Person-Centeredness Care and Better Aging

How do you treat a 5- year- old child? By paying attention to him, talking to him in the way he likes, spending time with him, satisfying his cravings, allowing him to express himself… Well this is the same approach you have to use when it comes to a 70 year plus senior.

Yes, old age is childhood revisited and we must treat elders like children, giving them individual attention and focus. There has been a paradigm shift in elder-care from old age assistance to "patient centred care" and this is what excellent assisted living facilities offer these days.

What is patient-centred care?

The Person-centredness care is all about what we do WITH elders and NOT what we do TO them. Patient-centred care focuses on the geriatric individual, his nature and disposition, his socio-cultural background, his health priorities, his likes and dislikes etc and provides elderly care based on these factors. It is a highly individualized or personalized approach tailor-made to suit the needs of the elderly.

Need for patient-centred care in assisted living facilities

The concept of assisted living has emerged to offer "assistance with independence to the elderly". In assisted living facilities, the pivotal attention is to provide patient-centred care due to the following reasons

1. Elders need specific attention to their minute needs and wish to be paid individual attention.
2. Person-centred elderly care can impact senior health by reducing blood pressure and stress.
3. Persons living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease are the ones who are in dire need of patient-centred care. Nearly 40% of the elderly in the assisted living facilities in the US suffer from dementia.
4. Elderly citizens with cardiovascular diseases and chronic illnesses like diabetes require patient-centred care.
5. Person-centred care is also a must for senior citizens with geriatric syndromes like recurring falls and urinary incontinence.
6. The duration and quality of life of aged persons depend on the extent of patient-centred care offered.

Objectives of patient-centred care in assisted living facilities

Independent senior living homes that are run professionally and efficiently always aim at providing person-centred care with an objective to

1. Offer a specialized assistance to the seniors rather than a generalistic one
2. Extend "person-centric" elderly assistance keeping in mind their needs, likes and dislikes.
3. Provide timely assistance to elders in the way "they" need it.
4. Improve the "aged care experience for the elderly" and give them complete satisfaction
5. Motivate elders to adopt a healthy lifestyle by participating in activities with them.
6. Transform the lifestyle of elders into a more meaningful one by providing the care they need and thinking like they do.
7. Improve the health of the elderly by anticipating their needs and addressing them proactively.
8. Improve the service satisfaction of the are giving professionals in rendering service to the elderly.

How to provide patient-centred care for the elderly?

1. Interact with the elder and get to him/her as a person.
2. Allow them to express themselves and listen to their fears and concerns.
3. Acknowledge their individuality and treat them with dignity.
4. Let the seniors be the masters of their own self. They know their health and life priorities better than us.
5. Include the families in caring for elders and sharing their concerns.
6. Ensure that the service you provide is flexible and adjustable to their changing needs.
7. Strive to put the elders at ease and make their comfort your prime focus.
8. Be conscious of the social-cultural preferences of elders and respect them.
9. Persuade but do not prevail over elders. Let them have their space and dignity.
10. Let your service be coordinated, continued and complete in providing care to the aged.

Let patient-centred care be the ray of light and hope in elders' lives. Let independent senior living homes and assisted living facilities progress towards person-centred care to facilitate better ageing.