ASPIRE – the problem-solving approach to care delivery

Abstract

If you had to cook for your family tonight, where would you start? If we assume that taking everyone for a curry or getting a pizza delivered is not an option, you will need to devise a plan to guide you. By being organised and planning ahead, you will be able to cook a nutritious, cost-effective, enjoyable meal for your guests. First, you will have to think about the needs of the family, their likes and dislikes based on previous experiences and present preferences, whether they want to eat together or whether they are all demanding different meals at different times. You will also need to consider the resources that are available to you to help you deal with the task, such as how much money you have to spend, what foods are in season and whether you have the time to shop at the supermarket or high street. In other words a thorough assessment of the circumstances and situation would have to take place. Once this stage has been completed you will need to devise an action plan; this could involve choosing a recipe and identifying a list of ingredients, which will then guide the planning of a shopping list. A trip to the supermarket to buy the food and the final act of cooking and serving the meal would complete the implementation of your plan. However, it is not over yet; you may want to spend some time establishing how effective your approach has been in meeting the individualised needs of the family members. Perhaps you could ask questions about whether they have enjoyed the meal, or whether they feel full and satisfied. Part of this evaluation will probably involve you considering and making a mental note of the effectiveness of the approach in meeting the family’s needs; you might look at the plates to see if anything was left and maybe ask them if they have any suggestions for improvements. All of this information will be stored and used the next time you have to make a meal for the family, with the cycle of assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating starting all over again.