Person-centered care is widely acclaimed both as a means and a goal to improve care and outcomes for people of all ages who have various diseases, conditions, and care needs. A 2001 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, galvanized attention to the concept that care should be centered on and organized around the needs and preferences of the person rather than the needs and preferences of care providers and institutions. The report identified “patient-centered” as one of the six major aims in redesigning the United States’ healthcare system, and defined patient-centered care as being “respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions” (IOM, 2001a).
Though this report uses the term patient centered, which is frequently employed in discussions about person-centered care in the healthcare context, in other contexts (including residential care and home- and community based care), the term person-centered is generally preferred, although both terms are used in all care contexts. This issue of Generations uses “person-centered,” except in direct quotes and articles about medical care settings.
Person-Centered Care for People with Dementia: Opportunities and Challenges
Author: Katie Maslow
Publication Date: 2013
Publisher: Journal of The American Society on Aging