Opportunities and challenges for home care services in implementing the Buurtzorg model in Switzerland: results of an exploratory case study / Chancen und Herausforderungen für häusliche Pflegedienste bei der Umsetzung des Buurtzorg-Modells in der Schweiz: Ergebnisse einer explorativen Fallstudie
Published Online: Oct 13, 2022
Page range: 104 - 115
Received: Apr 03, 2022
Accepted: Aug 17, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijhp-2022-0011
Keywords
© 2022 Anna Hegedüs et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Background
The strong growth in services combined with the shortage of skilled workers in home care calls for change. The Dutch Buurtzorg model promises a reorganization of home care, which has a positive effect on employee satisfaction and person-centeredness.
Aim
To gain information on how the different groups of employees deal with the changes triggered by the restructuring towards the Buurtzorg model.
Method
The reorganization process in three home care services in German-speaking Switzerland was investigated using a multimethod approach (expert interviews with managers and coaches, focus group discussions, problem-centered interviews with employees, participating observations at team meetings). Data collection was carried out at two time points, nine months apart. Data was analyzed using structural content analysis.
Results
It was necessary to adapt roles and tasks at the individual, team and organizational levels. This was accompanied by a division of labor that was as far as possible detached from professional qualifications. Consequently, new forms of cooperation evolved and opened up opportunities, but also areas of tension. These processes were supported by the new role of the coaches.
Conclusions
Achieving this change in a short period of time is a major effort that needs sufficient and suitable opportunities for reflection and exchange to explore and absorb the areas of conflict. In addition, a broadly anchored corporate learning culture needs to be established so that all employees can grow into the new way of agile working.