Flexibility as a management principle in dementia care: the Adards example.
OBJECTIVE
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.


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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Cohen-Mansfield
Jiska
J
Department of Health Care Sciences and of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University Medical Center and School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA. cohen-mansfield@hebrew-home.org
Bester
Allan
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration