Receiving care shouldn’t come at the cost of an individual’s dignity, sense of self, or autonomy—especially when the care setting is the person’s home, as in long-term care. That’s why nursing home residents, families, and others have for decades advocated for person-centered care. Person-centered care is being “responsive to individuals and their goals, values, and …
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care staff knew they were facing multiple challenges. “When we closed the doors of nursing homes and visitors were no longer allowed, I went home, I packed my belongings, and I moved into the nursing home,” says Janelle Zacho, RN, DNS-CT, the Director of Nursing at Columbia …
Five years ago, Kathryn Gerber, BSN, RN was a junior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, volunteering with the Watertown Dementia Awareness Coalition. “Before this experience, I knew what dementia was, but I wasn’t aware of the wider community aspects,” Gerber said in 2015. “For example, if a person with dementia goes into …
What is the difference between the medical model of care and person-centered care? For Tonya Roberts, RN, PhD, it’s all about the relationships.