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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/13663666200800065. When citing the article, please cite: Kate Rees, (2008), “The cost of living”, Working with Older People, Vol. 12 Iss: 4, pp. 19 - 21.

Ann Mackay's article highlighted the costs involved in running a care home. Here, Kate Rees tells the other side of the story from her mother's perspective ‐ who changed from an independent retiree to a dependent resident in a nursing home ‐ and illustrates the true cost of living when you can no longer look after yourself.

After 10 years of visiting her mother in nursing homes, Kate Rees analyses the impact of three safeguarding procedures on her mother's welfare. Her experience underlines the finding of the Report on the Consultation on the Review of the ‘No Secrets’ guidance (Department of Health, 2009) ‐ that too often the vulnerable adult, particularly where that adult lacks capacity, is sidelined, and the process works in the interests of the nursing home.

Protecting my mother offers a moving account of a daughter's experiences of her mother's placement(s) in long term care and her exposure to poor care and/or abuse. The article highlights a number of the key features of the care of nursing home residents that need to addressed if standards are to improve and abuse become a rarity. The very dependent and frail nature of most residents renders them vulnerable to receiving poor care which may, if unchecked, become routinised abusive or neglectful practice. Risk is compounded for residents with dementia who often have limited communication skills and high levels of need. The fact that most residents are not known by care staff on admission is a primary challenge to offering good care, an issue that is compounded by a focus on tasks rather than relationships. The combined impact of dependency on staff for survival and having no, or few, opportunities for advocacy places residents in a profoundly powerless position to complain about mistreatment. This experience is mirrored by relatives. A primary deficit is that the emotional well‐being of residents is given limited attention by the care home sector or agencies tasked with inspecting them. Raising the status of care home work; improving pay, conditions and training; and embedding person‐centred values in care home practice are key to raising standards. Ensuring that all residents have access to an advocate and improving the capacity of safeguarding systems to address abuse in care homes are also important elements of reducing risk.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the matrix organisation in one municipality. It focusses on whether decisions can be based on shared understanding, as well as identifying conflicts and proposed solutions between central administration and the line divisions.

The case study is founded on empirical data from city of Turku, Finland. The data are based on two surveys and participant observation data (employees’ meetings and workshops during 2013-2015).

Conflicts were categorised based on structure, processes, resources, people, and rewards. Conflicts emerged on an individual level, such as role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload. Administrative procedures, personnel resources, scheduling, and personality issues emerged on an organisational level. Conflicts were greater in the line organisation than in central administration, but they did not differ much. Proposed solutions were few, but jointly determined. The value of the matrix was in the creation of a coherent vision. Cross-dimensional steering groups offered fora for identifying problems and solving conflicts, but the ability to realise change was limited, mainly because of a lack of decision-making power.

Methodological limitations relate to the generalisation of the findings.

The study findings call for developing network-based communication models, as well as public management styles adjusted to matrix-type organisations.

The conflicts raised are similar in public-sector organisations and private companies. However, the proposed solutions may vary because of the limited possibilities for a municipal organisation to rectify the problems that emerged.