Assessing and honoring everyday preferences is a foundation for person-centered care. Professional guardians can use preferences as a way to learn about clients in a way that will result in more personalized care. However, many guardians lack tools for assessing client preferences in an efficient manner. The purpose of this study was to explore how Ohio guardians assess their client’s preferences and participate in the care plan process. Methods: A tool called the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI), developed for nursing home residents, was explained during the Ohio Guardianship Association Conference in Sept. 2019. Qualitative interviews with n=11 professional guardians were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, checked for accuracy, and coded using the a priori framework called the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Of these guardians, two subsequently utilized the PELI on collectively n=5 intellectual and developmental disabled (IDD) clients. Results: Guardians described difficulties in communicating client preferences to care teams without an organized tool in place and perceived the PELI to be an applicable tool to use with clients. Two guardians successfully utilized the PELI with (IDD) clients and reported that the PELI enabled them to efficiently communicate their client’s important preferences to care team members. Discussion: Findings indicate that the PELI may be a useful tool for professional guardians to use with clients to deliver person-centered care. Implications for using the PELI with the IDD population will be discussed.
Author: Sarina Poth
Faculty Advisor: Katy Abbott, PhD, MGS, Department of Sociology and Gerontology
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