TIP OF THE WEEK
Introduction to individualized care practices
BACKGROUND
In the context of nursing homes, individualized care describes a philosophy that puts the needs, interests, and lifestyle choices of individuals at the center of care giving. It allows for individuals to exercise control and autonomy over their own lives to the fullest extent possible. It is a reaction from decades of institutionalized care from hospital settings to current day nursing homes, preventing the possibility of creating a home-like environment for individuals. As a result of following the hospital (institutional) model, individuals entering nursing homes were forced to adapt to the institution leaving behind individuality, choice, and personhood, and in the truest sense of the word, home, often leading to psychic despair and physical decline.
Commonly referred to as Culture Change, this movement from institutional care to individualized care is seen today as an antidote to the many ills of institutionalized nursing home care.
The HATCh Model for Individualized care includes six domains that impact the lives of elders, with the resident represented as a heart in the center of the model.
- Care Practices
- Workplace Practices
- Environment
- Leadership
- Family and Community
- Government and Regulation
CHANGING CARE PRACTICES
This domain includes all the ways people are cared for within a home. A few care practices considered in the HATCh Model are: all medical care given; attention to clinical care and systems; the arena of Quality Improvement; nursing home activities; rituals; celebrations; and the dying, waking, and dining processes. It is important to note that in the HATCh model, Care Practices are not limited to residents, but includes the staff and families as well.- Provide opportunities to maintain life-long daily routine:
- Establish clinical practices that consider health promotion along with risk prevention
- Provide activities that reflect the individual interests of each person
- Provide high-quality clinical care with resident, family, and staff input
- Eliminate iatrogenic helplessness
- Free residents from restraints, pressure ulcers, depression, incontinence, and pain
- Provide innovative, creative care solutions
- Implement “I” format care plans
- Provide opportunity for community mourning
We will discuss other domains within the HATCh model in future editions of this tip of the week. To learn more:
- Download the source of this article: Individualized Care Curriculum Guide, Quality Partners of Rhode Island
- Browse the Ohio KePRO Person Centered-Care Online Resource.
- Go to www.centeredcare.org – the Web site of the Ohio Person-Centered Care Coalition
- Save the date: March 20, 2006 – A Roadmap for Change: The Second Annual Conference of the Ohio Person-Centered Care Coalition, Columbus, Ohio
IN THE NEWS
'PATIENT-CENTERED CARE' IMPORTANT IN EFFORTS TO MEASURE HEALTH CARE QUALITY, FORUM SPEAKERS SAY
December 6, 2006 -- Kaiser Network -- Speakers at a forum hosted by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Commonwealth Fund on Monday said that "patient-centered care" is important in efforts to measure healthcare quality, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) include patient-centered care in efforts to link Medicare reimbursements with pay-for-performance measures. Read More >>
TALK THERAPY MAY BE BEST FOR DEPRESSED SENIORS
November 29, 2006 - - Reuters Health - - Talk therapy may beat medication for older adults' depression, particularly when therapists work along with the patient's primary care doctor, a research review suggests. The review involved eight previous clinical trials, which found that psychological counseling was more effective, compared with the "usual care;" from family doctors for older adults with depression. Read More >>
OTHER INDUSTRY EVENTS
Teleconference: About the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign
January 10, 2007, 1:00-2:00
Teleconference: Support for Nursing Homes in the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign
January 31, 2007, 1:00-2:30
Alzheimer’s Association Training Events
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Courses
Ohio Health Care Association Events
OSHIIP’s Medicare and Part D Check-ups throughout Ohio until December 20, 2006 (PDF)
An archive of The Nursing Home Weekly Update is available on our Web site. Click here >>
