Question

what is the culture change, and why is it important in long – term care organizations?

Answer 1

Culture is something that we follow as a social behaviour or custom from a particular time period, long term care organizations mainly involve in helping peoples of any age groups in medical and daily care activities. it can be provided in various settings like home,in community and all other facilities too..

In long trem care organization like "nursing homes",the quality of care provided in these settings should be viewed from all corners like regulatory,advocacy,legal and also from within the nursing home. culture change is mainly deals with an effort to promote a new method of living and working in nursing homes and also involves rethinking of values and practices carried out in the nursing home to improve the care.

The changes will include the staff members,the residents,management,families. Its important that simply stating the word culture change is easy, but promoting such a thing in a long term organization is some thing difficult,provide each roles to the staff and help them to achieve their strategies in care.

To adapt to a change there should be collaboration,flexibility and mutual respect among the administration and staff members. Culture change in an organization take place in 4 phases:

Phase 1: in this phase the institution explores their organizational structure, where as the staff members try to identify those organizational cultures that promote or hinders the residents full ability to live happy in the nursing homes.In-service training sessions are provided in this stage

Phase 2: It involves planning the organizational restructuring and additional education of all staff, residents and families. detailed planning is made, based on the progress adjustments are made in the plans.

Phase 3: in this facility forms self directed work teams.eg: spiritual team,gardening team, dining team etc. Each team will discuss how the life should be lived within their team

Phase 4: each teams work with the residents to make decision

Once the phases are achieved,cullture change must be nurtured

Barriers to Culture change:

Apathy :each staff should have a feeling of apathy to the patients in long term care. If they don't feel the three situations like loneliness,helplessness and boredom.they always think that the situation is running smoothly and there is no need for any change.

Fear : they often fear that change can bring work load

Resistance to change : staff and management always believe that nothing is wrong with it,everything they practicing is correct,

.