Person-Centred Care in Association with Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults.

BACKGROUND

As the global population ages, there is an increasing focus on enhancing the psychological well-being of older adults. A key strategy is person-centred care, which emphasises recognising each individual as unique, with their values, needs, and preferences. This study explored older adults' perceptions of person-centred care and its relationship with their general health and psychological well-being.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 632 participants aged 65 to 96 years (mean age = 73.4 ± 6.7) was conducted, comprising 435 (69%) female and 197 (31%) male participants. Of these, 57% lived in home environments, while 43% resided in retirement homes. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire that included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and the Person-Centred Practice Inventory for Service Users (PCPI-SU). Data analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics 28.0, and non-parametric tests such as the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's correlation were used.

RESULTS

Older adults who reported more frequent contact with relatives or loved ones (daily or several times per week) and those residing in home environments perceived significantly higher levels of person-centred care compared to those with less frequent contact and those living in retirement homes ( < 0.001 for both variables). General health varied significantly according to gender ( = 0.009), level of education ( < 0.001), and living environment ( = 0.004), while psychological well-being among older adults showed significant differences based solely on their level of education ( < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that person-centred care ( = 0.017) and monthly income ( < 0.001) were significantly associated with the psychological well-being of older adults, independent of their living environment.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that person-centred care and monthly income significantly predict psychological well-being among older adults. Differences in perceived care and health outcomes were also observed based on gender, education level, and living environment. These results underscore the importance of promoting person-centred care practices, particularly in retirement home settings, to enhance psychological well-being in older adult populations.