Initiating person-centered care practices in long-term care facilities

Person-centered care is a key concept guiding efforts to improve long-term care. Elements of person-centered care include personhood, knowing the person, maximizing choice and autonomy, comfort, nurturing relationships, and a supportive physical and organizational environment. The Oregon Health & Science University Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence and the state agency that oversees health care for older adults worked in partnership with 9 long-term care facilities. Each developed and implemented person-centered care practices, including those focused on bathing, dining, or gardening. This article describes the processes used to develop and support these practices. Three exemplary facilities made significant practice changes, 4 made important but more moderate changes, and 2 made minimal progress. These facilities differed in terms of existing culture, management practices, staff involvement, and attention to sustainability.