Person-Centred Supports: NDIS Rights and Responsibilities
Published: 13 July 2021
Published: 13 July 2021
The outdated view of clients as passive recipients of care has given way to one where individuals are now seen as active participants and partners in healthcare, with a valuable perspective and a vested interest in ensuring safe care (Levett-Jones, Gilligan, Outram & Horton 2014). As such, the concept of person-centred care has become fundamental to quality practice (Levett-Jones 2020).
All providers of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) services are required to deliver supports that are person-centred - but what exactly does this entail?
Person-centred care is a holistic approach to healthcare that is grounded in a philosophy of personhood. It promotes self-determination, empowerment and a commitment to providing healthcare that is responsive to the needs and preferences of the individual.
Person-centred health professionals acknowledge that each person is unique, has equal rights and worth, and brings their own experiences about their health and illness (Kitwood 1997; Levett-Jones 2020).
Person-centred health professionals are ethical, open-minded, empathetic, respectful and self-aware, with a profound sense of moral agency (Levett-Jones et al. 2014).
Delivering care in a person-centred way means that:
(NSW Health 2020)
Overall, the goal of person-centred care is to enable the care recipient to establish and maintain control over their life (NSW Health 2020).
Person-centred supports are a requirement of the NDIS Practice Standards under Core Module 1: Rights and Responsibilities.
This Practice Standard aims to ensure that NDIS participants are:
(NDIS 2020)
NDIS providers must meet the following quality indicators:
(NDIS 2020)
Service/system-centred care focuses on the way in which a person fits into a system and how the system can ‘service’ them. This approach adopts a medical model that defines people by ‘deficiencies’ that the system needs to ‘fix’ (Open Future Learning 2013).
On the other hand, person-centred care means ensuring that the person, their capabilities and their community - rather than the organisation or system - is at the centre of your work (NDP 2016; Open Future Learning 2013).
For example:
Person-Centred Care | Service/System-Centred Care |
---|---|
You talk to the recipient | You talk about the recipient |
You plan together with the recipient | You plan for the recipient |
You focus on the recipient’s strengths, abilities and skills | You focus on labels, diagnosis and deficits |
You find community-based solutions that could work for any person | You find solutions that work for people with a specific diagnosis |
You do things in a way that work for the recipient | You do things in a way that work for the staff or organisation |
You view the recipient’s family and community as partners in care | You view the recipient’s family and community as peripheral |
(NDP 2016)
Recognition of person-centred care as a key dimension of safety and quality is changing the landscape of contemporary practice. A growing body of research has demonstrated that when health professionals, care recipients and families work in partnership, the quality and safety of healthcare rises, costs decrease, and provider and recipient satisfaction increases (Levett-Jones et al. 2014).
Other identified benefits include:
(VIC DoH 2015; ACSQHC 2011; Levett-Jones 2020)
An important part of delivering person-centred supports is gaining an understanding of the person as an individual and acknowledging their strengths and qualities.
It’s important to know:
(NDS & HSA 2014)
Person-centred care is a holistic and genuine approach to healthcare that supports people to lead the life they want. The way that health professionals respond to care recipients’ health issues, vulnerabilities, personalities and situations can have a significant and often long-lasting impact on their health and wellbeing. Furthermore, person-centred care has been demonstrated to positively influence health outcomes and the degree of satisfaction that carers derive from their work (Levett-Jones 2020).
Question 1 of 3
Which one of the NDIS Practice Standards does person-centred supports fall under?