ERIC Number: EJ742774
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 5
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0016-9013
EISSN: N/A
Flexibility as a Management Principle in Dementia Care: The Adards Example
Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska; Bester, Allan
Gerontologist, v46 n4 p540-544 2006
Purpose: Flexibility is an essential ingredient of person-centered care. We illustrate the potential impact of flexibility by portraying a nursing home that uses flexibility in its approach to residents and staff members. Designs and Methods: The paper describes the management strategies, principles, and environmental features used by the Adards nursing home in Australia. Results: Adards' flexibility in daily work and task scheduling promotes both resident and staff autonomy, which in turn allows for higher staffing levels, lower staff turnover, and more typical life experiences for residents than is found in many long-term-care facilities in the United States. Implications: The article provides an example and a basis for future discussion on this topic, with the hope that it will prompt other institutions to expand the level of flexibility in their policies and procedures. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Dementia, Caregivers, Nursing Homes, Working Hours, Foreign Countries, Health Services, Staff Role, Work Environment, Administrative Principles
The Gerontological Society of America. 1030 15th Street NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-842-1275; Fax: 202-842-1150; e-mail: geron@geron.org; Web site: http://www.geron.org/journals/gsapub.htm.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A