Five opportunities for healthcare leaders to better support person- and family-centred care in long-term care settings

The benefits of Person- and Family-Centred Care (PFCC) are well documented, and many healthcare organizations have expressed their commitment to take this approach. Yet, it can be a difficult endeavour, with common barriers identified at the point-of-care, organizational and system levels. We implemented a PFCC education program with healthcare leaders, providers, and support staff working in home, community, and long-term care organizations across Canada. Focus groups were then conducted with almost 200 workshop participants and 20 long-term care home residents and family members. Five key opportunities for healthcare leaders to better support the provision of PFCC were revealed. In this article, specific recommendations from focus group participants for addressing each of these five opportunities are provided. These findings can assist healthcare leaders to proactively ensure the supports and processes are in place to enable staff to provide care in a more person- and family-centred way.