoring and reviewing by requesting feedback from the service user and gathering more information to begin the cycle again.
To help with implementing person-centred care into your practice and promoting care coordination, person-centred software is a helpful tool to address any challenges and maintain excellence in care provision. Log my Care’s care management software empowers staff, streamlines operations, and enhances overall service quality.
As an NHS Transformation Directorate Assured Supplier and a Quality Partner of the Professional Record Standards Body, we have years of experience working alongside care providers. We understand the obstacles care teams face every day and the impact it can have on the quality of care provided. We have designed our care management software with these challenges at the core, and are developing more features in response to what care organisations really need to deliver person-centred care. This makes it simpler for care providers to ensure that the 4 principles of person-centred care are always implemented and maintained.
Book your 1-1 demo with our team to learn more about how the right care management tool can empower your staff, streamline your operations and implement true person-centred care in your organisation.
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