Demonstrate ways to reduce the barriers and encourage active participation

In the previous section, we looked at some of the barriers to active participation.

Next, we will look at some of the ways these may be overcome:

• Lack of interest by the individual – care staff should inform individuals of their rights and encourage them to participate
• Individual’s family – care staff should explain to family members the benefits of active participation and how it can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of their loved one
• Ineffective staff training – management should ensure that care staff have sufficient training to carry out their role effectively
• Lack of resources – similarly, management should ensure that care staff have sufficient resources to carry out their role
• Individual’s health – work with the individual to support them to understand their rights and the benefits of active participation and encourage them to do so
• Physical – modifications could be made to the building to make it more accessible or a different building could be used
• Information – care staff should ensure that individuals have the information that they need to actively participate in their care

You may need to develop your own solutions for overcoming barriers to active participation, which can involve ‘thinking outside the box’.