How do senior staff shape management styles in residential care homes for older people?

Abstract

Aim: To examine the respective roles and responsibilities of senior staff to understand the part they play in directing and influencing the management styles they adopt to handle different situations in residential care homes for older people.

Methods: As part of a larger qualitative study on leadership and management in residential care homes, this presentation shares the preliminary data of nine senior management staff members (superintendents, assistant superintendents, social workers and registered nurses) from two conveniently selected residential care homes for the elderly in Hong Kong. Audio-taped interviews lasted 45-60 minutes and non-structured participant observations were content-analyzed.

Results: A preliminary framework is depicted of the various roles, duties and responsibilities adopted by senior management staff when they perform their work in the homes. A number of management styles adopted by the senior management staff can be delineated to understand the style that was practiced to manage different situations that concerned the care providers, family members, residents and other people engaged in resident care.

Conclusion: Findings can shed light on how the operationalization of these management styles to different practice situations may influence the work of senior management staff as well as front-line care providers who need to deliver the direct resident care. The extent to which these styles can influence team spirits, attitudes, behaviours, relationships and performance of care providers when caring for older residents with different care needs will be discussed.