person centered care

Denise Scruggs

Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College

Virginia Governor’s Conference on Aging

Richmond, Virginia

May 2, 2016

Ageism & Person-Centered Care: Putting the PERSON in Person-Centered Care

Six Dimensions of Person-Centered Care

PERSONHOOD Knowi

ng the Person

Autonomy/

ChoiceComfort Care

Nurturing

Relationship

Supportive

Environment

(White, DL, Newton-Curtis, & Lyons, K.S. (2008) Development & Initial Testing of A Measure of Person-Directed Care. Gerontologist, 48, 114-123)

Personhood Defined:

per·son·hood

[ˈpərs(ə)nˌho͝od]

NOUN

the quality or condition of being an individual person.

(Oxford University Press)

“A standing or status that is bestowed upon one human being, by others, in the context of relationship & social being. It implies “recognition, respect, & trust,…”

Tom Kitwood 1997

Personhood Defined:

(Tom Kitwood (1997) Dementia Reconsidered: the Person Comes First, Buckingham and Philadelphia: Open University Press, p. 8-9)

What makes us unique & individual?

PERSONHOOD

Challenges

Family

Desires

Feelings

Goals

Values

Emotions

HistorySkills/Abilities

Interests

Thoughts

NeedsSelf Esteem

Social RolesLife Experiences

Relationships

Identity PersonalityResources

Confidence

Fears

Likes/Dislikes

ThinkingPhysical

Characteristics

person with

with dementia

DEMENTIA

PERSON

Personhood & Dementia: What Do YOU See?

What can we do to promote “personhood” & recognize the uniqueness of individuals?

• Make eye contact

• Acknowledge & include vs. ignore

• Listen actively when they are speaking

• Share your personal stories to increase equality in relationship

• Share humor

• Ask their opinion

• Use a respectful tone of voice

• Engage & take time to converse with

• Touch to show affection/comfort

• Empower

• Give & respect their choices & preferences

Strategies for Promoting Personhood

• Show approval- express gratitude

• Give personal space

• Adjust to their pace/ don’t rush through care or conversation

• Collaborate with & do activities together- don’t treat as a task

• Put yourself in their shoes

• Smile

• Know the person’s history, preferences & needs- use it to guide your interactions & interventions

• Sincerely compliment & praise

Strategies for Promoting Personhood

• Don’t try to change them- accept them for who & how they are at the time

• Acknowledge & validate feelings

• Be empathetic

• Treat with respect

• Don’t herd like cattle

Strategies for Promoting Personhood

Person-Centered Care

Value

Individualized

Perspective

Social environment

Brooker, D . (2004) What is person-centered care in dementia? Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , 13, 215-222.

Personhood

Fosters: • Personal worth • Uniqueness • Social confidence • Respect • Independence • Engagement • Hope

Denise Scruggs, Director Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College Scruggs.dr@lynchburg.edu 434-544-8456