Culture Change Is Good For Residents & Families

Culture Change is the common name given to the national movement for the transformation of older adult services based on person-centered values and practices. It focuses on individualizing care and focusing on the person, not just their disease or what is “wrong” with them. Culture Change requires us to change our current medical, institutional thinking and practices, and transform everything we do to focus on the PEOPLE we are serving.

Implementing Person-Centered Care is how we move away from a traditional medical model.

There is a positive business case for adopting Person-Centered practices and we now have research to show it is more efficient, effective, and has better outcomes than the institutional or medical model.

Person-Centered Care improves satisfaction for all stakeholders, especially residents and families, and results in positive outcomes, which improve quality of life.

• Residents are more involved in making decisions about their daily lives which results in increased levels of purposeful activities and engagement.
• Elders are less lonely, helpless, and bored.
• Residents experience less depression, have increased mobility, and are ultimately empowered to do more for themselves.
• Families are welcomed, involved, and develop meaningful relationships with staff.
• Ongoing intergenerational relationships flourish.
• With Person-Centered Care, the use of anti-psychotic medications for behavioral expressions is reduced.
• In a Person-Centered organization, there is a reduction in the number of special diets.
• With Person-Centered Care, there are reductions in weight loss, dehydration, and a variety of incidents.

What are you and your organization doing to improve quality of life for the residents and families you serve?