Care planning in home care: an exploratory study

Abstract

This is an exploratory study looking at the factors influencing the decision-making process of home care case coordinators in the formulation of care plans. A volunteer sample of six Edmonton Home Care Program (EHCP) case coordinators from three different disciplines were asked to formulate care plans for three fictional elderly clients as if they were actual clients on the EHCP. Through semi-structured individual interviews and a group session, the researcher explored determinants of care plans. Findings indicate that case coordinators consider a multitude of factors when formulating care plans including client/caregiver factors, coordinator factors, program factors, and delivery system factors. More specifically, however, was the discovery that client/caregiver factors were not only the most predominantly mentioned factors, but they were also the factors that consistently weighed the most heavily on care plan decisions. In comparing care plans, there was a certain amount of consistency across all care plans and reasonable consensus regardless of professional discipline.