You hear a lot about customer-centricity in the modern world of business. That’s because meeting the needs of customers should be at the heart of everything a business does. The fact that there has been a recent push for businesses to be more person-centred shows that this ideal is not always being met. That said, NDIS providers are amongst a handful of businesses that put person-centredness into practice, day in and day out. Indeed, without a person-centred approach, NDIS businesses would be out of business. In this blog, we are going to explore person-centred progress notes and how they can help place the person at the center of your NDIS business even more.
What are person-centred progress notes?
Progress notes are an important part of any care delivery team’s framework. They convey a client’s progress in reaching their objectives and objectives and are used to monitor progress, identify any changes in a client’s condition, and help make decisions about service delivery.
In short, person-centred progress notes are a way of documenting the support you have provided to a client in a manner that is focused on their individual needs, goals, and preferences. This is in contrast to more traditional progress notes that tend to be service-centred, focusing on what the NDIS provider did, rather than what the individual client experience. In this sense, person-centred progress notes are a way of putting the person at the center of your documentation.
Why use person-centred progress notes?
One of the ways that NDIS providers show their commitment to person-centredness is through the use of person-centred progress notes. Here are five reasons why you should consider using them in your business too:
- They help to ensure that the person is always at the center of the support provided
- They promote continuity of care by providing a clear and concise record of the support that has been provided
- They can help to increase the efficiency of support delivery by providing a clear record of what has been done
- They can help to improve communication between NDIS providers, coordinators, and other support staff
- They provide a valuable record for NDIS participants that can be used to monitor their own progress and goal achievement.
How to use person-centred progress notes
Get buy-in from your team
Person-centred progress notes will only work if everyone on your team is on board with the idea. Make sure to explain the benefits of using person-centred progress notes and get everyone on board before you start using them.
Make sure they are person-centred
This might seem like an obvious point, but it’s worth reiterating. Person-centred progress notes should be just that – person-centred. Make sure that they focus on the individual and their experiences, rather than on what the NDIS provider did.
Keep them concise
Person-centred progress notes don’t need to be long and detailed. In fact, it’s often better to keep them concise so that they are easy to read and understand.
Keep things in chronological order
Another important point to remember is to keep things in chronological order. This will help to ensure that the person’s experiences are documented in a clear and easy-to-follow manner. Document both positive and negative experiences as well as anything abnormal. If you make any mistakes, please document those too!
Use them alongside other documentation
Person-centred progress notes should be just one part of your documentation. They should be used alongside other things like care plans and support plans to give a full picture of the support being provided.
How to write person-centred progress notes: Examples
Progress notes must include the following:
- Your name
- Date and time
- Details of any incidents, alleged or not, involving peers or others. If there are witnesses to the incident please note their names and accounts as well.
Depending on the specific situation of home care, progress notes may be used to keep track of a variety of different items. They might include the following:
- Health professional visits
- Changes to health or care needs
- Behavioural changes
- Medication reactions
- Dietary changes.
Here is an example of a person-centred progress note:
“Today John spent the morning preparing for his upcoming job interview. He became quite anxious and refused to eat breakfast. I was able to offer emotional support and we worked on some breathing exercises to help him calm down. He seemed to feel better after that and was able to eat a small breakfast. I offered to go with him to the interview but he declined.”
– Jane, RN
Final thoughts
It’s important to always keep the client’s goals at the forefront when writing person-centred progress notes.
When used correctly, person-centred progress notes can be an incredibly valuable tool for both NDIS providers and participants. They can help to ensure that the person is always at the center of the support provided, promote continuity of care, and improve communication between all members of the support team.
Need help keeping track of progress notes and other aspects of running an NDIS organisation? Let Us Help
At Brevity Care, we understand the needs of NDIS providers when it comes to documentation and record-keeping. Our software is designed to streamline the documentation process and make it as easy as possible for NDIS providers to keep up with their record-keeping requirements. Not only that, Brevity also offers NDIS providers a powerful suite of tools to help run your business more efficiently. From rostering, payroll and invoicing to HR and business analytics, we’ve got you covered. To learn more about how Brevity can help your NDIS business, contact us today.
