Person-Directed Approach to Well-Being

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

  • Easy-to-access online education and in-person training options, focusing on person-directed practices appropriate for older adults and individuals with disabilities, health care and supportive services personnel, leadership and all team members.

  • Use of a variety of tools to build trust and define what ‘home’ means to individuals receiving support—exploring what home means to them and which activities and/or items help evoke a sense of belonging.

  • Use of operational protocols that cultivate active, continuous involvement with the wider community via activities and events that are co-designed to include family, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

DRIVERS OF SUCCESS

  • A team of champions (direct care workers, healthcare professionals, people who are aging and living with disabilities) learning, goal setting, and gathering resources. 

  • Person-directed models and approaches that spark early momentum with quick “wins” for stakeholders that can then be expanded gradually into additional practices.

  • Ongoing/continuing education on person-directed care, including mentoring and feedback loops to encourage all stakeholders

  • Placing person-directedness at the heart of daily operations and strategic decision-making, ensuring alignment across all aspects of support services.

  • A process to track and discuss successes and failures in achieving person-directedness across the connected community.

  • Educating and empowering older adults and individuals with disabilities on how to ask for person-directed supports.

  • Leaders, care force members, and residents in congregate care settings, hosting regular events (monthly at a minimum) that build connections with the wider community.

  • Opportunities and support provided for those living at home or in congregate care settings to participate in local community events.

  • Use of technology to help with immediate concerns, increase security and autonomy for individuals, and provide positive feedback for everyone involved in the Connected Community.

  • Celebrating the successes, big or small. Conversely, using mistakes to revise practices.

Key Performance Indicators (Measurements of Progress)

  • Bi-annual surveys of members of the care force, regarding job satisfaction and relationships with management, are reviewed and results shared with key leaders. The findings are used to develop targeted action steps aimed at improving future outcomes.

  • Tracking of events that bring together residents and the wider community and reflect the interests of those who live in the community.