Management Strategies Essay #2 (Essay Sample)

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENT’S INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS, CUSTOMS, BELIEFS, CULTURAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS ARE VALUED AND FOSTERED
Table of contents
TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u
Table of contents2
Summary3
Introduction4
Management strategies4
Identifying the needs of the residents and their care givers4
Integration of cultural competency into the service standards required for
aged care programs5
Identification of the most effective practices for culturally competent aged
care service delivery in different states6
Analysing perceptions and experiences of culturally diverse
communities as regards abuse of the elderly6
Development of a proper documentation process in order to ensure
better understanding of the needs of elderly residents7
Development of a language services policy for residential aged care
facilities7
Adopting Service models that fit the characteristics of rural and
remote communities8
Conclusion8
References9
Summary
There are several management strategies that can be adopted in order to ensure that the individual interests, customs, beliefs and cultural backgrounds of the residents’ in aged care facilities are valued and fostered. These strategies include: Identifying the needs of the residents and their care givers, integration of cultural competency into the service standards required for aged care programs, identification of the most effective practices for culturally competent aged care service delivery in different states, analysing the perceptions and experiences of culturally diverse communities in Australia as regards abuse of the elderly, the development of a proper documentation process, the development of a language services policy for our residential aged care facilities,and Adopting Service models that fit the characteristics of rural and remote communities.
These strategies will help in providing higher satisfaction with the care given by ensuring adequate spiritual assessment for residents and good understanding of their individual interests, experiences, beliefs and cultural background. With the increased diversity in Australia’s older population, it is important for the government to treat issues concerning the multicultural aged-care service provision as an important public policy issue that has to be properly addressed. In order to maintain decent welfare service and aged-care planning, it is also essential to develop a cultural diversity strategy for the aged-care facilities. There must also be more cultural diversity education for healthcare personnel involved in the provision of aged-care services, as this will surely enhance their understanding of the residents’ preferences, individual interests, cultural and ethnic background.
Introduction
This paper will discuss some management strategies that are aimed at ensuring that the individual interests, customs, beliefs and cultural backgrounds of the residents’ in aged care facilities are valued and fostered. Some issues relating to the strategic management of aged-care will also be analysed, as well as notions and trends underlying aged care service in Australia.
Recently, there has been a continued shift in the demographic profile in Australia due to a decrease in birth rate and increased longevity (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007). As a result, there is a marked increase in the number of culturally and linguistically diverse older residents (Bowling, 2005; McCallum & Gieselhart, 1996). This creates the need for a strategy that will see residential aged care patients access quality aged care services.
The Aged care Act (1997) provides for standards of accreditation and care service for residential aged care. This Act highlights "the need to value and foster the individual interests, beliefs, customs, cultural and ethnic of aged care residents" (Aged care Act, 1997). Commonwealth funded services are also "accountable to the public service charter in Australia’s culturally diverse society" (Nay & Garratt, 2006). The public service charter ensures that aged care services meet the particular needs of residents.
Management Strategies
There are several management strategies that can be implemented to ensure that the individual interests, beliefs and cultural backgrounds of residents are valued and fostered including:
Identifying the needs of the residents and their care givers
Identifying the needs of the residents and their families, as well as the care givers is one of the first and most important steps in developing a management strategy for ensuring that the individual interests, customs, beliefs cultural and ethnic values of the residents are fostered (Commonwealth of Australia, 2000). This can be achieved by carrying out a written survey, reviewing the previous feedback from aged care staff or conducting individual interviews with the aged care staff. It may also be helpful to arrange a workshop during which these needs will be discussed in a group setting (Squire, 2002).
The relevance of privacy issues is also notable, as residents from various backgrounds might ascribe different levels of importance to privacy matters (Mollenkopf & Walker, 2007; Walker, 2004). For instance, residents who are of Chinese origin may experience a cultural conflict with the attitude of their aged-care providers as regards privacy (Lo, Woo, Zhoc, Li, Yeo, Johnson, Mak & Lee, 2001). To Chinese residents, ‘face’ is a common term that is frequently used in their custom to describe respect that is expected from other individuals, including the aged-care staff and family members alike. In order to maintain that respect (i.e. to save face), family members might not say much during any open discussions involving the aged-care service providers and the family of the resident (Lo, et al, 2001).
Professional aged-care providers may find this attitude from the resident’s family (which is referred to as a conspiracy of silence) to be quite frustrating, but it must be understood that this attitude is due to the belief that any discussions about death will probably cause the resident to die (Lo, et al, 2001). Residents from different cultures may also have their beliefs and customs that have to be respected as regards issues of privacy. In most cases, such residents and the family members might not share these beliefs with the aged-care professionals (Crawley, Marshall, Lo, & Koenig, 2002; McNamara, Martin, Waddell, & Yuen, 1997). It is of utmost importance to conduct an individualised assessment of residents as regards their individual interests and cultural inclinations.
Integration of cultural competency into the service standards required for aged care programs
Cultural competency has to do with the knowledge and skills of the aged care staff rather than their attitudes. Aged care providers must be culturally sensitive in order to be culturally competent and this involves the enhancement of communication skills, a good knowledge of non-verbal communication and proper use of interpreters where necessary (Bennett & Stewart, 2009; MacKinlay, 2009; MacKinlay, 2010).
Cultural sensitivity can also be described as cultural brokerage (Hall, Stone, & Fiset, 1998). The principles involved in cultural brokerage are similar to those for cultural sensitivity and competence. There are several steps that can be taken to ensure that proper support is provided for residents’ individual interests, customs, cultural and ethnic preferences. These steps include the use of effective communication techniques in eliciting important aspects of the residents’ attitudinal framework, customs and beliefs (Hall et al, 1998).
It is also important for aged-care givers to be able to use effective communication skills to share important aspects of their own framework with the residents and the family of the resident. This helps to foster understanding and negotiate a common ground between the two parties. (Hall et al, 1998; Bennett & Stewart, 2009)
It is advisable for professional aged-care providers to be properly educated in cultural diversity issues. This will enable them to develop the skills necessary for building an open, non-threatening relationship with residents, as well as having good awareness of the potential impacts of their attitude on the care services rendered to the residents (Hall et al, 1998).
Identification of the most effective practices for culturally competent aged care service delivery in different states
The need for cultural sensitivity cannot be overstressed hence making it important for aged-care providers to have a good awareness of how the residents’ individual interests and culture establishes their basic assumptions, values and beliefs. Aged-care professionals must also acknowledge the existence of some intercultural differences and respect these differences (Croft, 2010; Putnam, 2007).
Identifying the most effective practices for culturally competent aged care service delivery will be instrumental in ensuring that the individual interests, customs, beliefs and cultural backgrounds of the residents’ in aged care facilities are valued. Aged-care services is answerable to the Charter of Public Service, which is aimed at ensuring that services provided actually do meet the particular needs of the people in need of such services. This strategy will also improve the degree of success and effectiveness of aged-care service providers in engaging the aged-care needs of culturally and linguistically diverse elder people in Australia. (Croft, 2010)
Analysing perceptions and experiences of culturally diverse communities as regards abuse of the elderly
Analysing the perceptions and experiences of culturally diverse communities would help in developing a ...