In this post, you'll discover the best examples of person centred care plans templates.
Not sure where to start with care planning? Looking for a guide or example care plan to help you get started?
There’s a wealth of information available to support you through every aspect of care planning, (for example here at Birdie we’ve created our own guide to care planning and a blog that outlines the basics of care planning software, plus tips on having the right conversations). But when it comes to a real care plan example that you can follow, the available options are a little limited. That's because there is no one-size-fits-all, standardised template for care planning.
Where can I find a care plan example template?
Care plans must be created individually to suit the needs of the people you’re caring for. A care plan for an individual with dementia would be vastly different to a care plan for a young adult who needs support due a disability.
That’s why, when it comes to finding an example care plan template for your home care agency, you might find it difficult to find one you can download or replicate.
We've included a printable example of a care plan template, based on the questions we use on the Birdie system, at the bottom of this article. It covers the personal information and preferences section of a care plan, and is a great starting point for setting goals and assigning tasks. If you need help with goal setting, you can download a free SMART template from Birdie too.
To help you, the next few steps in this article will walk you through the basics of a person centred care plan and show you how you can use the principles to create your own care plans. You can download and print a care plan example template at the end.
Elements to include in a care plan template
Here are a few elements to includes in your person-centred care plan template:
- Personal information
- Medical history
- Mental health
- Social support
- Environmental risks
- Nutrition requirements
- Interests and activities
- Communication
Of course, there are many, many more you could focus on and each element may have multiple sub-elements inside, but not all areas will be required for every person.
Each area of the care plan template should include:
- The area you’re focusing on (for example, communication or personal care)
- The person’s desired outcomes in this area
- How you will support them with their outcomes/how they would like support
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Do I need to create every care plan from scratch?
You don’t always need to create a care plan from scratch. The elements inside each care plan should be different for each client, but you could start with a basic care plan framework for each client and personalise accordingly. That’s exactly how we create care plans at Birdie. Our care planning software allows you to choose the areas that need more information and you can fill out the relevant sections, without having to create a new document every time.
Get a demo now of our care management software and create the perfect care plan for your agency.
Read also:
How we create person centred care plans that are in-line with CQC requirements at Birdie
Within each category you can add objectives and tasks, and personalise these alongside your clients.
For example:
If the person in your care has recently been discharged from hospital after a fall, they may have a goal to be able to resume an activity (for example; walking in the garden) once again.
By making a note of this goal with them, you can devise a plan to support them, using all of the elements above. Walking in the garden may require:
- A risk assessment of the garden
- The medical history of the person (how long until their injuries heal, for example)
- Social support from outside (how can occupational therapists and families help progress this goal?)
- A waterlow assessment to inform decisions on how often this person should be encouraged to move/change positions if they are currently immobile
As this goal (and every goal) is very specific, it’s difficult to provide a one-size-fits-all framework for a care plan that can be adapted to suit everyone’s requirements, however...
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If you’re not using care planning software like Birdie, you could create a Word document with appropriate tables that summarise the points above. Here’s an example excerpt that focuses on personal care:
This is of course, just one example area. You can see a full care plan example, here (from Devon County Council).
One really important area in every care plan is the personal details section, where you can list a person's preferences, needs and any external social and economic factors that may influence their care needs. Click below for a free template from Birdie for you to download and print.
Read also: Everything you need to know about advanced care planning
A quick note on digital vs paper care planning
Using a word document that’s printed in a client’s house and distributed to family members and others involved in their care can be a time consuming process - and takes a long time to update when changes are made. If you’re interested in digitising your care plans, you can read all about the difference between paper and digital care planning software here. Find out more about person centred care planning, here or get a free SMART care plan template, here.
We hope this overview of some care plan examples helps you with your person centred care planning. If you’re interested in digitising your care planning process with care planning software, get in touch with our team - they’ll be happy to walk you through the available options and help you decide on the right digital plan for you.
Birdie CEO Max recently visited Michael, who has been receiving care from the brilliant Alina Homecare. Find out what he thinks of homecare (and Birdie!) here :
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