Leadership and compliance in the residential care facilities for older persons in Ekurhuleni

Abstract

A Residential Care Facility for Older Persons is a building or other structure used primarily for the purposes of providing accommodation and of providing a 24-hour service to older persons. These facilities, specifically in Ekurhuleni, are faced with serious challenges that affect their ability to comply with the Older Persons Act. Furthermore, they tend to avoid registration with the government and are thus seen as operating illegally and putting the lives of Older Persons in danger. The study seeks to explore in full the leadership challenges encountered by the Residential Care Facilities for Older Persons in Ekurhuleni, and in particular the leadership trends and key challenges prevalent in their operations. Leadership strategies are identified with the intention of improving the situation. Models of leadership and leadership styles commonly applied in these facilities were also presented. The study followed a qualitative research approach in the form of focus groups and interviews. The sample units were comprised of respondents from five facilities that were randomly chosen. There were two focus groups, one comprising centre managers from the sampled facilities, and the other consisting of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons from the sampled facilities. Interviews were held with Government officials from the Department of Social Development and the Local Municipality who are responsible for the registration and monitoring of these kinds of facilities. Questionnaires were also used to interview staff members from the sampled facilities, particularly those staff members in senior or supervisory roles in the facilities. The collection of data was based on these two sources of information, that is, secondary data collected through document analysis, and primary data collected through focus groups and interviews.