Your home is more than just an address. Or a list of amenities.
Home is your favorite blanket, a meal that brings back memories, and a friendly face you can count on.
Home is deeply personal.
So when you choose a new place to call home, it’s important to consider everything that makes you feel at home.
Person-Centered Care—What Is It?
Person-centered care means putting people first. In addition to your medical needs, your emotional and care preferences are valued.
Person-centered care considers things like:
- Favorite bedtime routine
- Religious activities
- Preferred type of social outings
- …and beyond
You are more than your medical chart—you’re a whole person! And your senior living community should see you that way.
Why Personalized Care Matters
As you age, your health can shift from month to month (or even day to day) as you navigate common conditions like arthritis, falls, dementia, cancer, and more.
Having skilled staff that knows how to care for you medically, AND meet your needs emotionally makes a huge difference as you navigate health challenges.
Consider these scenarios and decide for yourself which you’d prefer:
| Medical-Care | Person-Centered Care |
| You’ve just had surgery. You can hardly sleep due to discomfort and anxiety about your recovery. | You’ve just had surgery, and you are uncomfortable. But your favorite aid shows you how to video chat with your daughter, which helps you calm your nerves and sleep more peacefully. |
| You don’t have many medical needs, so you spend most of your time alone. You worry about what will happen to you if your health declines. | You don’t have many medical needs right now, but the staff at your community consistently works to get to know you and your personality. If something happens, you know you’ll be in good hands. |
| You caught a cold, and nothing is quite right. You call for assistance, and someone brings you some medicine. | You caught a cold, and your friendly staff made sure you had your favorite cough drop brand on hand, as well as some soup. They even told you a story that made you laugh. |
See the difference? Person-centered care brings greater fulfillment, ease, comfort, and quality of life.
So How Do Person-Centered Communities Get to Know You?
Chatham Place at Mary Wade and other person-centered communities will often start with some form of the “This is Me” pamphlet to help break the ice.
The “This is Me” pamphlet allows you to communicate personal and preferential topics to your new caregivers.
Some examples of the topics include:
- A favorite photo
- Hobbies and interests
- Achievements
- What calms you
- Sleep habits
- What and how you like to eat
- …and more
“This is Me” acts as a questionnaire to help caregivers begin to get to know you personally.
This helps ensure that communities like Chatham Place treat you like family from day one. You are not simply a patient.
When In Doubt, Ask the Experts
Mary Wade has been meeting our residents’ social and emotional needs for over 150 years. We are experts at getting to know people as individuals, and the Chatham Place extension is no different.
Rest assured, we are here as a trusted advisor to answer your questions.
At Chatham Place, we believe in working in partnership with you and your family regarding your care, lifestyle, and unique needs.
While many senior living centers offer state-of-the-art facilities, the reality is that no amount of amenities can replace the connection and understanding that comes from sitting down one-on-one with someone who cares about you as a person.
Give us a call today, and let’s chat.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mary Wade has been a leading expert in Person-Centered care for more than 150 years, combining highly trained staff with compassionate care. We get to know residents’ routines, favorites, preferences, and comforts to deliver an exceptional experience. At Chatham Place, our residents truly are our family, and it is our pride and privilege to care for them. Learn more about Chatham Place at Mary Wade by calling (475) 900-6040.