INDIVIDUALIZED CARE FOR FRAIL ELDERS: Theory and Practice

Abstract

Individualized care for frail elders is defined as an interdisciplinary approach which acknowledges elders as unique persons and is practiced through consistent caring relationships. The four critical attributes of individualized care for frail elders are: 1) knowing the person, 2) relationship, 3) choice, and 4) participation in and direction of care. Cognitively impaired elders can direct their care through the staff's knowledge of individual past patterns and careful observation of behavior for what is pleasing and comfortable to each resident.

Developing and testing an instrument for the measurement of individual care

“…Ha Èggman-Laitila (1990), Brown (1992Brown ( , 1994, Athlin et al (1993) Cultural background Giger and Davidizar (1990), Burgener et al (1993), Brown (1994) Family situation Smith (1991), Warren (1992), Athlin et al (1993), Burgener et al (1993), Cohen et al (1996), Happ et al (1996) Needs for privacy Kenny (1990), Hillan (1993), A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Oleson et al (1994) Intimacy Ha Ègman-Laitila (1990), A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Oleson et al (1994) Participation in decision-making domain Cox and Roghmann (1984), Kenny (1990), Brown (1992), Thorell-Ekstrand et al (1993), Fonteyn and Cooper (1994), Happ et al (1996) Knowledge about illness and treatment Cox and Roghmann (1984), Ha Èggman-Laitila (1990), Kenny (1990), Brown (1992), Athlin et al (1993), Hallberg and Norberg (1993) …”

“…Physical and psychological needs Cox and Roghmann (1984), Smith (1991), Brown (1992Brown ( , 1994, Bendtsen and Bjurulf (1993), Hansen et al (1993), Berg et al (1994), Fonteyn and Cooper (1994), Oleson et al (1994), Thomas (1994), Werner et al (1994), Duffy (1995), Happ et al (1996) Abilities Sutcliffe and Holmes (1991), Brown (1992Brown ( , 1994, Burgener et al (1993) Health condition Smith (1991), Brown (1992), A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggan-Laitila (1992), Hansen et al (1993), Ha Èggman-Laitila (1994), Thomas (1994) Meaning of illness A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Burgener et al (1993) Reaction or responses (illness and treatment) Cox and Roghmann (1984), Sutcliffe and Holmes (1991), A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Burgener et al (1993), Hallberg and Norberg (1993), Brown (1994), Happ et al (1996) Feelings, sentiments Brown (1992, A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Berg et al (1994), Ha Èggman-Laitila (1994), Happ et al (1996) Patient's personal life situation Earlier experiences Cox and Roghman (1984), A Ê stedt-Kurki and Ha Èggman-Laitila (1992), Allyne and Thomas (1994), Fonteyn and Cooper (1994) Life-situation in general (employment, ways of life, personal relationships) Brown (1992), Burgener et al (1993), Fonteyn and Cooper (1994), Happ et al (1996) …”

“…It is indeed a commonplace that different patients need individual care, this applies, among others to older people (Kenny 1990, Warren 1992, Burgener et al 1993, Happ et al 1996, people with acquired immunode®ciency syndrome (AIDS) (Hansen et al 1993), cancer sufferers (Sutcliffe & Holmes 1991), physically restrained individuals (Werner et al 1994, Cohen et al 1996 and persons with dementia (Hallberg & Norberg 1993) or psychiatric problems (Duffy 1995). Its importance in nursing care has been seen when evaluated patients' are satis®ed with their care (e.g.…”

A survey of orthopaedic patients’ assessment of care using the Individualised Care Scale

“…Recognition of the patient's individual clinical situation, personal life situation and decisional control over care are common themes found in the literature (e.g. Happ et al, 1996;Radwin and Alster, 2002;Radwin et al, 2003;Suhonen et al, 2004). Another term used synonymously with individualised care is the term tailored care.…”

Interpretations of person-centered dementia care: Same rhetoric, different practices? A comparative study of nursing homes in England and Sweden

“…The model has several dimensions where interpersonal aspects -such as getting to know the person, participation in care, offering choice and a focus on the relationships between residents and direct care staff -are described as a common lodestar (cf. Happ, Williams, Strumpf, & Burger, 1996;White-Chu, Graves, Godfrey, Bonner, & Sloane, 2009). Person-centered care is typically defined against the dehumanizing effects of routinized and task-oriented approaches to organizing long-term care, everyday care practice and the persons involved.…”