For consumers of paid long-term care services, eight out of every ten hours of service are provided not by a nurse or a doctor, but by a direct-care worker—a home health aide, certified nurse aide, or personal care worker.
Therefore, for consumers who rely upon services and support from direct-care staff, PHI has identified the following nine essential elements of high-quality care, services and support—whether those services are received in the consumer’s home or in a residential setting.
Quality long-term care is care, services and support that are…
Individualized
- Directed by informed choices made by the consumer (or, where appropriate, by family members or other designated representatives);
- Offered at the time and place most preferable to the consumer, in a manner that is safe and unhurried; and
- Provided in a way that honors the consumer’s individuality and preferences.
Respectful
- Acknowledging the consumer’s right to dignity and privacy, both physical and emotional;
- Supporting all those involved in the caregiving relationship—the consumer, family members, and the direct-care worker—to relate as individuals in an environment of trust and mutual respect, and
- Sustaining the consumer’s full range of relationships with friends and family members, and promoting opportunities for broader community engage
Professional
- Holistic—supporting well-being, health, independence, and quality of life;
- For consumers with medical needs, consistent with progressive standards of clinical practice—those that are individualized, respectful and coordinated across settings; and
- Provided by direct-care workers who have quality jobs that allow them to provide the highest-quality services and support.
