Person-centred care
Short definition
Person-centred care is a way of providing care that starts from each person's history, values, preferences and abilities, rather than only from the disease or the tasks to be done.
In plain language
In dementia, it became associated with the work of Tom Kitwood, who argued for preserving the person's identity and dignity. In practice, it means knowing the person (likes, routines, life story), involving them and their family in decisions and adapting care to them, not the other way round.