Figure 1

A chronological timeline of significant events taking place in the municipality from 2003 to 2009. Note: ¹Separating home help (practical tasks) from home care resulting in pure professional caring tasks. ²Change of name from “Health and care services” to “Health and welfare services”. ³Risk assessment resulting in ⁴interventions as described in Method section. ⁵Implementation of interventions on municipal level affecting all units included the establishment of a safety patrol, temporary staff recruitment service and staff uniforms. Implementation at unit level involved improved work routines and organization of work, more equipment and facilities etc. ⁶Quality-enhancing work programme involving specification of new work duties and responsibilities concerning the everyday life of patients living at home. ⁷Introduction of a Personal Digital Assistant involving changes in work procedures, acquiring of new skills etc. ⁸Assisted living institutions separated from the Home Care Services resulting in pure home care. ⁹Quality-enhancing work programme involving specification of new work duties and responsibilities concerning patients’ discharge from hospital and return to home. ¹⁰Unit mergers in all cases involved new work office, leader, colleagues, geographical area, care recipient group, budget figures, work routines, organizational culture etc. ¹¹Leader quitting in all cases involved a turbulent period of stand-in leaders before the hiring of ¹²new leader. ¹³New geography involved new patients and greater geographical distances of transferring.