The following scenario illustrates how two well-intentioned approaches to care can lead to the same visible outcome yet create very different experiences for the resident. Both approaches aim to respect the fact that the resident prefers blue and both aim to complete care efficiently.
What differs is how choice is supported in the moment — and whether the resident remains an active participant or becomes a passive recipient.
By looking closely at the interaction itself, the distinction between person-centered care and Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® becomes clear.
Care Scenario: Getting Dressed During a Busy Morning
1.) Person-Centered Care
Under Time Pressure
The caregiver knows the resident prefers blue clothing and wants to be respectful.
With multiple residents to assist and limited time, the caregiver says:
“What would you like to wear today?”
The resident hesitates or becomes confused. The caregiver repeats the question once, then selects clothing — usually blue — and completes dressing quickly to stay on schedule.
What’s happening:
- Preferences are remembered and intended to be respected
- Time pressure reduces patience for extended communication
- The task is completed efficiently
The resident is dressed appropriately, but without meaningful participation.
Choice exists in principle, not in practice.
Same Care Scenario: Getting Dressed During a Busy Morning
2.) Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® (MIL)
Under Time Pressure
The caregiver knows the resident prefers blue and prepares accordingly before entering the room.
Two familiar shirts are laid out visually — one blue, one neutral. No open-ended questions are asked. The caregiver gestures and says:
“This one… or this one?”
The resident indicates a choice through gaze or touch. Dressing proceeds with simple, supported steps
What’s happening:
- Preparation replaces negotiation
- The environment carries the cognitive load
- The resident participates without slowing care
- Time pressure is managed, not fought
At first glance, person-centered care and Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® can appear to deliver the same outcome.
A resident ends up wearing their preferred blue shirt. Care is completed. The day moves on. From a distance, that looks like success.
The difference is not in the outcome — it’s in the process the resident experienced to get there.
In many person-centered interactions, preferences are honored, but participation quietly disappears when the person can no longer process language or respond under time pressure.
The resident’s choice is respected in theory, yet the caregiver ultimately decides for them.
Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® shifts the focus to preserving participation, not just preference.
By structuring care visually, concretely, and predictably, MIL allows the resident to express choice using abilities that remain strong — such as vision, touch, and emotional recognition.
The resident doesn’t just receive the right outcome; they remain actively involved in it.
Why does this matter?
Because residents remember how care felt, even when they can’t explain what happened. Over time, repeated experiences of participation build trust, calm, and cooperation.
Repeated experiences of confusion or being overridden — even gently — do the opposite. Those patterns are what leaders see later as resistance, avoidance, or “behaviours.”
MIL doesn’t replace person-centered values. It operationalizes them — making autonomy observable, repeatable, and sustainable under real-world conditions.
That’s the difference leaders begin to notice over weeks and months, not just in a single moment.
