1.
Denise Scruggs
Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College
Virginia Governor’s Conference on Aging
Richmond, Virginia
May 2, 2016
Ageism & Person-Centered Care: Putting
the PERSON in Person-Centered Care

2.
Six Dimensions
of Person-
Centered Care
PERS
ONH
OOD Knowi
ng the
Person
Auton
omy/
Choice
Comfo
rt Care
Nurtur
ing
Relatio
nship
Suppo
rtive
Enviro
nment
(White, DL, Newton-Curtis, & Lyons, K.S. (2008) Development & Initial Testing of
A Measure of Person-Directed Care. Gerontologist, 48, 114-123)

3.
Personhood Defined:
per·son·hood
[ˈpərs(ə)nˌho͝od]
NOUN
the quality or condition of
being an individual person.
(Oxford University Press)

4.
“A standing or status that
is bestowed upon one
human being, by others,
in the context of
relationship & social
being. It implies
“recognition, respect, &
trust,…”
Tom Kitwood 1997
Personhood Defined:
(Tom Kitwood (1997) Dementia Reconsidered: the Person Comes First, Buckingham
and Philadelphia: Open University Press, p. 8-9)

5.
What makes us
unique &
individual?

6.
PERSONHOOD
Challenges
Family
Desires
Feelings
Goals
Values
Emotions
HistorySkills/Abilities
Interests
Thoughts
NeedsSelf Esteem
Social Roles
Life Experiences
Relationships
Identity PersonalityResources
Confidence
Fears
Likes/Dislikes
Thinking
Physical
Characteristics

7.
person with
with dementia
DEMENTIA
PERSON
Personhood & Dementia:
What Do YOU See?

8.
What can we do to
promote
“personhood” &
recognize the
uniqueness of
individuals?

9.
• Make eye contact
• Acknowledge & include
vs. ignore
• Listen actively when
they are speaking
• Share your personal
stories to increase
equality in relationship
• Share humor
• Ask their opinion
• Use a respectful tone of
voice
• Engage & take time to
converse with
• Touch to show
affection/comfort
• Empower
• Give & respect their
choices & preferences
Strategies for Promoting Personhood

10.
• Show approval- express
gratitude
• Give personal space
• Adjust to their pace/
don’t rush through care
or conversation
• Collaborate with & do
activities together-
don’t treat as a task
• Put yourself in their
shoes
• Smile
• Know the person’s
history, preferences &
needs- use it to guide
your interactions &
interventions
• Sincerely compliment &
praise
Strategies for Promoting Personhood

11.
• Don’t try to change
them- accept them for
who & how they are at
the time
• Acknowledge &
validate feelings
• Be empathetic
• Treat with respect
• Don’t herd like cattle
Strategies for Promoting Personhood

12.
Person-Centered Care
Value
Individualized
Perspective
Social environment
Brooker, D . (2004) What is person-centered care in dementia? Reviews in
Clinical Gerontology , 13, 215-222.
Personhood
Fosters:
• Personal worth
• Uniqueness
• Social confidence
• Respect
• Independence
• Engagement
• Hope

13.
Denise Scruggs, Director
Beard Center on Aging at
Lynchburg College
Scruggs.dr@lynchburg.edu
434-544-8456