Caregiving in practice

What is Person-centered care?

Person-centered care means organising care around who the individual is, their history, habits and preferences, rather than around tasks and schedules.

In practice it means knowing that someone was a night-shift nurse and so is awake at two in the morning for a reason, or that they have always bathed in the evening. It underpins most modern dementia care standards.

It requires the caregiver to be told these things, which is why a good handover from family matters.

Why it matters

It is the difference between a caregiver managing a patient and one looking after your father.

Sources

Where to check this, and where to read more. All external and all authoritative.

Person-centered care where you live

The local guide on this, for each city we cover.

Related terms

All 92 terms, A to Z