What Is Person-Centred Care in a Care Home?

By · Published 2025-10-19 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

Care home residents paint pictures together at a table helped by a young volunteer.
Photo: Pictures by Ann, CC BY 2.0

Person-centred care means a care home plans and gives care around the individual resident, including their history, preferences, routines, beliefs and goals, rather than fitting them into the home's routine. In England it is a legal requirement under CQC Regulation 9, and families can check for it by looking at care plans, daily life and how staff talk about residents.

Person-centred care means care built around the individual, not the institution. A care home that works this way knows who your relative is, what matters to them and how they like to live, and shapes daily care around that, from when they get up to what they eat and how they spend their time.

It is not a luxury. In England, it is a legal requirement for every registered care provider, and it is one of the clearest differences between a good home and a poor one.

What does person-centred care mean in practice?

In a person-centred home, you would expect to see:

The opposite is "task-centred" care, where everyone is got up, washed and fed to a fixed timetable because that suits the rota.

What does the law say?

England

Under CQC Regulation 9, care must be personalised to each person. Providers must assess needs and preferences together with the person, plan care that meets them, and involve the person and, where appropriate, people acting on their behalf in decisions as far as possible. If a preference cannot be met, the provider must explain why.

The Care Act 2014 also puts a duty on councils to promote each person's wellbeing, including dignity, control over day-to-day life and relationships.

When someone lacks capacity to make a decision, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 requires decisions to be made in their best interests, taking into account their past and present wishes, feelings, beliefs and values.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland's Health and Social Care Standards set out what people should experience, built around dignity, compassion, inclusion and wellbeing. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulations and standards, inspected by Care Inspectorate Wales and the RQIA, with a similar focus on individual outcomes.

How is a person-centred care plan put together?

A good care plan starts before your relative moves in and keeps changing. It usually covers:

  1. Health and care needs: medicines, mobility, continence, eating and drinking, skin care.
  2. Preferences: food, bathing or showering, clothes, bedtime, hobbies.
  3. Life story: family, work, places, important events, faith and culture.
  4. Communication: hearing, sight, language and how best to explain things.
  5. What a good day looks like: in your relative's own words, if possible.
  6. Risks and how they are managed: balancing safety with freedom.

Families often hold the details that make the plan personal. For someone with dementia, the Alzheimer's Society's free "This is me" form records background, important people and places, preferences and routines, so staff can understand them quickly.

Ask to see the care plan and to be involved in reviews, with your relative's agreement or where you have legal authority such as a lasting power of attorney.

Why does meaningful activity matter?

Long, empty days harm mental wellbeing. NICE's quality standard on the mental wellbeing of older people in care homes says residents should be offered opportunities to take part in meaningful activity and be enabled to maintain and develop their personal identity.

Meaningful activity is different for everyone. It might be:

A good home asks what each resident enjoys and builds that into the day, not just into the activity timetable.

How can I tell if a home is truly person-centred?

When you visit, watch and ask:

What if care is not person-centred?

Start by talking to the manager, with specific examples. Ask for a care plan review and bring suggestions.

If nothing changes, use the home's complaints procedure. If your relative's care is funded by the council, you can also tell the council. You can share concerns with the regulator: the CQC in England, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales or RQIA in Northern Ireland. If you think someone is at risk of harm, contact the council's safeguarding team.

Frequently asked questions

In England, yes. CQC Regulation 9 requires registered providers to personalise care to each person's needs and preferences and to involve them in decisions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own standards with a similar focus.

Can families see the care plan?

Usually, with your relative's consent, or if you have a lasting power of attorney for health and welfare or are otherwise involved in best-interests decisions. Ask the home how and when care plans are reviewed and how you can take part.

How is person-centred care given to someone with dementia?

Staff use what they know about the person's history, routines and preferences to understand behaviour and reduce distress. Tools such as "This is me" help, and decisions for someone who lacks capacity must be made in their best interests.

What if my relative's wishes conflict with their safety?

Good homes balance risk and choice rather than simply saying no. The risks should be discussed openly, with your relative where possible, and recorded in the care plan.

How often should a care plan be reviewed?

Care plans should be kept under review and updated whenever needs change, such as after a hospital stay or a fall. Ask the home how often it carries out formal reviews and whether families are invited.

Key takeaways