Req 3c - Choice & Independence
Each client is supported to exercise choice and independence.
Including
Including
- making decisions about their own care and the way care and services are delivered; and
- making decisions about when family, friends, carers or others should be involved in their care;
- communicating their decisions; and
- making connections with others and maintaining relationships of choice, including intimate relationships.
Context
- This requirement recognises that making decisions about life, and having those decisions respected, is an essential right of each client.
- This principle means as much as possible that clients themselves make decisions.
- A client may choose to involve others as representatives in making their decision.
- For example, the client may choose to have a relative, partner, or friend as a representative involved in decisions about their care.
- Where a client lacks the capacity to make decisions, they may have a court or tribunal-appointed guardian to make decisions on their behalf.
- HWH is expected to recognise the client’s social networks and support each client in choosing their social connections, including their close or intimate relationships.
- Wherever client choice is mentioned in this document, it includes the need for clients to have options and information to support their choice.
- There may also be situations where clients won’t be able to have unlimited choices, such as if their choice negatively affects other people.
- In these situations, it’s expected that HWH will take reasonable steps to find alternatives that can help meet the client’s needs and preferences.
- In all cases, it’s expected that we manage client choices in line with the Aged Care Charter of Rights, their agreement with the client and other responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997, as well as their obligations under competition and client law.
Success Measures
- HWH supports each client in deciding how they live and understand the care and service options available to them.
- HWH make sure our staff don’t limit a client’s choices because they have made a judgement about the wisdom of that choice or what the outcome will be.
- HWH supports our staff in managing issues of consent and working out a client’s ability to make decisions.
- If a client wants to pursue an intimate or sexual relationship, HWH supports them to do this and the clients understand that HWH supports this.
Success Indicators
Clients
Clients
- Clients say HWH supports them in making and communicating decisions affecting their health and well-being and that they can change these decisions anytime.
- Clients say they are recognised as experts in their own experiences, and their personal preferences, lifestyle, care, and service choices are respected.
- Clients say they have as much control over the planning and delivery of care and services as they want to.
- Clients say our staff respect their independence, including their right to intimacy and sexual expression.
Staff
- Our staff can describe how they have achieved the level of skills or knowledge they need to support clients to exercise choice.
- Our staff can give examples of how they help clients make day-to-day choices and help with access to any support the client needs to make or communicate decisions, such as an interpreter.
- Our staff can describe the problem-solving steps they take to reach an outcome for a client when they aren’t able to meet the client’s choice or when a client’s choice affects the rights or well-being of others.
- Staff orientation, training or other records that show how HWH supported staff to meet this requirement.
Organisation
- Evidence of how HWH manages situations where the client’s decision differs from what another person, such as a family member, might think is in their ‘best interest’.
- Evidence of how HWH supports client choice and independence and how agreements are reached if they aren’t able to meet a client’s choice.
- Records include details of client’s representatives and show the key decisions that clients have made about care and services.
- Evidence that the information that HWH provides to clients and their representatives supports their ability to understand their choices.