Appreciating the 'person' in long-term care

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Evolving international approaches in long-term care aim to de-institutionalize settings and promote community-oriented, participatory models.
• Shift from a medical model to community-based care emphasizes older adults' decision-making.
• New models of care are being developed to enhance the quality of life for older individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare and contrast various person-centred care models in long-term care.
• To explore the implications of these models for registered nurses.
• To analyze the concept of 'person' within different care frameworks.

Main Methods:

• A review of three distinct models: culture change, person-centred practice, and relationship-centred care.
• Analysis focused on varying interpretations of personhood and model distinctiveness.
• Examination of the alignment between espoused model differences and practical implementation.

Main Results:

• Identified a disconnect between theoretical differences in models and their practical application.
• Highlighted diverse conceptualizations of 'person' and 'personhood' across models.
• Some frameworks adopt a more inclusive view of personhood, not limited by roles like resident or nurse.

Conclusions:

• Developing explicit models for person-centredness in long-term care is valuable.
• Overemphasis on frameworks without grounding in personhood risks losing humanistic care principles.
• Registered nurses require a robust understanding of personhood to effectively implement person-centred practice frameworks and preserve their core values.