Principles for Person-directed Services and Supports during Serious Illness
October 2017 | Administration for Community Living
“ACL found many commonalities among stakeholders’ views, including an emphasis on a person-directed approach to services and supports during serious illness. This approach promotes choice and control by informing people about their conditions; supporting reflection on goals, values, and priorities; honoring their choices, managing symptoms; and providing individualized supports to them and others important in their lives. This can include any relative, partner, friend, neighbor, or caregiver, related or not, who has a significant personal relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance for a person with a chronic, disabling, or serious health condition. ”
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability or stage of illness. To help ensure that people who have serious illnesses are able to control their care and services, ACL, in consultation with its stakeholders, developed Principles for Person-directed Services and Supports during Serious Illness. ACL will be using these principles to inform policy discussions and enhance its existing programs and services related to serious illness among older adults and individuals with disabilities.