What is a Care Plan?

What is a Care Plan?

The purpose of the care plan is to communicate specific care needs and to define how those needs are to be served or met by caregiving or nursing staff.  The care plan may also note specific areas of concern which may require a higher level of monitoring to detect changes in health status.  The care plan is utilized to train staff how to provide care that older adult.  It is also used as a tool to ensure the highest level of care is provided, based on the direction of the person writing the plan and based on the personal preferences of the older adult or responsible party.

After an assessment is completed, a plan of care (or care plan) is written.  This document takes information obtained during the assessment process and transforms it into written tasks and reminders to staff so that they can deliver appropriate care to that individual.  For instance, during the assessment, it may be determined that a person is not doing well with remembering to take an important medication on time or on a regular basis.  The care plan would be written to define that the medication reminder be given at specific time of the day.

As the manager or nurse in charge of the direct care department obtains new information about the older adult, the plan of care is changed, modified or adapted.  Also, whenever there is a change of condition (a change in health or mental status or an occurrence which alters the needs of an individual), a re-assessment is likely to occur and the care plan is edited to reflect the changes.  Sometimes, a completely new care plan must be written.