Person-Centered Care
NORS embraces a person-centered approach.
Institutional thinking and a one-size-fits-all mentality is not what we do at North-Oakland Residential Services. Each one of the individuals in our care is an entirely unique person and the journey towards growth and expansion is a highly personalized one.
Person-centered planning creates a structure that fosters autonomy and empowerment, utilizing individualized plans based on the specific human being and their goals.
Instead of applying dogmatic thinking and indifferent practices, we give the quality time and attention needed to understand the singular person, build meaningful relationships and define what they respond to. This, along with family insight and credible, well-supported methodology, helps us craft the specialized plan for the person and not just their diagnosis.
What are the qualities of person-centered care?
While there are written standards for person-centered planning and care established by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, which we meet in full, we believe that the tenets of person-centered care center around a deeper set of values on how to treat one another as we help one another flourish.
Patience and Empathy
We always lead with compassion and stay in a positive, understanding dynamic as we patiently teach and guide those in our care through challenges and growing pains to new skills and increased autonomy.
Physical Safety and Emotional Comfort
Our utmost priority is to create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment, conducive to comfort, peace and familial support.
Encouragement of Choice
We encourage those in our care to determine the daily activities of their lives, beyond organized house activities. Their meal schedule, social calendars and sleeping choices are determined by them and their needs.
Promote Independence
The north star of our work is to always help individuals develop independence as determined by their personal-care plans. Our supports enable those in our care to take charge of their lives and experiences.
Community Integration
We all feel enriched in our lives through the feelings of connectedness to the others engendered by community involvement. By fostering an authentic home environment which values every member, we provide purpose, meaning and warmth to the day-to-day interactions of those in our care.
We always encourage family involvement.
The greatest tools we have in achieving the goals set by the person-centered care plan are the insights of those who know those in our care best: their families. Mothers, fathers, siblings know us better than anyone else could, and we always encourage family involvement in the specifics of how to interact with their loved ones and what tactics can be used to gently push towards progress. And a robust family life through visits and in-home relationship is always a boon to the well-being of those in our care.
