It’s in all the guidance and expectations about care, but what does it really mean to DO person-centred care in real life, and what difference does it make? Find out in this episode of SNACK.
Special thanks to all our guests, and to the organisations that helped:
Looking for some inspiration? Check out these great resources and links:
SNACK has been produced by COTA Queensland as part of the Homecare Workforce Support Program, which receives grant funding from the Australian Government.
Andrea Petriwskyj 00:00
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which this podcast has been produced and we pay our respects to elder’s past and present. When
00:08
I think back to the carers who are really well liked, and the ones that I’ve really appreciated the most, it’s those who have that ability to build up rapport. And to respect the older person for all their history and all their life experience that they’ve had. One
00:27
size does not fit all. We all have quirks and idiosyncrasies. We all come from different backgrounds, I would assume nothing to start with. And then through careful discussion, and picking up on clues that the client might give, try to be very, very understanding of what they might need and how to go about it.
Andrea Petriwskyj 01:00
Welcome to snack, the aged care podcast where we break down some of the big questions around what it really means to be person centred. I’m Dr. Andrea Petrovsky. I’m a gerontologist and I’m passionate about hearing and sharing the real life experiences of ageing. In the last episode, we talked about what good person centred care looks and feels like today we’re talking about what the skills and knowledge and approaches are that you need as a professional care to provide that kind of support to people at home. So first up today, we’re hearing from Selsey, who’s new to the home care scene but has been very involved in her community as a volunteer. And we are still see what she thinks are the most important skills anyone in a caring or support role needs to have.
01:55
I guess the most important thing for me is, is that the carer has a genuine interest in people. Do you feel like people you know, and add an interest and care about their overall health and well being. But above all else, I think it’s really important for me to say here is treat people as a person, not looking at what they need, to what their needs are, what their physical capabilities are. Just see them as a person, obviously, be a good listener. And I talk to people, listen to their stories. Be understanding, non judgmental about their needs. And their requests. If it’s possible. If it’s doable, then just do it. Be intuitive, be trustworthy, might give the person you’re caring for. Make them feel they can trust you and that you care about their needs, and your respect their home themselves. be reliable. Turn up the time when you say you know, when you get the point at time. And if you can’t make it, just give them a quick bounce and say look, I’m just down the road, or I’ll be another 20 minutes. Just keep them informed of where where you are in what’s so they know that the service is coming. And if you actually pick up on something, if you pick up on on some vibes of somebody might say to you, I’m not having a good day today. Don’t dismiss the show compassion. Another really important one, especially if someone who’s lost a loved one, acknowledge their grief.
Andrea Petriwskyj 03:32
It’s great to be able to hear from multiple perspectives. And Jude worked in the community aged care sector now receive support in her own home and also cared for her husband who receives services at home. Let’s hear what she had to say.
03:49
I’m very much aware that my the worker who comes to me actually is also talking to the management person so so I know that she’s on board she and she’s she she’s up to date on me. Yeah. And I think it’s just a good personality fit. And we’re both a bit mad. I think really, we both love gardening. And we both love animals and so the dog are tell or tell the dog when the worker is coming on that morning and she sits at the door and I just get so excited when this person walks through the door so the whole households formed a relationship salutely Yeah, you’re very much so she doesn’t define her job simply as cleaning my my house. She’s there to monitor me to notice changes that might have might be occurring in me. Yeah. And I think that’s the other thing like she’ll she’ll sometimes actually make a suggestion about changing something, she might see something that might be a bit of a false risk or something like that. And she’s she’s always very respectful in the way she approaches though. Do you think, you know, do you think Jude this is in the right place? Do you think perhaps it might be better if we put it there. And we’ll have a discussion about it. And so because I am a guard now, there are certain tasks that are a bit risk taking. And so I will do some of those sometimes when the worker is there. And, and so, you know, I’ll say to her, I’m going to do some control risk behaviour to say, how are you going with a control risk behaviour, and so she’s monitoring my, my safety. Yeah, so it’s very much your cooperative sort of relationship.
Andrea Petriwskyj 06:00
Now, of course, there are different ways that people find the support staff that are right for them. And that can include choosing those staff themselves through an agency and supports his wife, Rosemary, who lives with dementia, and they have experience with that process of choosing individual care staff, as well as receiving support at home. Here’s what Ian said about their experience, and what really mattered to them.
06:26
I was doing the looking, of course, because my wife didn’t have the capacity to do that. So I was looking for somebody that I thought maybe could look after me, in my old age, somebody who was caring, I thought I needed somebody with the experience because of her dementia. But maybe if not experienced at least an understanding and maybe some training or some limited experience in dementia care. I wanted someone who could manage Rosemary’s wishes their needs, and supervise her movements safely. That was a big thing after she had broken her hip. With her dementia, she wasn’t stable on her feet at all. But we were looking for a companion, a friend who drops in rather than an official care or nurse. At least that’s what would be enraged me smile. So their brief was simple. separator have a cuppa. Listen to her. Talk with her not to her. Just be your friend, and be able to manage a short walk around the house to the toilet, the kitchen, etc. Yeah.
Andrea Petriwskyj 07:32
So was there anything that you knew would would make someone definitely not a good fit? Was there something you particularly watched out for when you were choosing people?
07:41
So I watched rose from his reaction to this guest in our house. Quite a few of them, were giving the short shrift by her after five minutes, she just told them to go. So therefore, she knew she’s very intuitive woman, even though she has dementia, very intuitive. She knew the ones that perhaps she could get on with or she would like. So I went with that. And I looked at interviewing people as well. I asked for honesty. Tell me straightaway if you don’t think you can manage this. So what was not a good fit? Were people who interrogated rosemary, she picked up on that straightaway asking question after question after question. They needed the art of discussion. Well, most of them, they came with experience, done this before. Some of them were pushing their own agenda, which I pushed back because that’s not what it’s about. And some of it’s my intuition to I’m afraid. Once when you you think what this person? Will they be a longtime carer or they’re going to tell me after a month that they don’t think they can work here anymore?
Andrea Petriwskyj 09:02
I kind of sense from people that they were really going to be committed long term.
09:06
Committed years. That’s right. Now you’ve
Andrea Petriwskyj 09:09
had good experiences with the workers that you have coming now. How about you? Yes,
09:13
we have had some very good experiences, things are going along very well. These people build trust, and they arrive on time and they’re full of life and they are happy Hello, how you going? They seem to have a genuine interest in what Rosemarie has to say even though what she says some of it is not factual. They listen. Because she’s intuitive. As I said before, she picks up on false smiles on on the body language, but these people they’re organised. They’re adaptive to Rosemary’s dementia moods. And they’re building a good relationship with rosemary and with me,
Andrea Petriwskyj 09:57
if I can just follow up a little bit on Not a and is there something then about an interpersonal skill about being able to work with someone to adapt to where they are in that moment on that day?
10:09
Well, some people in this world just get on with other people. And generally, the secret to that is they’re interested in the other person. It’s not all about them. And I suppose that’s what it is they show interest. And you just get that feeling of positivity from them that they they’re going to handle any little crisis that might pop up. So yes, those skills, they come with people or you trying to build those skills. Do
Andrea Petriwskyj 10:39
you feel those are skills that they can build over time as they gain experience?
10:44
Well, because I’ve chosen to be in the care industry. Yes. So yes, they’ve got their they’ve got one foot in the door because they want to be their
Andrea Petriwskyj 10:58
family carers, often a big part of the care relationship. But if you’re new to the sector, you might not be aware there are services that work to support family and unpaid carers, specifically, services like Cara gateway, Christine is a coordinator of service confirmation with well ways Cara gateway, and has also worked in the aged care sector and NDIS. We asked Christine, how the involvement of family carers in the relationship can impact what person centeredness looks like, here’s what she told us.
11:33
Some people don’t want their family, carers knowing the true extent of the supports that they’re receiving. So person centred care is all around respecting the privacy and the dignity of the person that has been cared for. So family carers at times, sometimes don’t believe that their loved ones need the help that is in place. But it’s also choice and control of the person that is receiving the care. Yeah. So you really got to get to know that person and their families so well, and just explain the reason that you’re there supporting them today. And I think it’s too don’t ever put your own thoughts of what you think is the best way to do something onto that person. And that family as a, you know, someone coming into someone’s home, you can sometimes be walking into someone’s worst moment of that day, week, month or year, you know, and you just have to be for them. At that time. That’s what’s so important. You know, don’t go into someone’s house every week, but not know just one little thing about them. You know, you don’t have to know everything, but take the time to know their grandchildren’s name or their dog’s name or just something.
Andrea Petriwskyj 12:44
Here’s a conversation with Shareen, who’s a dementia care coordinator with BlueCare Shareen has worked with people living with dementia for many years, including as a dementia support worker. Now, Shireen from a from a provider’s perspective as well, what do you look for in care staff to know that they will provide high quality person centred care?
Shareen 13:05
Okay, I Yeah, the first thing I always look for is, is this carer respectful of others, I really think that respect is so fundamentally important in how we establish and building relationships. And really being a personal carer is about the relationships that you have with the people that you’re providing care for. I think, sometimes I’ll ask people about their experience of caring for someone within their family. And then, you know, I can pick up like, Where was the respect in that relationship with with one of their elders? And how did they? How did they show empathy? So that ability to see things from another person’s perspective? How do they demonstrate compassion? And how do they demonstrate kindness?
Andrea Petriwskyj 14:02
Yeah, so are those things that can be learned? Do you think?
Shareen 14:06
That’s a really interesting question and yeah, look, there’s there’s lots of different perspectives on that. I think that look, if you want to be a personal carer, you do have to have some core value of empathy and compassion. And that is not something that can be taught. Certainly how we translate those values into practice. How has a personal care Are you actively use those in your in in your work can be nurtured and developed through training? Yeah.
Andrea Petriwskyj 14:44
So how did you develop your own person centred approach?
Shareen 14:49
I think that lots of life experience and from my learning role model laying from looking at how my family looked after their elders, but then there’s always that next step, isn’t it to reflect on? Well? Why did I think that was valuable within my family? And so yeah, how can I translate my understanding from my family into working with these people and understanding what, where they might come from and in what’s important for them? And certainly, you know, I’ve had the privilege of doing more training and doing some courses and always interesting to use, what other people have written to reflect on my practice. I think the other really important part is being involved in some groups. And certainly, within BlueCare, we have consumer reps, so people living with dementia that are involved in some of our working groups. So really listening to their perspective, that that has contributed to my understanding of person centred care for sure.
Andrea Petriwskyj 16:01
Yeah, it’s a really good message for our listeners to know what’s available to them in terms of training upskilling, you know, consumer groups that might be available within their provider organisations that they could be tapping into that expertise as well to build their own practice, and
Shareen 16:18
certainly, more and more. There’s some really good advocacy groups within our community that are available to come and talk to workplaces and gives us a chance to really understand what their perspective is.
Andrea Petriwskyj 16:41
We also spoke with Jill who has experience as a family member over extended periods of time supporting her father, her partner at the time and her son in a caring role, but who also has over 30 years experience as a care professional herself. So Jill, what advice would you give our listeners from your experience, especially to other home care staff looking for ideas about how to develop their own person centred approach
17:08
carers generally Andrea are really big hearted with all the best intentions. And as carers, it’s really easy to fall into a fixer role, simply because we just want to help. And a person centred approach for me really is about letting go of the fixer. And being very mindful, I don’t lose sight of the person behind their situation, or behind their condition. It’s about knowing that those we care for are the experts in their own lives. And person centred care is a skill. It’s about being fully present. And it’s about listening and responding.
Andrea Petriwskyj 17:51
So are those skills people can develop? Do you think? Yes, they
17:55
are, Andrea, they are skills that you can learn. Training study, learning from others has been really helpful for me. And it’s a purposeful way of engaging. And it’s what guides me personally and supporting clients respectfully, as individuals, just learning to understand their likes their dislikes, understanding their goals, their values, their dreams. person centred care is about being able to focus on doing with someone rather than doing it to them or doing it for them. I’m just being very mindful, very mindful of my place, and the space that I took up within that relationship. And just remembering that it’s not about me, it’s about the client, it’s about what they truly need. And it’s about what they need to be able to move forward with their lives. However, that is, whatever that looks like, and being able to accommodate that for them.
Andrea Petriwskyj 19:08
I think some of the biggest messages we’ve heard from our guests today have been around those interpersonal skills in building rapport, communicating, showing genuine interest and respect and empathy. Because this is, after all about humans supporting humans, and that’s something people can feel and consents from you. And the example from Ian was especially great to demonstrate that that sense of genuineness and intuitive connection people can feel that isn’t all just about the skills or experience someone has on paper. And the other important message we heard from our guests is that this is a relationship. But the person receiving care, their needs and preferences, their aspirations for their life are the point they’re the reason for that relationship. And I really liked that idea that jewel raised of being mindful of the space you take up. I think that was reflected also in other people’s comments about respecting the individual and what they value and about being careful not to impose your views on people. Something we heard from a few people today was that if you have the right attitude, the right approach, the willingness to learn from experience for modelling by others from training them, this is an approach that you can grow and develop.
Andrea Petriwskyj 20:33
That’s today’s snack. Thank you so much for joining us. And a big thank you to our guests for sharing their insights and ideas. If you want to find out more, you’ll find some great resources and other good stuff on our website Kotor QL d.org.au You’ll find links in the show notes. And please don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you get the next episode as soon as it’s out. Until next time, thanks again and goodbye from the coda Queensland team.
Andrea Petriwskyj 21:04
This podcast is part of the homecare workforce support programme, which receives grant funding from the Australian Government
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