Person-centred care in Northern Ireland: learning from the experiences of adult social care users

Abstract

PurposeThe move towards a “person-centred” or “personalised” system of adult social care has been at the heart of policy debates in Great Britain. However, policy developments in Northern Ireland are more limited than in other parts of the UK, and less attention has been paid to reforming adult social care. The purpose of this paper is to examine the views and experiences of adult social care users who receive care at home, to explore if and how a person-centred approach might work for older adults in Northern Ireland.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 people aged over 70 years who receive social care provision at home.FindingsThe empirical findings show that social care users experienced limited involvement in their care planning process, reflecting a predominantly service-led approach. The importance of care worker continuity and consistency was crucial for all participants, particularly for maintaining discreet routines and promoting personal dignity. However many experienced different care workers which presented challenges caused by the inconsistency of carers.Research limitations/implicationsThe majority of participants in the study were women, despite attempts to achieve greater gender diversity. It was also difficult to recruit a range of ethnic groups for the study. It would be important for future studies to include these groups and to ensure their voices are represented in further work in this area. Nonetheless, the findings offer valuable insight into the views of adult social care users and can form a useful basis for future studies.Originality/valueThe findings provide a more nuanced understanding of what people want and expect in social care to generate future policy debates and discussions in planning long-term adult social care provision in Northern Ireland. It also provides important and timely contribution to this area, where there is currently limited research and information available.

My Voice, My Choice: A systematic review of the literature relating to consumer-directed care in Australia

“…Scholarly consensus suggests that access to reliable information is critical for the effectiveness of Consumer-Directed Care (CDC) in aged care services [8,21,22,24].…”

“…The role of reliable information is emphasised as pivotal, equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge to assess and evaluate their care options. However, challenges in accessing accurate information have been documented by numerous studies, which illustrate the challenges participants encounter [8,21]. The literature indicates that a lack of access to reliable information renders individuals' incapable of making informed decisions, leading to a reduction in their autonomy and control over their care [22].…”

“…The social interactions is highlighted [3,8,21,28,29,32,33]. To respond to the diverse communication needs of consumers, additional training for care workers is advocated, enabling them to better comprehend and meet the needs of consumers, ultimately elevating care quality [3,8,24].…”

“…The literature also points to the importance of consistency and continuity in care. Regular interactions with the same care workers over time lead to the development of meaningful relationships and more effectively meet individual care needs [21,24]. Prioritising consistent worker assignments empowers consumers in their care decisions and underscores the importance of nurturing long-term connections between service users and care workers [24].…”

“…Conversely, high staff turnover is identified as detrimental to personalised care services, with staff continuity and retention being critical for maintaining quality care [21,22].…”