As individuals, we have our own unique set of life experiences, goals and needs. We all want to do the things that are most important to us, with the people that matter most to us by our side.
We also want to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about the things that impact us most. So, why should this be any different when it comes to receiving care? Well, the good news is that it does not need to be. This is thanks to an approach known as person-centred care.
Person-centred care places the person at the very centre of their care, where they matter most, and so do their preferences, choices and an understanding of their individual circumstances.
Person-centred care enables us to make our own decisions around care services, so that we, and the people closest to us, can become true partners in our care journey. Research has shown that such an approach can deliver better experiences and outcomes, and improve quality of life.
An award-winning aged care provider, Whiddon, introduced a type of person-centred care known as relationship-based care across their residential aged care and community care services.
In fact, their award-winning model of care, known as MyLife, is underpinned by relationship-based care and is improving quality of life for their residents and clients across New South Wales and Queensland.
There are a range of benefits of this approach to care, including that it:
Whiddon knows from research and years of experience, that meaningful day-to-day relationships between residents and team members are at the heart of great care. Their MyLife model of care integrates care for social, emotional and physical needs.
This care model is underpinned by a strong relationship approach, where care employees build deep personal relationships with the people they provide care for. This delivers better outcomes for everyone and has proven benefits, including improved mood, physical function and participation for residents and clients.
Whiddon successfully launched and embedded this model of care across their care homes and services and won a Better Practice Award in 2018 in doing so.
My Life focuses on partnership with residents, clients and their families, to achieve a highly personalised level of care. Whiddon teams learn more about their residents’ and clients’ unique life experiences. By doing so, they are able to work together and with families to keep people participating in the things that matter most to them.
MyLife helps Whiddon employees to understand the people they care for on a much deeper level, even if they felt they already knew them well. Through its initiatives like All About Me and Best Week or Meaningful Moments, Whiddon have seen some incredible outcomes through MyLife. Residents and clients have achieved lifelong goals they may have never thought possible, such as riding on a motorbike 85 years on since the last time, feeling the wind in their hair.
Through All About Me, and the things that Whiddon’s care teams learn, employees are able to go above and beyond in suggesting and making things happen for their residents and clients. These are things that they know are important and will make a big difference to them.
Building on All About Me, is Best Week or Meaningful Moments, which is tailored to each resident and client. This helps residents and clients to achieve personal goals, relive old hobbies, or tick off items that may be on their wish list. They might be everyday goals such as going to the library or enjoying a coffee with friends.
These can be smaller goals like going swimming at the local pool or taking a fishing trip. Or they can be more ambitious goals that people may not think is possible for people with high care needs living in residential aged care. For example, Community Care clients, Margaret, wanted to make jewellery again as it was a hobby she loved. Her care team organised equipment and supporter her to revisit this hobby. She hasn’t looked back and she is even more connected with her community now too through her work.
Whiddon identified three key elements to implementing relationship based care – continuity of staffing, greater personal connection and meaningful activity. Employees are trained to deliver relationship-based care through a specific MyLife training program. This equips them with the skills, new techniques and approaches to provide relationship based care. A dedicated care team and consistent staffing ensures that residents and clients have a MyLife Buddy (focus carers) that knows them best.
Watch along below to Mario’s Sky High Best Week and how his dream came to life through his MyLife Buddy, Lachlan.
