TUBBE MODEL
WZC organizational model turned upside down: testing and evaluating
From until
Koning Boudewijnstichting
What
Six organisations in Belgium started working with the Tubbe model. Within this project, these organizations were evaluated at different times and in different ways during the pilot phase.
The Tubbe model is an organizational and management model that has been successfully applied for several years in various residential care centers in a rural municipality, Tjörn, in West Sweden. The model focuses on an attractive and pleasant place where seniors can live their lives to the fullest.
Specifically, the model focuses on relationship-oriented care. The goal is to change the organization so that seniors are empowered and have an influence on their daily lives and get a meaningful role. Relationship-oriented care also gives staff more responsibility. The organizational model is turned upside down, so to speak.
Goal
The objective of this evaluation research was not only to determine whether the Tubbe model, applied in Belgian (semi-)residential elderly care in Belgium, led to higher quality elderly care, but also how and why.
It is important to note that there is no ready-made step-by-step plan for the Tubbe model. It is a vision that is interwoven through many small and large interventions in the operation of the organization. The six organizations each went through this process tailored to their organization and their pace.
Our role
The evaluation report can be considered as a snapshot of the pilot practices after one and a half years of pilot testing. It provides a glimpse into the first interim experiences of the pilot partners within the process they have already gone through and are still going through. In this way, the report exposes success factors, conditions, and possible barriers to the introduction of the Tubbe model in Belgian elderly care. We surveyed the pilot practices at two time points using a survey, in-depth interviews, and focus groups.
Overall, the results of this evaluation research point to a positive trend in the involved residential care organizations when implementing the Tubbe model in practice. Seniors experience greater satisfaction, more input, and a closer bond. That positive feeling is also endorsed by a large part of the staff and is strongest in the organizations where the Tubbe model has really seeped into the DNA of the organization. This does not mean that the entire organizational model has been reversed.
The biggest challenge seems to lie in the intermediate layer of staff. Only when they truly have a say and the mandate to build a community with the residents where they can live life to the fullest together, do we see a turnaround in the organizational model. When that happens, the results confirm the potential of the model to focus even more on relationship-oriented care in the future in order to contribute to quality elderly care. The research resulted in a manual and an accompanying video published by the King Baudouin Foundation.
Researchers
Karolien Baldewijns
Committed researcher who enjoys exploring new paths and has a passion for empowerment.