Today’s nursing home is often headed by one, key figure – the nursing home administrator. This individual is indeed given a great deal of responsibility and has the power to change and affect many lives. Want to learn more about the specific duties of this important figurehead? The following are five of the biggest duties assigned to this individual.
Oversee Staff
No matter the quality level of other areas of a nursing home, or any business for that matter, without the adequate staff and quality therein, failure can be inevitable. The home administrator is the head person in charge when it comes to who works at their facility. In many cases, it is true that the administrator may not perform the actual duties of hiring, firing, and other personnel management. This is often delegated to a subordinate manager or HR representative. On the other hand, they do have ultimate say-so in these matters and will exert them as necessary in order to maintain the overall facility of their design.
Manage Finances
“Your money and how you manage it are some of the most important things in your life, since they influence where you live, what you drive, and almost everything you do.” Words like these not only pertain to us as individuals, but they also greatly dictate businesses such as nursing homes. The administrator in charge has ultimate decision-making power in the financial area of the facility as well. Like staff oversight, they may rely largely on the efforts of subordinates but are also on the constant watch and are ready to get involved whenever necessary.
Manage Patient Services
The quality of patient services are key to medical facilities of all types, and this is especially true of nursing homes. If patient services and dealings are not acceptable, families will no longer entrust their relatives to the hands of the facility. This leads directly to a finished business.
The home’s overseeing administrator will therefore keep a close watch on the level of service that is provided to the clients entrusted to their care. Factors that can affect the levels of service these clients receive can include but are not limited to things such as food, personnel, physical facility attributes, equipment, medical technology on hand, and many others. The administrator will be closely tuned to such interests regularly.
Related resource: Top 10 Best Online Master of Health Administration Degree Programs (MHA)
Oversee Physical Facility
As mentioned above, the physical facility in which clients are entrusted and personnel must work, has an often unrealized but heavy effect on the care provided. For example, a facility with lead paint or asbestos in its walls would present health problems to all within. Maintenance neglect and structural degradation can really affect the clients and personnel also. Even problems with physical tools and equipment such as fire extinguishers, defibrillators, smoke detectors, or signage can have a great effect. Although individuals such as managers and maintenance personnel generally tend to these areas, the administrator will stay closely involved here as well.
Oversee ADA Compliance
According to the official guidebook to the Americans with Disabilities Act:
“The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress.”
In other words, this important act made a far-reaching set of laws that made sure that virtually all areas of society respect and be non-obstructive to the quality of life of those with handicaps. This regulation oversees everything from structural amenities like wheelchair ramps and wide-opening doors, to matters of practice in working with the handicapped. As a result of ADA laws and good ethics, the administrator must therefore be keenly aware of ADA applications in their particular nursing home.
Those tasked with the administration of an entire nursing home truly are important individuals. Their accomplishments bless others as equally as their shortcomings can hurt them. It would take an entire book to thoroughly summarize the duties of today’s nursing home administrator, but the five, aforementioned duties represent a notable cross-section of the important expectations of this position.
