The Role of Leadership in Improving Home Care Services for Better Outcomes

IMPROVING HOME CARE EMPLOYEE’S EFFICIENCY FOR BETTER SERVICE
OUTCOMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................2
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE.....................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................................................................4
METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT:............................................................................................9
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR CHANGE........................................................................13
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES:.................................................................................................................................23

INTRODUCTION
Leadership can influence the quality of care in healthcare as effective
leadership leads towards effective and improved outcomes. It helps the staff in
coping with change make decisions based on rationality (Rudolph, Murphy and
Zacher, 2020). Leadership initiatives are associated with improved patient care when
they are applied in healthcare setting. Leadership is needed as it can allow the
healthcare staff to provide improved services which result in enhanced outcomes of
users of service (Doshi, 2018).
Context: The role of leadership in health care setting, more specifically to the
homecare staff as leadership can allow quality assurance and improve performance
through motivation, training and development of required skills as well as ensure well
performing staff. Leadership provides the staff, opportunities to empower and gain
control over their work (Myhre and et.al., 2020). All this can only be ensured if a
strong leadership is present in healthcare settings.
Trends in healthcare settings: Leadership is a recent trend after the COVID-19.
The pandemic has taught the importance of leadership in healthcare as leadership is
the thing which ensure the appropriate operating of healthcare systems (Terkamo‐
Moisio and et.al., 2021).
Political environment: Healthcare sector is majorly controlled by government and
politics. So, the implementation of a particular change in a health system is
complicated by the power of health systems and informal politics such as competing
interests between various powerful groups. At the time of implementation of change
the organization leaders need to be aware of these kinds of leadership which
includes the development and utilization of skills and astuteness forms of politics
(Moule and et.al., 2017).
Justification: The role of leadership is critical in healthcare settings, especially in
home care as an effective leadership is the key to communicate with people about
what is needed to attain the goals. Leaders can foster the engagement in healthcare
transformation in the times of needs such as at the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaders are the one who manage the performance of home care staff and evaluate
their performances (Jones and et.al., 2021). Home care staff are the professionals in
healthcare which provide at home care to patients such as helping them to perform

daily/routine tasks like dressing. If the leaders fail to engage the home care staff in
transformation and effectiveness, then the results could be disastrous. For example:
if the staff is not able to help the patient, the outcomes may get effected due to this.
Through effective leadership, leaders can ensure trust as well as no growth of digital
divides. Heath facilities need effective leadership skills to ensure that their staff i.e.,
healthcare and home care perform their duties and services as per the identified
standards. It also ensures that they are motivate to work effectively as well (Gurr
Drysdale and Goode, 2022).
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE
Aim: To examine the role of leadership in increasing working efficiency of home care
staff for improving outcomes of service users. A project on a home care services
organization
Objective:
 To examine the concept of leadership.
 To analyse the role of leadership in enhancing working efficiency of home
care staff.
 To implement suitable leadership for improving the working efficiency of home
care staff
Project questions:
 What is the leadership style?
 What is the role of leadership in enhancing the working efficiency of home
care staff?
 How does improved efficiency of home care staff improves the outcomes of
service users?
 How change in leadership styles can be managed?
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to the views of Churruca and et.al., (2021), effective leadership is
essential in the home care in order to resolve the challenges like maintenance of
skills of staff as well as ensuring that users of service gain maximum levels of care.

Leadership is also essential in order to deal with the continual changes in healthcare
settings. In the recent COVID-19 pandemic the debates about health and healthcare
setting have raised the need and importance of leadership in health. There have
been many debates which states that the countries and governments failed to
manage the situation due to lack of effective leadership in their healthcare systems.
Myhre and et.al., (2020), Leadership in healthcare of home care have gained
popularity recently. It has been recognised that in order to implement change for
enhancing quality of health services, leadership is crucial. However, even when the
subject has gained passive attention, there are still very little solutions proposed to
enhance the leadership in healthcare sector.
Leadership
As per the views of Edbrooke‐Childs and et.al., (2019), leadership is the
ability of a person to influence or encourage an individual or a group of individuals
towards desired outcomes. It is the process of motivating a group of people to attain
the desired goal. It directs people towards actions. It the essence of able to and
prepare other to inspire and make them to take certain actions. A strong leadership
is the key to bring a change as well it motivates others to accept and adapt that
change. Leadership is based on many factors such as original ideas and borrowed
ideas which are communicated effectively to others in such a way that it motivates
them to act as the leader want them to.
Home care
According to Denier, Dhaene and Gastmans, (2019), home care is the service
which allows the person with needs or a user of service to get care service while
staying at home. In simple words, these are the services which allows a person to
live safely and healthy in their homes. These services provide assistance and
support to people who need assistance to live independently. Homecare helps users
of service in enhancing their quality of life and provide them a safe and secure
environment where they can liv independently. This home care professional also
eases the management of ongoing medical conditions of service users and help
them in avoiding unnecessary hospitalization.
In accordance with Sukera and et.al., (2020), homecare can aid users of
service in the recovery of a person after some illness, hospital stay or injury while

providing them care in comfortable home environment. There are various activities
included in home care such as therapy and rehabilitative services, companionship,
assistance in management of daily tasks as well help them in basic routine activities
such as bathing, dressing and eating etc. Home care can be of many types which
differs as per the need of a service user. However, the goal of all the types of home
care is common which is to enable independent, happier and easy living to people
who need services.
Leadership in home care
Similarly, Tahir and et.al., (2020), says that, Leadership in home care is
necessary. The care givers are bearing the burden of care as some service users
requires urgent attention. In these cases, the home care services are quite useful.
Leadership is necessary as it allows the people to take charge of what they are
doing as well as empower them to take appropriate actions and decisions. When a
professional has someone to report to, their performances enhance automatically.
Leadership in home care is also necessary as it allows a check on the obligations
fulfilled by the home care staff to the users to service.
However, Yarow, Jirma and Siringi (2019), contrasted that, even though now
the leadership has been considered as key factor in healthcare. The importance of
leadership and distinct leadership styles still remains in a black box. It is not much
recognised as one of the key factors to enhance the outcomes. The importance of
leadership in home care or in healthcare is not widely recognised. However, during
the global pandemic of COVID-19 the importance was recognised. As the
governments of the countries failed to deliver effective outcomes because there was
no leadership within healthcare systems.
Rosenand et.al., (2018), Leaders decide how a home care professional will
aid the service and care as well as how they carry out their services. Leadership
influences the service quality in home care settings. Leaders describe how a specific
service will be provide and how a particular situation can be dealt with. Leadership
also provides different solutions to home care professionals regarding certain needs.
Leadership keeps the professionals motivated to provide their best service to users
of service. Gilson and Agyepong (2018), also said that, through effective leadership