SCIE Practice guide 09: Dignity in care

Person centred care position statement

Person centred care encompasses

• Valuing people with mental health needs and those who care for them
• Treating people as individuals
• Acknowledging life experience
• Provision of a positive social environment

Context

Staff working within the older peoples directorate are committed to delivery of the highest standards of care. A person centred approach requires staff to understand the experience of having a mental illness from the person with that illness’ point of view

Principles underlying delivery of person centred care

The primary communication strategy in a person-centred care approach is an empathic one. Well-being is enhanced by enabling each person to remain in the very best of health, and to make the very best use of the senses. Well-being is enhanced by providing a social psychology which attends carefully to each person’s needs, and which helps to empower and sustain them as individuals.

In practice, the following values, skills and knowledge need to be evident:

• The importance of life history/identity e.g. systematically gathering, maintaining and using a detailed personal profile about the person with the person and their family.
• Implementation of a collaborative care plan which encompasses full use of the persons strengths and abilities
• The importance of promoting positive health/minimum medication/well being
• Encouraging inclusion in all aspects of the care environment
• Identify opportunities to enhance well-being by working imaginatively to unlock each individuals potential for engaging in and benefiting from activity
• Validation of a persons experience and feelings
• Understand and explore 'challenging behaviour’ as an expression of a meaningful message of some kind
• To view all actions and utterances as potentially meaningful messages of some kind and not just symptoms of all illness
• To recognise the contribution of families and significant others, and to engage them in choices, activity, care and ward decisions
• Proactively address staff needs/support issues promptly
• To recognise power and equality in relationships and ward environment
• Meaningful and regular activity and occupation
• Provide holistic care that is empowering and includes personal choice
• It is fundamental that the person is supported to maintain positive relationships with their families and friends
• Maintenance of links outside the hospital ward within the community

Reference: KITWOOD, T (1997) Dementia reconsidered:the person comes first Buckingham. OUP