Eliminate the traditional hierarchy? Yes.
Posted by Kim on July 29th, 2007 / Print This Post
Changing models of care: Quite the process.
MANITOWOC — Felician Village, the county’s largest senior housing facility, is transitioning toward a future unlike its past — a future driven, in part, by baby boomer expectations.The local transition reflects changes taking place nationwide. Depression-era residents who tend to be satisfied with whatever retirement housing is available soon will be replaced by independent, tech-savvy boomers likely to expect the comforts they’ve enjoyed throughout their lives to remain accessible during retirement.
Highlights:
The shift from a medical emphasis to a residential one doesn’t merely affect facilities. It calls for a change in staff as well that could eliminate the traditional hierarchy altogether in an effort to create a family-like structure.Staffing is 65-70 percent of Felician Village’s total budget, Kaldor said. For independent living facilities, the ratio is about one staff member for ever 20 residents on a day shift, whereas nursing home staff is much more dense. With the upcoming changes, the institution will see a reduction in staff at St. Mary’s and workers will be moved to other facilities, she said.
“Any employee may be doing more than one aspect of care — it’s more the concept of a universal worker,” McLaughlin said. “We’re really maximizing their use … that same staff will work more directly with the resident on a continual basis, building a stronger relationship with them.”
That means a major shift in quality of life for the nursing home sector.
“They should tell us when to eat breakfast, when to go to sleep. They should decide what they’d like to do each day,” Slack said. “The staff then would help those residents live their lives.”
Any program that reduces the numbers of management people is worthy of a serious second look…and directing the mission to the resident vs. the staff is a good start. I would like to see the term “resident” changed, to customer. After all that is what they are.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:28 am
This is part of the culture change idea. I think a lot of places claim to be making changes, but when we see the typical chains of command still in place, we know better. People in management type positions cannot fathom “their” nursing home running without them. Yet they do and do so very very well, with better outcomes, less costs and happier staff and most importantly, happier and thriving residents. Culture change is the way to go, I am totally convinced.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I have yet to know a management person who thinks the place they so call manage, could get by without them. Funny thing is, when the managers are away things run much better.
I agree with Patti on this. Trim out the fat and give more power to those who actually know whats going on. Namely the residents and the aides. Even the nurses are mostly clueless. It always seems that those cloest to the patient or resident have the best ideas. They just have trouble speaking up about it in a way that makes sense and that doesn’t come acorss as selfish.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:47 am
oh and it should be added too- that many aides fear culture change to. Cause they have been led to believe this typical chain of command is the only way it works..they are dependent upon the leaders to lead and have no confidence in theiw own abilities.