Why Is Person-Centered Disability Support Care Important?
At North Star Oregon's disability support agency in Oregon, we provide person-centered care. This type of care is vital to the well-being of our program participants, but not many people are familiar with it. As you learn more about it, you’ll see why it makes sense to offer it to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Today, let’s explore person-centered care in detail. We’ll discuss what it is, why it’s important, and how we can implement it in our support programs and services.
Person-Centered Care Defined
So, what is person-centered care? The World Health Organization defines it as “empowering people to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services.”
In short, it’s care that focuses on an individual’s goals, values, and preferences. It empowers people with I/DD to collaborate with providers on their care plans, and it allows for effective communication between providers and program participants. It is compassionate, empathetic, and individualized. Providers give those receiving care the tools they need to meet their goals, not the goals the provider wants them to meet.
Success with person-centered care is not measured based on a provider’s findings. Rather, it’s based on outcomes that the individual receiving care reports. When success is left to program participants to determine for themselves, there’s less pressure to meet someone else’s criteria, which can motivate people to reach the goals they set.
Person-Centered Care Principles
There are four principles of person-centered care. The first one is to treat people with dignity, compassion, and respect. This may seem obvious to most people, but it’s often overlooked when working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s achieved by understanding what’s essential to the individuals we’re working with, letting people make decisions about their own care, and helping them identify and achieve their own goals. Essentially, person-centered care involves treating people like capable adults and as independent people whenever possible.
The second principle is to provide coordinated care, support, and treatment. Person-centered care involves every one of a person’s care providers. Without everyone being on the same page, care can become uncoordinated, and a person’s needs might not be met. One way to coordinate care is to use the same method of communication and sharing information with each of a person’s care providers. For example, a person’s attendant care provider might be able to access information on the same platform as their day support activities (DSA) leader.
The third principle of person-centered care is to offer personalized care, support, and treatment. Each individual is different, so why would we offer everyone the same care plan? We modify our approaches for each person since a blanket approach to care and support wouldn’t be effective.
Finally, the fourth principle is enabling people to recognize and develop their strengths and abilities for an independent and fulfilling life. Those utilizing our services must be involved in the decision-making process when it comes to their care since this helps them understand themselves better. It also helps them complete tasks on their own and be less dependent on services, even though we’re always happy to provide them.
Why Person-Centered Care Is Important
Person-centered care gives each person in our care dignity. When people don’t feel in control of the services they’re receiving, they can feel devalued. We strive to prevent that by allowing individuals to play an active role in their service plan.
In addition, person-centered care helps people develop problem-solving skills. When decisions are made for people, they don’t have a chance to exercise these skills. This can cause them to feel “stuck” choosing paths that others choose for them. By letting people solve their own problems, we help them become more successful. After all, they’re the ones who determine their goals, so they’ll be more motivated to achieve them.
How to Provide Person-Centered Care
Providing person-centered care isn’t complicated. With just a few tweaks to the way service providers communicate with service users, they can implement it, too.
Having conversations instead of offering instructions or advice is one way to offer person-centered care. Both the service provider and the person with I/DD should understand each other’s goals and priorities, coming together to create a plan that works for everyone. This involves listening to understand, not simply to reply. It also requires the provider to have some negotiation skills. While a provider’s input is coming from a professional, we can’t forget the wants and needs of the individual. Collaborative approaches to providing disability support and services lead to better adherence to plans and, ultimately, better outcomes.
Another way to provide person-centered care is to equip service users with all of the relevant information they need to make informed decisions. They should be aware of how changes to policies and procedures at an organization affect them, as well as the pros and cons of choices they’re offered. Individuals may use Google to learn about their medical symptoms or disabilities. While many service providers don’t appreciate this because it gives people a false understanding of their situations, it should instead be a welcomed opportunity to educate and clarify what a person reads online. Educational approaches should be tailored to each person’s comprehension abilities.
PERSON-CENTERED CARE AS OUR COMPASS
At North Star Oregon, person-centered care and activities are our guiding principles. We believe every individual has a unique constellation of abilities, preferences, and dreams. Our commitment is to honor this individuality by tailoring our services and activities to align with each person's goals and aspirations, ensuring that their personal journey is both fulfilling and self-directed. We navigate by listening attentively to each individual, allowing their voices and choices to lead the way in the care we provide.