Person-centred care

Person-centred care moves away from professionals deciding what is best for a patient or service user, and places the person at the centre, as an expert of their own experience. The person, and their family where appropriate, becomes an equal partner in the planning of their care and support, ensuring it meets their needs, goals, and outcomes.

With an emphasis on doing with rather than doing to, person-centred care runs through both individual and group settings, allowing users of services to be active not only in their own care but also in the design and delivery of services. This approach can improve both the experience and quality of care.

Person-centred care relies on a number of aspects, including:

• people’s values and putting people at the centre of care
• taking into account people’s preferences and chosen needs
• ensuring people are physically comfortable and safe
• emotional support involving family and friends
• making sure people have access to appropriate care that they need, when and where they need it
• ensuring people get all the information they need, in a way that is accessible for them, to make decisions for their care and support.

• Community Circles
• End of life - Ideas for practice: Case study
• The importance of carers knowing likes and dislikes: Person-centred dementia care
• Adult placements and person-centred approaches
• Commissioning person-centred, cost-effective, local support for people with learning disabilities
• Evidence for person-centred care
• Marking progress towards personalised, community-based support
• Person Centreed Care resource centre