level of cognitive impairment and/or depression.. Her ability to do every day functional tasks as well as to engage in regular social tasks was also assessed. Based on the findings, it was decided to treat her condition through the provision of person-centered care within a multiagency framework. It was felt that through this framework, she would receive not only medical care for her multiple problems from staff who are knowledgeable in the various disciplines but she would also receive all of the social support services she needed.
According to Hughes, Stewart, Challis, Darton and Weiner (2001), when considering the implementation of an effective care plan for older people with dementia, it is wise to specify expected outcomes in terms of concrete and measurable objectives. Only in this way can the claim of attaining treatment objectives be verified. Given Mrs. Jones mental and physical status, the objectives of the multiagency, person-centered care plan formulated for her were to:
1. Provide brief hospital care to ensure that she was not overly distressed, disoriented, or resistant to therapeutic interventions that were about to be implemented, all of which would change her lifestyle somewhat, albeit for the better.
2. Draw upon the skills of medical and health care, therapies, social care and help with living arrangements, ensuring that all specialists and staff working with her were fully informed about the needs of people with dementia in general and Mrs. Jones' needs in particular.
3. Ensure that living and support arrangements met all of her social and functional needs and were sufficiently flexible to respond rapidly if these needs changed.
4. Ensure that Mrs. Jones had as best as possible understanding of her present and long-term needs.
5. Enable Mrs. Jones to retain and, where possible, regain functional and social abilities.
6. Maximize her independence such as allowing her to remain living...