Person-Directed Care
Module 2 - Lesson 1 of 4
Introduction
In this lesson, we continue to work on seeing the world through the eyes of others. The principles of person-directed care that matter most in the Texas OASIS HCBS curriculum are as follows.
Every single person, with or without disability, with or without dementia, with or without a need for care has each of the following:
- They have hopes and dreams. Some may be realistic; some may not be. That’s the nature of dreams.
- They have something to offer. When given an opportunity to give back, life has more meaning.
- They can express likes and dislikes. A person living with dementia may express choice without words.
Warm Up
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs illustrates that all human beings have the same basic needs. He believed our most basic needs are those of the body, as follows: food, shelter, reproduction (sex) and comfort or freedom from pain. Other needs come into focus once the basics are met. Maslow went on to say that unmet needs drive behavior.
Activity
- Think about the need for self-esteem.
- Consider the following questions:
- How do you currently help meet this need for people you serve?
- How might you meet this need in the most person-centered way?
3. Not sure if you quite see the difference? Click here for an example of meeting physical needs two ways.
Dig In
Person-directed care considers the whole person, with or without dementia, taking into account each individual’s unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences, and needs. Person-directed care means treating all persons with dignity and respect. Think about how different this is from treating a person as a collection of symptoms and behaviors.
Why is Person-Directed Care So Important?
- Person-directed care results in better outcomes.
- Person-directed care helps create cultures which support a high quality of life for all.
- Person-directed care provides comfort. People who come into long-term care want to know that their preferences will be honored and their identity recognized.
- Person-directed care honors self-determination, taking the sting out of dependency.
- It's the law! Federal regulations and state law require person-directed care and facilities to be cited for a deficiency if they don’t have individualized service, support, and care plans that are person-directed.
How to Practice Person-Directed Care:
- Get to know the person: Focus on building a relationship. Health professionals need to show an interest beyond the diagnosis.
- Become partners in care: Focus on respecting preferences in receiving care, respecting autonomy in decisions about care and service plans and treatments or respecting the person's desired outcomes when setting goals.
- Be accessible and flexible: Focus on meeting individual needs by being sensitive to values, preferences, and expressed needs. Focus on supporting choice by giving timely, complete, and accurate information in a manner they can understand so they can make choices about their care.
- Coordinate and integrate: Work as a team to minimize duplication and to provide each person who receives services with a key contact at your agency. Service providers and systems should work 'seamlessly' behind the scenes to get the best results and provide a positive experience.
- Create environments that support the practice.
Wrap Up: Lesson 1
Person-directed care means individuals are 'in charge' of their lives. It doesn't mean 'going it alone'. Support individual choices and build a team to provide the supports needed to achieve the goals.