Maintaining a patient’s dignity and autonomy is the cornerstone of compassionate end-of-life care. This article provides practical approaches for care teams, underpinned by documented preferences. It covers respecting cultural and spiritual rituals, honouring personal routines (like favourite music or reading), managing symptoms in line with patient priorities (e.g., preferring alertness over total sedation), and facilitating meaningful final conversations. When these personal values are recorded and accessible, they guide daily care decisions, big and small. This ensures the patient remains an active individual in their care, fostering a sense of control and peace during a vulnerable time.
Person-centred aged care places the individual — not the system — at the heart of care decisions. This guide explores practical tools that support dignity, independence, and wellbeing by aligning care with a person’s values, preferences, and life history. Discover how thoughtful planning and the right digital tools can improve communication, continuity of care, and overall quality of life for older Australians.
For healthcare professionals, access to a patient’s documented wishes is invaluable. This article outlines how platforms like Evaheld integrate into clinical practice. Doctors and nurses can securely access a patient’s own advance care directive, medical history summary, and medication lists—with the patient’s permission. This reduces time spent gathering information from distressed families, minimises clinical guesswork, and ensures care aligns with the patient’s values, especially in emergencies. It supports compliance with informed consent standards and enhances interdisciplinary communication, leading to more confident decision-making and truly patient-centred care outcomes.
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