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The other day, I stumbled upon an article about a fascinating model of nursing home care in Sweden. I had never heard of Tubbemodellen before, and I loved what I was reading.
Named for the Swedish village in which it originated, Tubbemodellen serves residents in several nursing homes in Sweden. In addition, the concept has now has expanded to Belgium.
Each Tubbemodellen nursing home possesses a unique personality. However, all share these similar core philosophies:
- Their motto comes from Tyra Frank, the woman who served as the inspiration for Tubbemodellen. “As long as one is alive, one should live.”
- Traditional nursing home models place the administrator at the top of the hierarchy. Tubbemodellen places the resident at the center. (This sounds similar to paradigms here in the U.S. such as the Eden Alternative.)
- Teams of residents and staff co-manage the nursing home with support from a director.
- Managers serve in the role of coaches rather than supervisors. They encourage teams to discover their own solutions to challenges.
- Staff places a priority on identifying and cultivating the talents of each resident. The focus becomes what the resident can do, not what they can no longer do.
- Tubbemodellen considers a nursing home as a place of life rather than a place of care, as is common in the traditional hospital model.
(Would you like to learn more about Tubbemodellen in action? Contact the Swedish Ministry of Health & Social Affairs.)
- Residents become involved in decision-making for all aspects of nursing home life. This includes menu planning, activities, schedules, decorations, and purchases.
- Participants regularly evaluate their program through questionnaires. Thus far, quality of life and employee satisfaction are two areas showing significant improvement.
- Tubbemodellen places a high priority on maintaining relationships with society and the local community.
- Residents take part in the interviewing and selection of new staff. They also engage in employee performance reviews.
- Positive relationships become a primary focus of life in the nursing home. Staff views their relationships with the residents as “us” and not “them.”
- Families take part in all aspects of nursing home life. They join residents in activities, meals, and decision-making.
- Tubbemodellen helps residents maintain a sense of usefulness. They take part in the daily tasks of the nursing home however they wish. This may include growing their own food, meal preparation, delivering mail, or housekeeping.
- Costs for Tubbemodellen are comparable to traditional nursing home care.
What aspects of Tubbemodellen would you like to add to your nursing home? I would love to see your thoughts in the comment section!
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