There are as many variations of what it means to offer patient-centered care as there are providers of companion care in Illinois. At the heart of the practice, however, is the focus on the whole patient and in making sure they are included in every step of the care plan.

As a provider of personal care in Indiana, we at Intrinsic Home Care, Inc. support patient-centered care as the ideal arrangement of delivering care in any care setting. In fact, this is the very framework we use in our care services.

But, what does patient-centered care mean for the patients themselves?

The nonprofit organization Picker Institute has researched intensively on the subject and has advanced a framework with eight principles as keys to understanding the concept. It includes:

• Respect for patient values, preferences, and needs
• Coordination and integration of care
• Information and education
• Physical comfort
• Emotional support and alleviation of fear
• Involvement of family and friends
• Continuity and transition
• Access to care

With these said, there remain several barriers that prevent this care arrangement from being the norm in different care settings and among home care services providers. This includes a lack of time, inadequate training and/or shortage of staff, and even unsupportive attitudes from the people around the patient, as well as other environmental constraints.

Thus, to effectively deliver patient-centered care, there should be efforts to minimize and even do away with the barriers identified above.