Concepts of holistic care

Abstract

Holistic healthcare is complete or total patient care that considers the physical, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual needs of the person, his or her response to illness and the effect of the illness on the ability to meet self-care needs. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), frequently experience clinical comorbidities that require treatment across a range of disciplines, access a range of long term services and supports, and rely on an array of natural supports for their emotional, social and other needs. For these reasons they require coordination and integration of care that will promote improved health outcomes, improved patient satisfaction and reduced healthcare costs. Holistic health care offers the promise of multidisciplinary, coordinated whole-person care for people with IDD and seeks optimal quality of life as a principle patient outcome.