being person centred

At COR, outcomes are important, but secondary to the process of care giving and community making. Being person centred in our thinking toward the development of individual plans is what leads to real change in one’s life. To ensure each individual we support has positive control over the lives they have chosen for themselves, COR has partnered with Helen Sanderson and Associates (HSA Canada) to strengthen the knowledge and skills of all COR Supports in person centred planning and approaches. Together, we are striving to achieve person centred change!

All persons served by COR, in collaboration with their personal and professional networks, participate in the development of a Comprehensive Individual Support Plan (CSP), which becomes the foundation of COR’s personalized approach to supporting each individual. These plans are based on eight (8) fundamental Quality of Life Values, including:

Bodily Integrity (Being healthy; being decently clothed; being clean; being well fed; etc.)
Feeling Safe (Wanting to be with others; not being afraid of people with whom you live; not being afraid to go outside; feeling relaxed in interactions with others.)
Feeling Self-Worth (Seeing oneself as good; being recognized as a person; feeling pride; expressing personal gifts and talents.)
Having a Life Structure (Sensing a life-plan; having daily routine; having your own rituals and beliefs.)

A Sense of Belonging (Having a close circle of friends; loving others; and being loved by others; having a home; feeling companionship.)
Social Participation (Being able to have contact with the community; living with others; participating in community life.)
Having Meaningful Daily Activities (Enjoying one’s daily activities; having activities which fit in your life-plan.)
Inner Contentment (Feeling inner harmony; spiritual well being; free from traumatic experiences.)

being person-centred

our approach to planning

In developing a person’s support plan, COR utilizes a variety of person centred thinking tools and approaches to deepen our understanding of what is important to someone, versus what is important for them. Individuals at COR enjoy helping define their own goals with their circle of friends, a group which may include the person’s family members, neighbors, caregivers, teachers, friends and individuals in the COR community.

Individual goals are simple ones – the plan reflects what the person wants, but also what he/she needs in order to feel safe, loved, loving and engaged. It is a journey with many simple milestones. The achievement of goals or outcomes depends on several factors: the persons’ inner strength to withstand or surmount the traumas and tragedies of their life histories, the ability to reach out to others, and an abiding sense of hope.

Planning change is not only about the person’s change, but the caregiver’s own change as well. In fact, this change must precede any other. The planning process requires total acceptance of each person. It has nothing to do with behavioral change; rather, it is revealing hopes and desires that spring from an evolving sense of feeling safe and loved.