Person-Centered Benchmarks to Dignified Care

Dignity is a necessary component of a solid foundation for person-centered care and should be on the forefront of the caregiver’s mind and daily routines. Human nature gets in the way of delivering dignified care at times, and caregivers can put their priorities before those of the resident, become annoyed at “high-maintenance” residents, or engage in conflict with coworkers.

It’s important to step back, take a big picture look at the kind of care being delivered and make improvements where they are needed. That’s where person-centered benchmarks can help.

Why Be Concerned with Dignity?

The easy answer to this question is because every human being deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Senior care is becoming a more diversified space, filled by people from various backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, and gender orientations. Regardless of one’s background, human is human, and all are entitled to respect.

Healthcare professionals are also bound by their professional code of ethics that promote and enforce dignified care. It is part of their professional code of conduct. Most, if not all, care communities also have policies concerning dignity. Dignified care can have a significant impact on psychological and health outcomes of the resident. In other words, dignified care is good care.

Positive Staff Attitudes and Behaviors

Great person-centered care begins with positive staff attitudes and behaviors. Residents feel that they matter, they have a voice in how their care is delivered, and can make meaningful choices.

Personal Identity

Each resident maintains their personal identity and doesn’t become “just another resident to care for”. Care staff and the environment embrace who they are and appreciate the differences they offer and values, beliefs and relationships are important.

Boundaries

A very important person-centered dignity benchmark is the recognition and respect for personal boundaries. A resident’s space is their own and should not be infringed upon rudely, or callously by staff.

Communication

Dignity is transmitted from one person to the next through behaviors, actions and speech. Communication is a key ingredient in delivering dignified care, and should be geared towards the resident’s level of understanding. It should be friendly, light-hearted, non-clinical, and empathetic.

Privacy, Confidentiality and Modesty

Dignified care cannot be delivered without keeping certain matters private and confidential. One of the only reasons resident information would be shared with the care team is to enhance care and services, and ultimately quality of life. Care staff also try their best to maintain modesty in care, meaning protecting their physical body from exposure.

Start with a Pleasant Greeting

Dignity starts within the caregiver’s heart, soul and mind. They have to feel it and transmit it to their residents in order for it to be felt and experienced. Basic everyday actions including greeting the resident by his or her preferred name and title is a good start. It opens the dialogue and care experience with respect and recognition and as the employee treats the resident as a unique individual.

Care Tips

Providing care in a clean and pleasant environment promotes dignity. Offering good food that the resident prefers is also a sign of respect, especially if dietary needs and culture are taken into account.

Being sensitive to gender and humility during personal and intimate care is necessary when undressing, showering or other care is provided. These are sensitivity issues that are associated with dignity.

Being sensitive to pain and discomfort is also a sign that care staff is in tune with the resident’s needs. They slow down their care and ask about pain levels before moving forward. Paying attention to pain is dignified care.

Sensitively handling issues of bladder or bowel incontinence, and sometimes both (double incontinence) is a part of dignified care because the resident can easily feel shame and humility, and there is no room for these feelings when providing person-centered, dignified care.

Final Thoughts on Dignified Care

Why think about dignity in senior care? Because it is due to everyone who requires assistance living their lives under supervised care of a staff that believes in a person-centered philosophy and uses benchmarks to measure themselves. How do you measure your care team concerning these person-centered dignity benchmarks?

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