Administrators in Assisted Living PDF
Preview Administrators in Assisted Living
Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Gerontology Teses Gerontology Institute 7-14-2009 Administrators in Assisted Living: Who Tey Are and What Tey Do Ailie M. Glover Follow this and additional works at: htps://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gerontology_theses Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Glover, Ailie M., "Administrators in Assisted Living: Who Tey Are and What Tey Do." Tesis, Georgia State University, 2009. htps://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gerontology_theses/16 Tis Tesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Gerontology Institute at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gerontology Teses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact ADMINISTRATORS IN ASSISTED LIVING: WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO by AILIE M. GLOVER Under the Direction of Mary M. Ball ABSTRACT The assisted living industry is predicted to experience considerable growth due to the simultaneous aging of the baby boom generation and their subsequent need for long-term care. This study investigates individuals‟ pathways to administration in assisted living and the ways in which assisted living administrators define and carry out their roles. The study contributes to the understanding of the knowledge, skills, and personal traits needed by those who assume these vital leadership roles in an industry poised to care for the bourgeoning population of older adults. The sample for this study is 44 administrators who work in a random sample of 45 assisted living facilities in Georgia. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. The data revealed that multiple multi-level factors not only facilitate an administrator‟s pathway to AL administration, but these factors also help to shape how an administrator experiences his or her role within an ALF. INDEX WORDS: Assisted living, Administrator, Role, Pathway, Education ADMINISTRATORS IN ASSISTED LIVING: WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO by AILIE M. GLOVER A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2009 Copyright by Ailie M. Glover 2009 ADMINISTRATORS IN ASSISTED LIVING: WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO by AILIE M. GLOVER Committee Chair: Mary M. Ball Committee: Karen Gibler Candace Kemp Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University August 2009 iv To Ida and Willard Long & Jean and Leslie Olson v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extraordinarily grateful for the wonderful advice and support I received from my talented thesis committee, Dr. Mary Ball, Dr. Karen Giber, and Dr. Candace Kemp. They all went above and beyond to help me finish this thesis and I am very thankful for their help. I want to specifically acknowledge Dr. Mary Ball, the chair of my committee, who worked endlessly – days, nights, weekends, even while on vacation – on this project with me. I learned so much about writing and research from Mary and I am truly appreciative of her unwavering patience and encouragement. I would like to express special thanks to my wonderful husband, Bryan, for being so incredibly supportive throughout this entire graduate school experience. Of course, a big thank you goes to Peanut, my constant companion, who was by my side from page one. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v LIST OF TABLES viii CHAPTER I. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 1 Introduction 1 Literature Review 2 Research Aims 26 I I . RESEARCH METHO DS 28 The Primary Stu dy 28 The Secondary St udy 31 III. PATHWAYS TO ASSISTED LIVING ADMINISTRATION 35 Profiles of Administrators Illustrating Pathways 35 Factors Influencing Pathways to Assisted Living Administration 41 Summary 48 IV. ADMINISTRATOR ROLE DEFINITIONS A ND EXPERIENCES 49 Administrator Experiences 50 Factors Influencing Administrator Roles 52 Summary 67 V. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS 69 Summary of Findings 69 Discussion 70 vii Implications for Policy and Practice 78 Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research 80 REFERENCES 81
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