Occupational Therapy and Person-Centered Care

Recently I became aware of the fact that October is Person-Centered Care Awareness Month. This excited me because over the last 10 years I have seen more and more literature demonstrating the benefits of person-centered, patient-centered or client-centered care. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society states that person-centered care "means that individuals’ values and preferences are elicited and, once expressed, guide all aspects of their health care, supporting their realistic health and life goals. Person-centered care is achieved through a dynamic relationship among individuals, others who are important to them, and all relevant providers. This collaboration informs decision-making to the extent that the individual desires.” (2015, p. 16). My interest in person-centered care began when I was working with individuals with acute and chronic pain. Many of the guidelines for treating pain emphasize the need for client-centered care and this challenged me to find ways to demonstrate that my interventions were person-centered.