Benefits of Personalized Care Plans in Nursing Homes

The best Arizona senior living options support residents’ daily living, personal, and health needs. In addition to onsite staff who can provide health advice, such as how to prepare for flu season, the best nursing homes in Arizona are known for providing personalized care. Residents have personalized care plans that ensure their quality of life and overall health.

What Are Personalized Care Plans in Nursing Homes?

Educators and medical professionals use personalized care plans. The objective is to ensure each person receives customized support so they can thrive.

Since it’s impossible to deliver exceptional elder care with a “one-size-fits-all” approach, senior living facilities in Arizona use personalized care plans to ensure each resident receives appropriate care. Personalized care plans prioritize each person’s needs and preferences and consider input from medical professionals and family members when customizing the plan.

Why Are Personalized Care Plans Important for Seniors?

You may wonder why personalized care is important for seniors and how they benefit from it in nursing homes. Personalized care is better than standardized care because it improves residents’ quality of life and overall health.

What Makes Personalized Care Better Than Standardized Care in Senior Living Facilities?

Standardized care treats all residents the same way. It doesn’t account for each individual’s unique medical needs or likes and dislikes. This means individuals may be presented with activities they’re unable to do because of physical restrictions or may not receive suitable accommodations for their health needs that enable them to stay active.

Personalized care values each person’s priorities and preferences. One person might prioritize weight management and seek ways to exercise indoors during hot weather, while another person might prioritize social engagement and seek opportunities to interact with other residents. The personalized care plan respects their priorities and identifies ways the nursing home can provide support to help them fulfill their goals.

How Do Personalized Care Plans Improve the Quality of Life for Nursing Home Residents?

Personalized care plans improve residents’ quality of life because they can prioritize activities they’re interested in instead of feeling pressured to engage in activities they don’t enjoy. Since they can indulge their hobbies and interests, residents are happier, and happiness protects their health and enhances their quality of life.

Are There Specific Benefits of Personalized Care Plans for Residents With Chronic Conditions or Memory Loss?

Personalized plans ensure the dignity of those with chronic conditions and memory loss by respecting each person’s concerns and preferences while delivering appropriate support.

Effective personalized plans can help individuals with chronic conditions manage their health. The plans help caregivers to identify signs of health issues and provide practical support to prevent symptoms. The plans also help the individuals recognize changes in their health and provide steps to restore their health or prevent further regression.

Dementia affects many seniors residing in care homes in Arizona. Studies have shown that personalized care for those with dementia reduces the following symptoms of dementia:

Aggression
Agitation
Apathy
Delusions
Depression
Hallucinations
Psychosis
Sleep disorders

Consequently, reducing these symptoms helps to improve their quality of life.

What Components Are Typically Included in a Personalized Care Plan?

Personalized care plans include the following information:

Initial health assessment when the individual moved into the nursing home
Subsequent health assessments
Current health assessment
Individual’s personal care needs
Individual’s healthcare needs
Equipment or supplies the individual requires
Individual’s dietary needs
Individual’s dietary preferences
Individual’s personal and healthcare goals
Strategies to help the individual achieve goals

How Are Personalized Care Plans Created and Updated in Nursing Homes?

Nursing homes create personalized care plans by gathering relevant data and holding meetings. The meeting should include nursing home staff, relevant medical professionals, and the individual. In some cases, family members may participate.

The initial meeting allows everyone to address concerns and identify goals that should be included in the plan. It ensures the individual can express their feelings and preferences, enabling the nursing home staff to tailor the plan to the individual. This increases their effectiveness because the plan won’t involve forcing individuals to engage in activities they hate.

Personalized care plans may be updated if significant health issues arise or the individual meets their plan goals. The appropriate parties will meet to discuss modifications to the existing plan or create a new plan.

What Role Do Family Members and Healthcare Providers Play in Developing a Care Plan?

Family members provide crucial emotional support for individuals in nursing homes. Having family members contribute to personalized care plans ensures they know plan goals and strategies. It also reassures family members by making them aware of the steps the nursing home is taking to ensure their loved one receives appropriate individualized care.

Medical professionals provide crucial medical information and recommendations that inform the resident’s goals and strategies the employees and residents can use to meet their goals. Medical professionals who may be involved with personalized care plan creation include the following:

Medical doctors
Medical specialists
Occupational therapists
Physical therapists
Speech therapists

How Do Arizona Nursing Homes Ensure Their Care Plans Are Truly Individualized?

Arizona nursing homes ensure they create individualized care plans by centering the individual in the meetings and during goal creation. An individual who is in excellent physical health but struggles with depression may not have any goals related to weight loss but may have a plan that emphasizes social engagement and activities that help to prevent depression, such as exercise and spending time with family and friends.

How Can Families Evaluate a Nursing Home’s Approach To Personalized Care Plans?

When looking for a nursing home for your loved one, you must assess their personalized care plans and ensure they’re effective. For example, the Institute on Aging points out that effective individualized plans identify the reasons the individual has specific health risks and emphasize strategies that reduce risks and prevent injuries.

Ask nursing home administrators about their strategies for mitigating health risks relevant to your loved one before you choose a nursing home. Asking this allows you to select a nursing home you’re confident will provide your loved one and their employees with practical strategies to stay healthy.

Participating in plan creation ensures you know the steps your loved one’s nursing home takes to customize their plan and provide the individualized care they deserve.

Haven Health: Delivering Exceptional Personalized Care

Haven Health has several facilities in Arizona. Each Haven Health location prioritizes personalized care for every resident, ensuring their happiness, health, and quality of life.

Contact Haven Health