The doctrine for caring and supporting a family member’s altered health status has revolved around family through an immediate or extended family or even a friend. Patient-family-centered care encompasses the holistic needs of the patient. Families are known for providing care of some types to their family members at different times of life challenges either due to old age or sickness, they seek the involvement of the family for assistance and comfort. With the global increase in chronic illness, it is imperative to recognize the contribution of families (Kokorelias et al., 2019). Some cultures primarily support and practice family involvement in healthcare decision-making while others do not. It is essential that the patient’s decision is consulted and the extent the patient desires the family to participate before involving others in their health care. Family and patient-centered care are the core of patient health outcomes. The elderly in the nursing home facility and the intellectually handicapped population need a family to advocate for them and participate in their care plan decision-making. Patient-family-centered care is critical as the family understands the patient better. The interdisciplinary team involves family participation. The family communicates vital information about the patient. Frank and O’Brien (2019) suggest various ways patient-family-centered care contributes positively to the outcomes of patient healthcare. These include promoting care that supports improvement and quality care for the best clinical outcomes and the overall patient and family experience as they partner with the healthcare team to make an informed decision.
Different ways my job support patient-family center care is to incorporate the patient, family members/representative in the interdisciplinary team meeting to discuss patient care. For the individuals being cared for in their own homes by family members in acknowledgment of the family’s contribution to care, technical assistance and resources are provided to support and encourage their contributions. With their actions and contributions in a combination with this plan action, families aid in preventing the institutionalization of individuals by supporting their continued stay in their own homes and community. This explains the definition by the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC) that described family-centered care as mutually beneficial partnerships between health care providers (HCPs), patients, and families in health care planning, delivery, and evaluation (Kokorelias et al., 2019). Dignity and respect, information sharing, family participation in care, and family collaboration are the components that strengthen patient-family care (Oude Maatman et al., 2020). Collaboration empowered patients and families to maintain control over the patient’s care plan and delivery. Information and education shared through ongoing provided insights among family members, patients, and HCPs about the illness/disease development and delivery of patient care plans (Kokorelias et al., 2019).
Franck, L. S., & O’Brien, K. (2019). The evolution of family‐centered care: From supporting parent‐delivered interventions to a model of family integrated care. Birth defects research, 111(15), 1044-1059. https://nidcap.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2019-Birth-Defects-Research-Franck-OBrien-FCC-FICare-evolution.pdf
Kokorelias, K. M., Gignac, M. A., Naglie, G., & Cameron, J. I. (2019). Towards a universal model of family centered care: a scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 1-
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