Person- and family-centered care (PFCC) has gained attention in recent years as a mechanism for transforming health care and long-term services and supports (LTSS). PFCC promotes choice, purpose, and meaning in daily life, and supports well-being for individuals and their families. Although the concept of PFCC is gaining prominence, it is not fully understood by many practitioners. In everyday practice, PFCC has not yet been fully integrated across the health care and LTSS systems as an essential part of all care and support. However, the current shift in payment reform and service delivery away from disease or provider-focused models and toward providing incentives that reward better coordination, communication, and continuity of care is likely to promote wider adoption and effective implementation of PFCC. While PFCC can be applied to people of all ages, this paper focuses on older adults with chronic or disabling conditions. It defines PFCC, explains the rationale for using the term "person" rather than "patient," and underscores the importance of the family in a PFCC approach. The paper also describes the key elements of PFCC.
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