Person-Centred Care

Person-centred care is a philosophy of care developed by Professor Tom Kitwood that places the individual at the centre of all decisions about their wellbeing. Rather than defining someone by their diagnosis, person-centred care recognises that every person with dementia is a unique individual with their own life history, personality, preferences, and needs.

At its core, person-centred care involves understanding who the person is — not just what condition they have. What did they do for work? What are their hobbies? What makes them laugh? What do they find comforting? What are their values and beliefs? By understanding the whole person, caregivers can provide support that is meaningful, respectful, and effective.

The key principles include: treating the person with dignity and respect at all times; supporting their independence and choice wherever possible; getting to know their life story and using it to personalise care; recognising and responding to their emotional needs; creating a social environment where they feel included and valued; and focusing on what they can do rather than what they cannot.

For families, person-centred care means involving your loved one in decisions about their day, offering choices (even simple ones like "Would you prefer tea or coffee?"), respecting their preferences and routines, and communicating in a way that preserves their dignity. It also means recognising that a person's behaviour often communicates an unmet need, and responding with curiosity and compassion rather than frustration.

OurTurn is built around the same idea. The family plans the day around your loved one's own habits and preferences, and writes down what calms them, what tends to upset them and how they communicate best — notes that appear beside the steps when a moment gets hard. Whether their location is shared stays their own choice, made on their own phone.