Introduction
Long-term care (LTC) facilities are essential in the entire medical industry. These institutions are designed to deliver care to people who cannot live independently. More often, these facilities are used by the elderly and individuals with multiple chronic and terminal issues. Since patients with challenging conditions reach such institutions, they expect to receive high-quality care that will relieve their suffering.
However, this statement was only sometimes accurate because LTC facilities used to ignore individual needs to meet institutional efficiency metrics. This state of affairs contributed to worsened health outcomes and decreased satisfaction among patients. The culture change movement occurred in the LTC setting. It introduced three specific goals of person-centered care to abide by the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association standards, and this information will improve my future practice.
The Importance of Person-Centered Care in Long-Term Care Institutions
Historical Evolution
The sphere of LTC experienced a significant culture change movement. A few decades ago, the traditional biomedical environment prevailed in nursing homes and LTC facilities (Donnelly & MacEntee, 2016). This model stipulated that the absence of illness was the only requirement that should have been achieved in a healthcare facility. That is why medical professionals were only obliged to provide patients with the health care needed to manage and treat their conditions. That situation experienced essential improvement with the emergence of person-centered environments.
This approach brought positive change because it highlighted the importance of promoting personal dignity, security, and participation in managing chronic conditions (Donnelly & MacEntee, 2016). The culture change movement advocated for addressing patients’ physical and psychosocial needs because every person had preferences, values, and needs that should have become the central elements of care (Donnelly & MacEntee, 2016). Thus, LTC facilities were provided with a practical strategy to improve their care.
Literature Review
The topic of person-centered care is widespread in North American scholarly literature. The study by Howard et al. (2021) focuses on the American context and analyzes the impacts of the phenomenon under analysis on patients’ psychological and physical well-being. The scholars recruited patients with psychotic disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, and other conditions and tried to determine the impact of patient-centered care on them.
According to Howard et al. (2021), all participants were subject to this care delivery model and reported reduced pain and depression. This finding demonstrates that person-centered care can lead to significant improvement in the LTC setting. When people’s versatile needs are satisfied, it is more likely that their conditions will be better managed. This information demonstrates that all LTC facilities should actively incorporate the given approach into their care delivery.
Aims of Person-Centered Care
Medical organizations should understand that person-centered care is not a broad or vague term but a practical approach that helps achieve at least three specific goals. The first objective is explicit, as described above. The phenomenon under analysis allows medical organizations and professionals to enhance patient health outcomes.
Patient Health Outcomes
Howard et al. (2021) clearly demonstrate that patient-centered care can be an essential advantage for LTC residents with multiple conditions. This model implies that patients’ needs and values are placed at the center of care, which denotes that healthcare providers do their best to satisfy them. Thus, when positive changes affect the social, psychological, and physical domains of a patient, they are more likely to experience better management of their diagnoses (Howard et al., 2021). Therefore, medical organizations should consider implementing person-centered care to improve patient health outcomes.
Patient Satisfaction
The second goal refers to the fact that patient-centered care leads to increased patient satisfaction. Donnelly and MacEntee (2016) state that individuals feel better when they are satisfied with formal and informal relationships with nurses. This outcome occurs because patients see that staff members hear and respect them, which helps LTC residents affect care delivery and ensure that their most topical concerns are addressed. When people are satisfied, they can witness better health outcomes, which builds a connection to the first goal.
Patient Engagement
Increased patient engagement is the third objective that can be achieved through patient-centered care. On the one hand, patients have the power to influence and control care, which was described above. This approach guarantees that care is not outdated because patients voice their concerns in real-time (Heckman et al., 2022). On the other hand, empowered and engaged LTC residents become fully-fledged participants in care delivery. When individuals make informed decisions about their health, they are more likely to adhere to treatment requirements and follow healthy lifestyles, which is vital for managing chronic conditions.
Alignment of Patient-Centered Care Principles with National Standards
Patient-Nurse Relationships
The principles of patient-centered care are aligned with two Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association (CGNA) standards. First, it is necessary to focus on Standard 1: Relational Care, which denotes that care delivery should focus on reciprocal communication, respectful interactions, understanding, and empathy (Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association [CGNA], 2020). This information denotes that Gerontological nurses are expected to establish productive relationships with patients to understand their preferences, needs, and concerns.
Nurses should use this knowledge to adjust care to people’s individual needs to promote better outcomes for their health. This description clearly demonstrates that this standard supports and facilitates the implementation of patient-centered care. The latter phenomenon draws much attention to empathy, respect, communication, and understanding because healthcare professionals should incorporate these values into their practice to discover and address patients’ needs and concerns and address them.
Patient Autonomy
Second, the CGNA standards highlight the importance of patient autonomy. This statement refers to Standard 5: Safe Care, stipulating that Gerontological nurses should assess patients’ environmental hazards and acknowledge their rights and decisions to live at risk if they want it (Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association [CGNA], 2020). This standard additionally specifies that healthcare professionals should respect patients’ rights to self-determination, freedom, and dignity (Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association [CGNA], 2020).
There is a clear connection between this requirement and the principles of patient-centered care. The two highlight that nurses are expected to be in connection with patients to discover their wishes and desires. However, healthcare professionals should ensure that they do not coerce or abuse patients if their desires contradict some care delivery provisions. It is necessary to remember that LTC residents have the right to make informed decisions about their health, and nurses should respect them.
Reflection
If I were subject to patient-centered care, I would be satisfied with this experience. In this case, I would be sure that my preferences and suggestions would be heard and respected, which would allow me to adjust care to my needs. Nobody knows what I need better than me, and patient-centered care would allow me to meet my values and desires. I additionally understand that no nurse would force me to take any action if I made an informed decision to avoid it. This type of care is additionally beneficial because increased psychological satisfaction can contribute to better physical outcomes, which would be better for me.
The presented article will significantly affect my future practice. Since I am now familiar with patient-centered care and its benefits, I will rely on its principles in my professional future. That is why I am going to develop my communication skills and emotional intelligence to learn how to establish contact with various patients. These competencies are significant because they will allow me to discover and satisfy patients’ needs during care delivery.
Furthermore, the given article demonstrated the importance of patient autonomy (Donnelly & MacEntee, 2016). That is why I will respect patients’ decisions and guarantee that my practice will not coerce individuals into any actions or decisions. I hope that this approach will make my patients satisfied, which will positively affect their psychological and physical well-being.
Conclusion
This individual assignment demonstrates that patient-centered care is a widespread and significant phenomenon in the healthcare industry, especially in LTC facilities. The medical sphere experienced the culture change movement when the focus was placed on physical and psychological needs. That decision became significant because it denoted that healthcare professionals would draw more attention to patients’ needs, preferences, and suggestions. As a result, individuals will be more satisfied with engaging in care, which will result in better health outcomes. That is why I will obviously incorporate the principles of patient-centered care into my future practice.
References
Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association. (2020). Gerontological nursing standards of practice and competencies 2020 (4th ed.). CGNA.
Donnelly, L., & MacEntee, M. I. (2016). Care perceptions among residents of LTC facilities purporting to offer person-centered care. Canadian Journal on Aging, 35(2), 149-160. Web.
Heckman, G. A., Boscart, V., Quail, P., Keller, H., Ramsey, C., Vucea, V., King, S., Bains, I., Choi, N., & Garland, A. (2022). Applying the knowledge-to-action framework to engage stakeholders and solve shared challenges with person-centered advance care planning in long-term care homes. Canadian Journal on Aging, 41(1), 110-120. Web.
Howard, E. P., Martin, L., Heckman, G. A., & Morris, J. N. (2021). Does the person-centered care model support the needs of long-term care residents with serious mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. Web.