Creating a care plan to suit you and your needs
A care plan is an essential part of the approach to your care. When you move into a care home, there should be a meeting with you, any family members you want to support you, and the care home team to help create a plan that works for you.
An individual care plan
By its nature, each care plan is individual. So while a care home may use a template to gather the relevant information, the resulting care plan should reflect your own experience, health, beliefs and requirements. The care plan is the central document that everyone will refer to when they are looking after you, so it’s important that it is comprehensive, containing as much information as possible to help make sure your long-term care is consistent.
What’s in your care plan?
When you work with health and care professionals in creating your care plan, there are some key issues that are covered:
- Your current healthcare needs
- The type of support and care you need to receive
- Who is providing care, and whether certain care needs require certain levels of expertise
- Your personal wishes
- The outcomes you desire from your care
- How frequently the care plan should be reviewed
Putting your care plan into practice
Once your care plan has been created and agreed by everyone involved, the team can start to put the plan into place. Everyone involved with your care will need to see and understand the plan, and be able to refer to it when they are managing your care. If you are a care home resident, your plan will be kept at the home so that it can be consulted and reviewed when necessary.
If you or your family feel that your care is different from the agreed plan, you should say so as soon as possible. The team can then revisit the plan and resolve any issues.
Reviewing your care plan
Creating a care plan to suit you is the very start of the process – and regular review means you can be sure it is still relevant to your needs. As well as general reviews, your care plan will change if your care needs change, so that it always up to date and serving you best.
If you are searching for a care home or nursing home, add care planning to your list of questions, so that you make sure you understand how each home approaches care planning and how much they involve you and your family.