Leadership and Management in Residential Home Care Setting

Leadership and Management in Residential Home Care Setting

Introduction

Leadership is an essential function of management as it helps in maximizing the efficiency of operations necessary to achieve organizational goals. Leadership is a crucial component in any effective management necessary for providing proper guidance towards the set objectives. Effective leadership has the potential of directly influencing the drive and motivation of a group to achieve in the goals and improve the quality of the services rendered in such institutions (Weiss, Tappen, and Grimley 2019, p.13). The quality of the services offered in such institutions. This discussion highlights the question of leadership and management in a workplace setting, which, in my case, is a residential home for young teenagers. The Residential Home Care setting is adopted in the workplace environment that requires optimization for effective service delivery.

The purpose of this discussion is to highlight both the extrinsic and the intrinsic factors that influence the quality of leadership and management in the a workplace setting. The main objective of this presentation is to control such institutions adopt necessary cultural leadership techniques, highlight ethical issues that are pertinent to effective management, and communicate the importance of team motivation in instituting proper services in organizations.

Leadership and management in residential home care

Residential home with teenagers shares significantly with other health facilities in terms of administrative issues. Leadership and management define the quality and safety in the administration of Healthcare (Kantanen, Kaunonen, Helminen, and Suominen, 2017, p.117). Kantanen et al. (2019, p.119) appreciate that such expectations are at the core of healthcare services. As such, the residential home setting workplace has to conform to the standard leadership and management within organizational structures.

From a broad perspective, organizational structures determine how roles, powers, and responsibilities are assigned within the institution. Such structures establish mechanisms of control and coordination. The adequately structured corporate flow of information, especially between the different levels of management, ensures effective coordination and control across the various interdepartmental services. Organizations use a leadership framework that articulates with the expected roles.

In investigating the organisational structure of an institution, four particular distinctions have to be made based on the four predefined elements. The distinctions include the functional organization structure, the division structure based on products, the matrix structures that combine functional and divisional model, and finally, the flat organizational structures (Fatehi and Choi 2019, p. 388). According to Fatehi and Choi (2019, p. 91),  the different organizational structures are mostly selected based on the nature of the services provided and the demographics of the population in question.

In my setting, a residential home is purposed to provide support for teenagers. Ideally, organizational structures must appreciate the nature of the demographic in presenting products and services that respond to the individualized needs. The life and the quality of leadership and management are, therefore, assessed based on the flexibility towards providing care services that respond to the young demographic. However, considering home care sitting shares a lot with other healthcare institutions, the assessment of the leadership and management in the workplace first recognizes the impact of external factors that influence decision making in such institutions.

Extrinsic factors that define leadership and management range from induction and onboarding, performance management, and reverse appraisals that are intended to improve on the voice of the affected parties. Extrinsic factors can also include the diversity of thought in the different units of stakeholders, the money factor that determines the flexibility of the external environment (Weiser 2018, p. 45). Extrinsic factors are main forces that have significant dependency on the general trend of the sector that is beyond the local institution. The national policies that require ideas to different national guidelines help in defining some of the basic requirements that have to be met in leadership and managerial level decision making.

National policies are developed on the basis that a sound management system should provide services to the community in a manner that is appropriate efficient and equitable to all the accessible parties (Hasan 2018, p.23). Fatehi and Choi (2019, p. 93) appreciate that proper management can only be achieved in situations where resources are available, especially the human resource, the financial resources, the hardware, and the processes that are necessary to facilitate care delivery in a manner that is synchronized.

Public policy has been defined to generally constitute a cause of action that is followed by government institutions or official parastatals in resolving issues that are within the public concern. The processes require that first, the problem is identified, and then the plan is set. Policy formulation occurs specifically to address the cause of action that is necessary for extensive adoption. Policy implementation flows trough the healthcare setting structures. Such applications are always administered through management channels.

Residential home care setting for the teenagers, different unique requirements have a dependency from the external influences. Currently, there are trends of Health Services being devolved to institutions close to home or even home settings that are established for patient support (McDonald, McKinlay, Keeling, and Levack 2017, p253). According to Fatehi and Choi (2019, p. 97), a residential home care setting is, therefore, one of the institutions that have experienced a surge of policy and regulations that provide insights into the standards required for approval.

In the United States, for instance, health care devices technologies and practices have been rapidly moving towards homes. Such trends have influenced the need for established policies that govern home care settings. The residential home care setting for the teenagers, institutions are regulated based on the presentations under the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and federal housing agencies (Field 2017, p.33).

These national guidance policies provide the basis and regulatory provisions that directly influence their approach to which services are offered in residential care for the teenagers. Working in such an environment has seen the gradual growth in the number of teenagers accessing holistic care that ensures high standards of privacy and freedom in determining their plan of care. There has been an increasing demand for patient-centered care in encouraging access for care that addresses the emotional and physical needs.

Most policies present measures towards improving the levels of patient satisfaction as one of the requirements in patient-centered care. However, these provisions have been determined to significantly strain the workforce, especially while making requirements on the need to develop an interpersonal relationship with the individual patient ++. The teenage population has also been defined as a demographic that requires extensive interaction to establish an environment of trust and understanding to develop a quality care environment.

To access high-quality nursing care practice that is in line with establishing proper internal environments that facilitate quality care, professionals have to access competencies in communication and leadership. The current healthcare training has seen an increase in the number of enrollments and care providers. However, there are still concerns regarding the shortage of such professionals in service (Haddad and Toney-Butler 2019, p.8). Management in healthcare institutions is forced to consider incurring high costs in accessing such levels of the skill set necessary to administer care, especially for a critical setting such as handling the teenagers. The different policy requirements, as per the national standards and individual patient satisfaction level requirements, and combined with intrinsic factors, significantly influence the approach to leadership and management.

The intrinsic factors, in this case, mostly involve the adoption of measures within the institution that helps in bettering the services and improving the experience in the work environment. Within the home residential home with teenagers, there are specific highlights that will enhance the experience of both the care providers and their patients. In my current workplace setting, I intend to conduct a SWOT analysis on the different leadership models that have been employed and management techniques that have since defined the day-to-day operation in the institution. Residential home management presents a transformational leadership model that has facilitated the development of a consensus point on critical issues that define the processes in the sector.

Transformational leadership is a theory of leadership where the head of teams work with each member to identify areas that need change and create a broad vision that guides the change through to implementation (Carleton, Barling and Trivisonno 2018, p.15). Within the Healthcare setting, transformational leadership facilitates the development of consensus between the different stakeholders. The subsequent section, therefore, discusses the SWOT analysis of transformational leadership as it is applied in the home care for the teenagers.

As one of the strengths in practice, transformational leadership provides avenues for a discussion on issues that affect the stakeholders who are more likely to accept policies and decisions that are reached based on a consensus basis. In establishing proper leadership and management, a healthcare facility would require significant dynamic changes over some time. It is imperative to develop environments that facilitate extensive consultation on issues that need prompt intervention. The transformational leadership model ensures that there is effective communication between the decision-makers and the employees, as well as their patients in establishing consensus, is necessary for effecting change.

Transformational leadership has also been established to have an impact on improving the levels of employee morale and encourage creative solutions that grow on the general efficiency and safety and service delivery (Boamah, Laschinger, Wong, and Clarke 2018, p.35). The innovative solution is mostly developed in discussions with the care provider units that are in direct contact with the patient. Such a workforce is the care providers, especially among the nurses who interact with the teenagers in developing interpersonal relations that facilitate effective care. The transformational leadership model is also known to increase the levels of collaboration between the different departments in promoting the overall objective.

Effective leadership styles have the potential of reducing cases of backstabbing and other destructive behaviors in cases where there is a consensus-based on the discussion as presented in transformational leadership models. Such practices ensure a positive work environment that is particularly necessary where the emotions and the psychological stability of the patients are essential parameters in defining the levels of patient satisfaction. The transformational leadership style is, therefore, an appropriate model in establishing competent leadership intervention at the management level.

However, several weaknesses characterize transformational leadership styles that could also be traced in my workplace setting. One of the significant problems that have significantly impacted the flow of activities is the time-intensive nature of the style of consultation that is necessary for a comprehensive realization of transformational leadership (Collins, Owen, Digan, and Dunn 2019, p.90). It takes a lot of time to seek consensus from the different departments and from the stakeholders increasing chances of delay that limit the effective implementation of necessary changes.

As mentioned, the residential home teenage care requires that dynamic and drastic changes are made to improve the suitability of the environment towards the relatively young demographic. Even worse still, the health care system has been significantly regulated, increasing the number of issues that have to be considered before deploying any significant changes in the system. These factors, combined with the time-intensive nature of transformational leadership in effecting change, reduces the overall effectiveness of adopting new trends that would further the quality and safety of the healthcare services in the institution.

Despite these issues, however, there are significant opportunities that could be associated with the effective implementation of the transformational leadership model. Principally, working for a residential home for the teenagers requires an understanding of the mindset of the teenage demographic. Ensuring that there are adequate discussion and consultation on the different approaches to quality care, there are opportunities for brainstorming and ideation, which has the potential of introducing new methods that better fit the demographic. These are opportunities are mainly lacking in other leadership styles, such as dictatorship or autocratic approaches.

Working with the young population requires that new trends in the healthcare ecosystem are adopted at a relatively fast rate, especially considering the increased penetration of technology in space (Schramm et al. 2018, p.31). According to Schramm et al. (2018, p.37), emerging techniques in patient management have shown a significant upward trend in the levels of patient satisfaction. It is, therefore, imperative that such new trends find their way into the management levels of the institution to help facilitate steps that would result in adoption and extensive application throughout the care administration procedures.

The only threat is the possibility of adopting changes that worsen some areas of care that would have otherwise been necessary, such as the interpersonal relationship between the patient and the nurse. Telecommunication has improved the chances of success of telemedicine, but there are increased concerns regarding the opportunities of increased isolation associated with electronic communication (Sheanon, Simpson and Shaughnessy 2017, p.78). Sheanon et al. (2017, p.78) recognize that effective nursing care has always been associated with an adequately cultivated interpersonal relationship between the patient and the care provider.

Developing a healthy relationship requires that the care provider spends time with the patient in cultivating some level of trust and dependency that is necessary as a prerequisite for strong interpersonal relations. Young demographic tend to have significant reliance on telecommunication, which inhibits the levels of interpersonal relationships that can be developed over the specified period. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the possibility of an improved sense of isolation as a threat that can be associated with extensive integration of telecommunication in healthcare.

Residential home care setting is a growing trend that is attracting a lot of attention, therefore, creating several avenues for innovation and formulation of new governing policies (Kosher, Montserrat, Attar-Schwartz, Casas, and Zeira, 2018, p.111). The dynamic settings significantly require the four aspects of transformational leadership, which generally include establishing a sense of individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, motivation, and finally, idealized Influence. As a transformational leader, the competencies necessary for effective implementation of the model requires an understanding of the social ecosystem as well as the individual needs of the different stakeholders in the setting. This is a significant challenge that results in personal growth.

As an individual, the demand for practical communication skills such as listening, compassion, and understanding of the difference of team members has improved a personal perspective on the need for empathy in establishing productive and successful teamwork. The need for competency in patient management is also apparent, especially with the demand for developing measures that would improve all the levels of patient satisfaction. Such an application in patient care requires an intricate understanding of the needs of the individual patients, teenagers in this case, which necessitates mystery in areas of patience. As a care provider, patience and Interest for details become an essential soft skill that has to be developed further to improve on the overall quality of services.

As a leader, there are several options to choose from in terms of selecting leadership styles based on the target population. Working in a residential home that is a purpose to facilitate care for the teenagers necessitates an appreciation of a leadership style that will directly influence the teenager’s response towards the present and plan of care. Such insight requires an understanding of the impact of different leadership styles. At a personal level, both participatory and transformational leadership models have the potential of improving the quality of services offered within the department.

This discussion prioritizes the use of transformational leadership, considering the need for improved and gradual changes based on the current trends that are characterized by the integration of technology and healthcare, especially for a sensitive youth population. As such, there is a preference for transformational leadership styles, which also has its fair share of ethical issues that have to be considered for an acceptable level based on the management standards necessary for care settings in residential homes.

Ethical issues in leadership constitute the aspects of beliefs and values for the dignity and the rights of individuals in the team members. Ethics is considered as a measure of the virtuousness of individuals and their motives, which is particularly critical for leaders whose choices and Influence directly impact the nature and the quality of services. Several ethical issues in leadership are of Interest, particularly within the healthcare space. These issues are discussed based on a personal experience working with teenagers as a carer in residential homes. Four particular topics are of Interest regarding the ethics in transformational leadership include the need for consistency, the importance of adhering to the different policies that define ethical standards, developing an atmosphere in the workplace that allows for new ideas, and finally addressing the grey areas.

Properly structured ethical considerations help in establishing a robust transformational leadership style and management interventions that facilitate improved experience among teenagers in the residential home. Transformational leadership has been acknowledged as one of the techniques that enable extensive teamwork that is necessary for a properly coordinated effort towards improved quality and safety in practice. One of the main characteristics of transformational leadership is the effective use of team motivation in enhancing the workflow.

Such interventions are particularly necessary for a healthcare system that requires extensive coordination, such as the devolved home care programs. Proper communication, therefore, becomes an important parameter. Generally, motivation is supposed to boost productivity and workplace morale, and this is mainly achieved through effective communication between the employees and the rest of the stakeholders. Some of the best team motivation technique that is often applied in the workplace setting is a robust self-development opportunity as well as flexibility, especially in attempting to compensate on failure while rewarding on effort.

Conclusion

Generally, the healthcare sector has seen an increase in demand for patient-centered care that responds to the individual needs of patients. Working in residential homes for teenagers as a care provider requires an understanding of the necessity of that specific demographic. Similarly, the setting involves the adoption of leadership and management techniques that responds to the different lives in the healthcare setting. The adopted transformational leadership provides the required strategies towards improving the chances of change in the institution while providing avenues for new ideas and team motivation. Areas of personal growth, therefore, requires competencies in communication and interpersonal relations. These are emerging techniques necessary for improving the levels of patient satisfaction, in this case, the teenagers in the Residential Home facility.

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