The manager really rated the officer in charge of one of three homes for older people she was responsible for. She felt the officer had really implemented choice, dignity and respect in the way the home was run. The symbol of this was the no locked front door approach despite the presence of a number of residents in the home suffering from dementia who were , “wanders”. It was a matter of pride that these elderly people’s behaviour could be managed without locking them in and with out giving visitors the impression this was an institution rather than a home.
When a management restructuring placed the home under a new manager the previous manager was disheartened to learn the doors we now always locked. She asked the officer in charge why and was told that’s how the new boss wanted it. In other words the homes regime had not been based on a culture that promoted choice ,dignity, respect and risk taking but on keeping the boss happy.
