Relationship based homecare is an innovative type of care organized around the needs of the care recipient and his or her family, rather than around the completion of a predefined set of tasks. Relationship-based home care is often also referred to as outcomes-based home care or person-centred home care.

The Global Coalition on Aging has published a report on relationship based homecare, which can be downloaded here.

Below are some of the main conclusions from that report:

Home care from trained professionals offers a sustainable option for providing the high quality of care European seniors need, want and deserve.

While public expectations around care responsibilities vary across European countries, the experts consulted for this report agreed on several key characteristics that define high-quality care:

• Is person-centred, focusing on the physical and emotional needs of the senior;
• Supports families and family carers in their relationship to the person receiving care;
• Enables coordination across the entire care team, which encompasses all of those engaged in a person’s care, including family carers and health care providers;
• Recognizes that the needs of care recipients continuously evolve; and
• Is outcomes-based, taking a preventative approach to allow for the highest quality of life and independence for as long as possible.

Integrating relationship-based home care as a preferred option among the available care offerings will empower countries to deliver on the promise of high-quality care for their seniors.