What is a Care Plan?
Writing your first-ever Care Plan can be a daunting task! So, start with the basics, what is a care plan? A care plan is a group of documents written and formulated on behalf of an individual to be used primarily by their care provider. This will usually include risk assessments. The individual and possibly their family will be involved in the planning and should have regular input, ensuring the care plan has active participation (something CQC and other regulatory bodies will look for). The Care plan should be organized and clear allowing the care team to easily read and understand their tasks.
Care Planning Process?
A care plan is normally created after an initial assessment has taken place. This is a meeting with the client and possibility families where all the information is collected. This includes health information, routines, preferences, likes and dislikes. This information then goes into the care plans and risk assessments.
After the initial assessment, the assessor can then make suggestions to help improve the individual’s quality of life and support their independence. This could include various referrals, environmental modifications or changing the level of support required for example. Sometimes even the smallest changes can make a huge difference to people’s lives.
Care plans should always be written in a person-centered way. This means the documents have taken a holistic view of the person and are supporting the caregivers to enable independence and choice where possible. All the completed documents should be organized and clear, making it easier for your care team to go through it and read it easily.
What should a good care plan include?
These are some of the items a good care plan should include. Everything should be documented in a person-centered way.
• Culture and Ethnic background
• Level and Type of Support required
• Timing the support is required and levels of flexibility. For example, a client may prefer 8 am visits but can be fine with any visit between 8 am and 9.30 am
• Detailed record of preferred routines
• Clients wishes and desired outcomes
• Likes and dislikes
• Whether they are on any medication, why they are taken and how they are taken
• Risk Assessments
What’s next?
The care plan should be circulated to all the relevant people, including the individual themselves. Typically, the care plan will change in the first few months and needs to be reviewed yearly. However, most companies will review it around the 6-month mark. Care plans may need to be reviewed quicker than these time stamps due to changes in the individual's need. This process ensures that the documents are up to date and detailed so they can support the care team to provide excellent person-centered care.
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