Client-Centred Care: Future Directions for Policy and Practice in Home and Community Care

Saint Elizabeth’s Care to Know Centre (CTKC) has recently developed several exciting new resources on Client-Centred Care, as part of a project titled ‘Client-centred Care: Future Directions for Policy and Practice in Home and Community Care’.

The purpose of this work is to improve access to knowledge (literature, initiatives, resources and materials) to inform practice and policy developments to enhance client-centred care, thereby contributing to the improvement of health outcomes for all Canadians. 

Four key products from this work include:

1) A comprehensive literature review of Client-Centred Care in the Home and Community Sector

2) Eight facts sheets that provide a quick reference to key information from the literature review

3) An online, searchable inventory of resources, programs and publications related to client-centred care in the home and community healthcare sector

4) Three "promising practices" case studies

Each can be accessed by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page.

Production of some of these products has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.

Canada’s health care system was founded on the belief that all citizens should have access to publicly funded health services. By extension, health care should be organized and delivered with an emphasis on collaboration with clients and their families, forming the basis of client-centred care. A focus on client-centred care models and approaches is critical to our collective ability to respond to clients and families, and to ensure the health care system remains valued by Canadians. Client-centred Care is “…an approach to the planning, delivery and evaluation of home and community care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among people using the healthcare system, their family and healthcare providers” (adapted from the Institute of Patient and Family Centred Care). Ideally, at an individual level, clients are viewed as whole persons, not diagnoses, and are leaders in their healthcare. We believe that the outcomes of this project, specifically the broader adoption of knowledge resulting in changes in policy, practice and/or organization structure will help to ensure that client-centred care practice and policy flourishes, and results in innovation to further improve the service provided to clients and families.

It is important to note that the term person-centred care emerged from this review as the most reflective of this holistic approach to healthcare; however for editorial reasons and to suit the home and community context, the report and fact sheets primarily use ‘client.’

This project’s scope is national, with a commitment to highlight provincial, territorial and municipal promising practices, as well as case studies and examples where appropriate.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Respond to growing consumer demand for client and family centred care, especially for seniors and their informal caregivers.
• Increase collaboration between organizations via knowledge sharing, exchange and consultation related to client and family centred care policy, programs and approaches.
• Create a first stop for access to free, evidenced-based information related to client- and family-centred care to allow for replication and development of new approaches to improve and increase the level of appropriate client care provided across Canada.
• Increase knowledge gained from practical knowledge products including resources, policies and approaches for provider, policy and decision makers that contribute to effective client and family centred care and practice which impacts quality and responsiveness with applicability across health care sectors and geographical location.

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the members of the National Advisory Committee, whose commitment, support and guidance throughout this project were invaluable:

• The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
• Carol McWilliam, Professor, School of Nursing at the University of Western Ontario
• Cheryl Cott, Professor, Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto
• Kathy Kastner, Founder and President of Ability 4 Life
• Kevin Reel, Ethicist, Occupational Therapist, Southlake Regional Health Centre and York Central Hospital
• Nadine Henningsen, President Canadian Caregiver Coalition and Executive Director, Canadian Home Care Association
• Sherry Dupuis, Director, Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) at the University of Waterloo
• Vaughan Glover, Founder and CEO of Canadian Association for People-Centred Health

Please feel free to contact the Saint Elizabeth Research Team anytime to speak or inquire about the project by e-mailing research@saintelizabeth.com.

Please share your thoughts about any of the information provided on this site by selecting “Add Comment” below. We’d love to hear your thoughts about any of the resources, programs and publications included in the online inventory and any others of which you are aware!

*The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.”