Keeping it person-centred
The person's story
Getting to know a person assists in developing a care plans appropriate for the individual.
Conversation could include asking about:
- Education, jobs, hobbies, interests, family
- Achievements
- Relationships
- Social supports
- Pets
- Roles & responsibilities
- Attitudes to illness
- Health literacy
- What gives life meaning?
- Cultural, spiritual values
- Grief and loss
- What is most important to you in your life?
- What do you need to have a good life?
- The environment in which they live.
- What is acceptable risk?
Safety and risk
It is not possible, or desirable, to remove all risks. Risk is inherent to living well.
Risk and quality of life must be balanced. It is important to ask what risk is acceptable to the person. Understanding the person’s story can help understand what the person may have accepted as a reasonable risk to take in living well. The Support Person, if available, should be included in this conversation.
Document the conversation and decisions made about safety and risk with the person and their Support Person.
Safety issues may include:
- Falls
- Medication use
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Use of gas stoves and fires
- Appropriate use of heating and cooling
- Appropriate clothing
- Hoarding
- Going out alone
It may be appropriate to reduce risk to safety by, for example, removing ladders, reducing access to alcohol or disabling gas stoves. But these decisions must be made in consideration of a person’s autonomy and quality of life. The person should be included in this decision-making.
People living with dementia are vulnerable to elder abuse. Elder abuse can occur in many forms, including physical, psychological and financial abuse.
1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) is a free call phone number that automatically redirects callers seeking information and advice on elder abuse with the phone service in their state or territory.