Individualised Nursing Care in Older People Care

Abstract

Individualised care improves the health outcomes of the older patient, particularly their functional ability, and is an essential component of ensuring high-quality care for older people. However, certain problems have been described regarding providing individualised care in facilities for older people. The aims of this chapter are to synthesise and analyse current evidence regarding the delivery of individualised care in care facilities for older people. We undertook a review of studies published in English analysing the delivery of individualised care in facilities for older people. Nurses reported that they largely supported the individualisation of care and considered the older people’s clinical situation and their decisional control during their professional practice. The factors associated with the nursing staff’s ability to provide individualised care were the following: the access to structural empowerment, the increased age of nurses, the care environment, nurses’ work satisfaction, a greater work experience and the implementation of the Facility Specific Social Models of Care. The main barriers were the lack of knowledge and training opportunities, along with rewards and recognition for a job well done. These findings provide key information for the design of plans and programmes dedicated to improving the quality of care in care settings for older people.