Investigating Person-Centred Care Planning in Care Homes Across England: An Exploratory Study of Practices and Contextual Factors.
Jacqueline Damant, Yuri Hamashima, Madalina Toma and 12 others
PMID 40195266WHAT IT FOUND
Care home staff said person-centred planning meant knowing residents' values and involving them in choices, but time, paperwork and digital tools often blocked it.
Key findings
01Almost three quarters of participants referenced understanding residents' values and preferences in care, while one participant each raised personal experience of illness and limitations and reciprocity.
02Some participants said care plans could become bulky and inaccessible, and staff shortages and high turnover were described as barriers to quality planning.
03The interviews did not explicitly ask about person-centred care planning, so the reported practices and barriers may be incomplete.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Most participants were in leadership roles and were of white ethnicity, so front-line care staff and minority ethnic perspectives were underrepresented. The interviews were about general care planning, not person-centred care planning directly, so the examples and barriers may be incomplete. The study reports staff views from a small exploratory sample, not resident outcomes, audited care plans, or tested interventions. The findings cannot show how widespread these practices are across care homes in England.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and the named funder was the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration National Priorities Programme for Adult Social Care and Social Work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that care plans in English care homes are person-centred or that these practices improve resident wellbeing. The study reports views from care home staff, many in leadership roles, and person-centred care was not directly asked about.