1. Unit 518: Assess the individual in a health and social care setting
Assessment and person-centred care
Learning outcome 1, 2 Assessment criteria 1.1, 2.2, 2.3
Introduction page – click on the words you want to replace

2. Person-Centred Care (PCC)
The following presentation looks at the principles of PCC in practice.
It can be used:
as an tool to audit your own systems, or
as a training presentation for staff to implement change.
You can modify this presentation as you wish. It has been developed to support staff working with older adults.

3. Principles and values of PCC
Every person has strengths, gifts, and contributions to offer and has the right to participate in some way to the community.
Every person has hopes, dreams and desires.
Each person, and those who love the person, are the primary ‘authorities’ on his or her life.
Every person has the ability to express preferences and to make choices.
A person’s choices and preferences will always be considered.
Some people may disagree with these – so they need exploring – this is later in the presentation. But watch the body language. It may help later. 3

4. Every person has strengths, gifts, and contributions to offer and has the right to participate in some way to the community.
We tend to forget to look for ‘the positives’ . Very few people are unable to demonstrate some emotion / non verbal signals which to those who know them well indicate their preferences. We just need to keep looking. 4

5. Those of us who work with older people must remember the person who is still here…
It is easy to forget individual character, life experience when supporting someone.
A climber, a talented musician, a successful business man a well-loved husband, father and grandfather. 5 5

6. Activity
How can you learn more about the strengths and gifts of the person you support?
By asking me – or if I can’t tell you by watching my non-verbals – researching – speaking with family or key people looking at photographs, discovering the person's ‘life story’ – just by being interested enough to ask.
Look at your forms to gather this information are they adequate? Does anyone really read them?
What would you put down for yourselves. 6

7. Every person has hopes, dreams and desires, and the individual, and those who love the person, are the primary authorities on their life. 7

8. What are your hopes, dreams and desires?
What do you want to make your life better?
What do you need to make your life better?
What makes you laugh?
What do you dream about?
Use this slide to get the group to think about their own – and identify those unrealistic desires – winning the lottery for instance – climbing Everest? – being a size 8!
We all have them – so why shouldn’t individuals using services? We need to accept these and, talk about our own and individuals desires realistically. It may never happen – but we should look at working towards our desires or even ‘modified’ versions and acknowledge them. We all need to dream! 8

9. When do you stop having hopes, dreams and desires?
At age 60, 70, 80?
After a serious illness?
When you have memory problems?
When you need help with every day living activities? 9

10. Every person has the ability to express preferences and to make choices…
Never assume that a person cannot make any choices. 10

11. How do we discover the hopes, dreams & desires of people?
Ask
Listen
Talk about active listening – give examples – get someone to leave the room – ask them to think about a topic they can talk about for 2-3 minutes (anything at all)
Ask another person to be the ‘listener’ give them an emery board or some papers – ask them to demonstrate poor non-verbals – file nails, keep glancing at book – yawn – watch the reaction of the person who is talking.
Go through the stages – listening with good eye contact and positive prompts.
Listening with half a mind – thinking about what you will do at the weekend or have for tea
Listen first then speak! 11

12. Ten points to listening
Believe that the person has something to valuable to give.
Support people to recognise they have ‘gifts’.
Listen with an open mind.
Listen to dreams and visions, not just to what is in the present.
Listen in a relaxed way.
Listen to fears and pain.
Listen without any preconceptions or intent to ‘pin the person down’ or control them.
Listen for any ‘hidden’ or subliminal messages.
Listen carefully to look for opportunities.
Listen, being aware that it can take time for people to say what they really want to.

13. Listening skills Spend more time listening than talking.
Have a conversation, not an interview.

14. What about the non-verbal adult?
We must listen in a different way…
What makes the person happy or sad?
What comforts the person?
What triggers difficult behavior?
Share our knowledge with others.
Ask those who know the person best.

15. Activity
How can you discover the hopes, dreams and preferences of the person you support?
1) Get to know the person and listen to them! But if you can’t … 15

16. Ways of learning about hopes and dreams
Questions that may help gather the information you need.
What other information would help you understand the person?
Example of a person-centred assessment tool for family and friends
 What qualities can you describe that make this person special and unique?
How would you describe their sense of humour?
Describe the highlights of their life
Did they belong to any groups – if so which?
What gave them most pleasure?
What activities do they still enjoy?
How have they enjoyed music in the past (listening, participating, playing an instrument)?
Can you give examples of favourite types of music or ‘special’ pieces of music that may trigger memories?
How did they cope with frustration or disappointment in the past?
What experiences and settings are likely to make them feel calm and peaceful?
What hopes and dreams do you think they maintain?
By learning about the person and gaining their trust. Make sure you record accurately – what did you decide earlier about your current methods of seeking information and recording. How could you improve these? 16

17. A person’s choices and preferences will always be considered.

18. Person-centred care
Is NOT a blank cheque – it just encourages us to make best use of the available resource.
Does NOT ignore health and safety concerns – it prompts us not to use health and safety as an excuse for not doing something! 18

19. Person-centred care is a continuing process19

20. The learning wheel
Taken from the brochure, An Overview of Essential Lifestyle Planning, available online at

21. Person-centred care is an attitude not a procedure.

22. listen to and actively acknowledge what is important to individuals
To practise in a person-centred way with older people, we need to be able to:
listen to and actively acknowledge what is important to individuals
ensure older people and their carers are kept fully informed
give respect
demonstrate tactfulness and understanding
be willing to share both power and responsibility with older people. 22