Work organization models that support employee well-being and quality of care in private and public elderly services (TOMA)

TOMA-project studies different work organization models and their associations with worker well-being and quality of care. Project compares worker well-being and care quality in private and public elderly care services.

In addition, the project examines teamwork, especially self-directed teams, and their opportunities and challenges from the perspectives of both staff and clients. In home care, the work allocation implemented through enterprise resource planning systems and its compatibility with teamwork is also analyzed.

Goals

The purpose of the project is to identify work organization models that simultaneously improve worker well-being and the quality of care.

Implementation

The study collects new data through a staff survey, interviews, and workshops. The survey data will be combined with information previously collected by Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on clients’ functional ability, quality of care, and staffing levels in service units (RAI data and Elderly Services Status surveys).

Approximately 900 employees from 190 work units in home care and round-the-clock service housing responded to the staff survey. Around 70 home care supervisors, employees, and schedulers participated in 27 interviews.

In addition, through workshop activities, we examine how teamwork and work allocation in home care, implemented via operational management systems, fit together.