title: Humane care: seeing the person behind the patient--a case study.
abstract: This article is about the importance of retaining a focus on the humanity of older adults while rendering care to them through community and long-term care services. It is written from my experience as a director of a community service (Adult Day Health Care [ADHC] program), a program officer at a foundation devoted to improving health care for older Americans, a researcher who spent years conducting interviews with staff workers in long-term care services, and from the perspective of a professional and personal caregiver and friend to many elders living in the community--in their own homes and in nursing homes. From these diverse professional and personal roles and perspectives, I have learned that the formation of authentic human relationships, which go beyond the routine medical nursing, and social work approach to care, can play a vital role in healing and addressing loneliness in elders-and transform the lives of their personal and professional caregivers as well. A focus on humanity need not cost money or place a heavy demand on the worker. In fact, it can be one of the most cost-effective approaches to improving quality in health care, attracting workers to the field of long-term care, and boosting the morale of both caregivers and care recipients.
authors.affiliation: SJMPB@aol.com
authors.forename: Sarajane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brittis
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations