Care Mapping for Evaluation

Reviewing and Redrawing Care Maps

In Equal Care Coop’s relationship-centred approach, care mapping not only serves as a tool for care planning and team building but also plays a crucial role in evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of our services. Regularly reviewing and redrawing a care receiver’s care map enables care teams to assess the impact of the support being provided, ensuring that it remains aligned with the individual’s relationships, well-being, and evolving needs.

Monitoring Relationship-Centred Care

By revisiting the care map over time, staff can gain valuable insights into how the care receiver’s relationships and support networks have changed. These reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the extent to which our services are fostering meaningful relationships, promoting the individual’s sense of belonging, and supporting their active engagement within their community. This relationship-centred focus ensures that the care we provide continues to prioritize the individual’s role within their support network, rather than just focusing on task-oriented outcomes. Key indicators of successful relationship-centred care that can be monitored through care map reviews include:

Strengthening of Key Relationships: Has the individual’s connection to important people and places grown stronger since the initial mapping? Are there new, meaningful relationships that have emerged through the care process?

Integration of Informal Support: Are family members, friends, neighbours, and community resources actively engaged in the individual’s care? Has professional care complemented rather than replaced these informal support networks?

Care Flow and Distribution: Are caregiving responsibilities more evenly distributed within the individual’s network, or have any imbalances been identified and addressed? Is there less strain on specific individuals or groups, thanks to better collaboration?

Adjusting the Care Plan

As care maps are redrawn and updated, they act as living documents that reflect the dynamic nature of care relationships. This allows staff to make necessary adjustments to the care plan based on real-time information. If certain relationships have weakened or if new sources of support have emerged, the care plan can be adapted to reflect these changes. This flexibility ensures that care is always tailored to the individual’s current circumstances and remains in alignment with their emotional, social, and physical needs.

Evaluating Service Performance

For Equal Care Co-op, reviewing care maps is also a critical tool for evaluating overall service performance. Relationship-centered care is not just about providing support but about ensuring that care enhances an individual’s well-being within their community. Care map reviews offer a concrete way to measure this by:

Tracking Outcomes Over Time: The evolution of a care map over time provides a visual representation of how our services are impacting an individual’s relationships and well-being. Growth in the number and quality of relationships, as well as a more equitable distribution of care responsibilities, are indicators of successful service delivery.

Identifying Gaps and Challenges: Regular care map reviews can highlight gaps in the care network or reveal relationships that need additional support. This helps the team proactively address these areas, ensuring that no critical relationships or care needs are overlooked.

Ensuring Continuity and Coordination: A care map that is regularly updated ensures that all members of the care team—including professional caregivers, family members, and community supporters—are aligned and working toward the same goals. This coordination improves the quality of care and reduces the likelihood of miscommunication or gaps in service delivery.