Important Case Management Goals in Community Aged Care Practice and Key Influences.

AIM: To investigate important case management goals and key influences on the achievement of the goals in community aged care practice from the perspectives of case managers in Australia.

METHODS: We surveyed 154 case managers, representing 17.1% of the target population in the State of Victoria, Australia. The key information collected was case managers' characteristics and their selections of important case management goals. We also conducted 33 interviews with 47 case managers to explore their perceptions of important case-managed community aged care goals and the key influences on the achievement of these goals. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression, and qualitative thematic analysis were performed.

RESULTS: The survey findings showed that important case management goals included improving client outcomes, improving care quality, enhancing care coordination and accessibility, and reducing nursing home admissions. The interview findings indicated that important case management goals were divided into client-centered goals (e.g., maintaining clients safely at home), case managers' personal goals (e.g., gaining professional development), and organizational goals/expectations/values (e.g., expecting case managers to manage budgets wisely). Finally, the mixed research methods determined constraints of organizational resources and policies, clients' risky decisions, and case managers' work experience and employment status as key influences or significant factors associated with the achievement of case management goals.

CONCLUSION: Client-centered goals are of particular importance among those important case management goals. Case managers helping clients establish reasonable expectations and organizations developing favorable professional development policies and establishing reasonable job requirements and expectations will facilitate the achievement of case management goals.