IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF AGED CARE ACCREDITATIONSTANDARDS USING CONTEMPORARY SYSTEMSTHINKING CONCEPTS

摘要

The object of this interpretive inquiry is the residential aged care Standards structure and the Standards qualityrnaccreditation (assessment/ auditing) processes. The author’s concern is whether or not the application ofrncontemporary systems thinking principles could improve the current Standards and accreditation processes.rnContemporary systems thinking is a variant of systems theory and critical systems thinking which places lessrnemphasis on feedback and more on seeking multiple perspectives. Its application aims to explore the perspec-tives,rnunderlying assumptions and guiding principles used by stakeholders- in this case to the construction ofrnthe quality accreditation Standards and assessment/audit processes. It involves searching for evidence ofrnpurposeful whole systems that exhibit interconnectivity, clear boundaries, completeness, harmony, arnteleological approach, structure, function, process, the input of multiple perspectives and an ‘outside in’ focus.rnThe author is a long-standing, credentialed participant in the residential aged care accreditation industry sornis in a ethnographic position to attempt to apply this emerging systems thinking approach to this importantrnaccreditation process. The study is in it early stages, the driving theory and first impressions are reported inrnthis paper.