Person-Centred Care Explained - Why Is It Important?

Person-centred care is about making sure the people who use care services such as care homes are at the centre of everything important. This is a way of doing things so people and their families are seen as experts, working alongside health professionals to get the best possible outcome.

Person-centred care isn’t just about providing the necessary healthcare. It also involves considering people’s desires, interests, individual circumstances and lifestyles. This allows them to be viewed as individuals and helps carers to take into account people’s preferences and expressed needs.

In this article:

1. What is person-centred care?
2. Why is it important?
3. Examples of delivering person-centred care approaches
4. The role of UK care regulators in person-centred care

What Is Person-Centred Care?

Person-centred care takes into account what really matters to somebody receiving care, and makes sure they’re fully involved in all decisions.

The professional knowledge of carers and medical staff is combined with the personal knowledge of the person receiving care - including their values, feelings, lifestyle and preferences.

Through this mix, a care plan is tailored to the individual and is delivered in a way that the individual feels completely comfortable with.

Why Is It Important?

Person-centred care is important because it improves the independence of people receiving care. Somebody who requires extra support won’t want to feel like a burden on those around them. Instead, most people would prefer to be encouraged to take part in decisions surrounding their care and be given the confidence to live more independently.

Examples of Delivering Person-Centred Care Approaches

There are plenty of ways in which this approach can be intertwined with everyday life. Exactly what methods are used depends on the individual in care, what care they’re receiving and other factors, but here are some examples to give you a better idea:

• Making their own choices at mealtime as to what food they’d like
• Deciding with the individual what they’re going to wear that day
• Changing bedtimes and wake-up times, depending on when the individual feels most productive
• Providing tools so the individual can perform everyday tasks by themselves. These tools could be shower seats or an extending device that aids with putting shoes on

Overall, not making decisions for the individual being cared for, but rather making informed decisions with them about treatment choices.

The Role of UK Care Regulators in Person-Centred Care

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) - England’s regulator of health and social care - is also key to making sure person-centred care is provided.

They state that: “Providers must make sure that they take into account people's capacity and ability to consent, and that either they, or a person lawfully acting on their behalf, must be involved in the care planning, management and review of their care and treatment.”

The CQC can take regulatory action if they feel this isn’t being met, which often impacts a provider’s overall rating (such as a care home’s rating dropping from ‘Good’ to ‘Requires Improvement’).

Similarly, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland say that: “Keeping the person at the heart of their care during this time is even more important than ever.”