Person Centred Approach to Dementia and Geriatric Care

Person Centred Approach to Dementia and Geriatric Care Ranny Roi P.Gaco Abstract This paper examines the different principles involved in the person centred approach to dementia and other common geriatric health condition’s care. It will also tackle the differences against institution perspective approach and bio-medical perspective with respect to the person-centred approach in managing care. This assessment will also be discussing range of techniques used to meet the fluctuating abilities and needs of individuals that are very common to degenerative geriatric health conditions, as well as its impacts to equality and cultural diversity in meeting these issues in public health. This paper will also examine the government’s initiatives and programs available to meet the demands in caring with these types of elderly conditions. Introduction Caring comes in different ways as well as techniques in how to be able to provide the best way to our loved ones. While there are institutions who provide the best care for our loved ones, it is often being neglected that the very heart of caring is not just merely providing the basic care that the clients need but also with the quality of care that we are giving to them. Validations of the quality of care are often not being examine and should be given an emphasis especially that the abilities of the elderly with dementia are deteriorating, it is hard for them to feedback the way we are treating them or should the approach of care is the appropriate one they are actually needing. Question 1 Individuality We all know that whatever care we are doing, we need to considering the aspect of individuality with respect in caring with people with dementia and other geriatric conditions. In doing so, we can render a care that is suitable to the individual as we all know that every one is unique and so do with respect to caring attitude. Health workers should be conscious and must bear in mind that everyone has the right to be treated with individual needs in relation to person-centred approached that recognises the value, uniqueness of each person, understanding the world from the perspective of the service user, and providing a social environment to every individual under our care. Rights Every person is born with each right that no one can take away and must be respected. In dealing with elderly suffering from dementia, these rights are not being taken away and must be respected and are carried out to its highest standards. The health care provider’s role is to assess the patient’s cognitive function in order to plan what should be given to the patient especially that dementia is a condition that is interlinked with different medical conditions. Every time that someone is getting a care, this aspect of principles is being carried out in outmost consideration. Choice Choice is connected to individual’s right that whoever receives treatment and care should be given a choice in a way that will be helpful in managing his care. It is also the patient’s choice in instances that a further treatment is being withdrawn or further care shall be ignored. This should be explained properly to them and if cognitive functionality is impaired, the patient has the right to nominate a representative that will decide what suits best for the patient. This is commonly being delegated to the next of kin of the patient or whomever the patient assigns. Privacy This principle does apply to everyone and in every industry and so does with respect in managing care to those who are undergoing degenerative diseases. Privacy is being carried out such us the prognosis of the patients and shall not be divulge to anyone except to those who are only part of the team. Even medical research does not automatically be allowed to invade each patient’s medical documents without the consent of the patient. Normally, each institution does have their own ethics committee in dealing with privacy concerns as well as policies in releasing documents that is legally binding between the service provider and the customer. In dealing with procedures that is needed for the patient to undergo, an informed consent must be secured first, provided that the patient will understand the procedure and how beneficial to the client. Independence The goal of the care will not be a success if not with the help of the patients themselves. Optimum wellness can only be achieved if the patient cooperates and does a wide range of independence that will lead to a healing process. Most care facilities are applying this principle not because it will make job easier but it is also part of the treatment process. If there are difficulties along the way physically or intellectually, the healthcare team should find ways to these difficulties. The team should assess whether the patient can do task alone without struggle or it is advisable to seek full support in everyday living. Caregiver role plays an important role in the managing of care and should know how to assess in providing social independence and simple tasks to do. Dignity Every patient who is suffering dementia should be able to receive care with dignity. Anyone can attest that by putting yourself in the shoes of the patient. You should be able to assess if that is the treatment that is right to you. In that sense you, you can feel if you are receiving the treatment that you deserve. In applying to a person-centred approach of care, we must ensure that they are engaging in activities that they really like so that they will value their life even better. Respect This principle of care encompasses all other principles in such a way that every aspect or care should be based mainly on respect to the service user. Everyone has a unique character that should be respected. In dealing with elderly, make sure that their privacy is still being considered. In that way, they can still feel that despite their condition, that basic right of them are not being taken away from them. It is believe that when you want to be respected, you should know how to give respect as well. In applying it to person-centred, we must ensure that each individual has their own unique characteristic that we need to take note of, so that when we are providing care to them, they are able to appreciate our help. We must take note that it is the client’s welfare that we are serving and we should consider their uniqueness in order to provide a harmonious caring relationship. Autonomy This aspect of care should be given emphasis in its individual approach as every client has different ways in adapting to their current condition and to their new environment especially when they are being taken cared of outside their own home. Elderly especially those who are having early stage of dementia are in denial stage to the point that they are very eager in taking back their autonomy in managing their own health as well as their own way of living. This aspect of care must be taken seriously in a way that they don’t feel that their basic rights are not being taken away from them. It should be remembered by everyone involved in the care that patients should still be directly involve in the course of their treatment or rehabilitation. Creating a controlling environment against the patient will only delay the treatment course. In such cases that patients no longer capable of taking care of their own health, the nominated representative must be available that should not c ompromise the loved one quality of care. Question 2 Institution perspective This type of non-person-centred approach of care does not focus on the individual aspect of care but rather on its physical, social, and spiritual of the individual. The concept of care is focused on the general aspect of group of clients in the institution. It may be compared to an aspect of care wherein the care is based on the needs of the patients in general. The institution delivers the service to the client in a broader aspect. Examples of this are the set of diet to be served to a certain conditions are the same set of food. While some patient doesn’t want to eat a certain set that is generally being served to them, the institution do not adjust in the individual request of the patient except on the list of menus they can choose from. Though this should be applied mostly in every institution, in caring with dementia, this concept of care is not popular as the focused to their care should be more person-centred due to the needs of more personal and intimate care to be ab le to give an effective mode of treatment of care. So for the example regarding diet for a certain group of dementia patients in a facility, most likely that they will be demanding a different set from the one that is commonly being serve to them, it is equally important to note to the facility management to give in to some little request of the patients like extra egg or cup of tea instead of milk. Caring dementia clients needs to be more personal because of the uniqueness of the manifestations to every individual. Bio-Medical Perspective This perspective of care focuses on the medical aspect of treating the condition of dementia patients. It is equally important in the aspect of care because the medical team specifically in the field of research are in continuous pursuit of looking for treatment of the conditions associated with dementia patients. It is therefore important to the team to focus on the diagnosis and the course of care and treatment and constant documentation of the patients’ condition regardless of its connection of care to other care approach as the care of this is more on the scientific aspect of care and does not rely on the interdependence with other members of the care team. Question 3 Reality-orientation Approach This type of technique has been long use by different health care personnel not only in the care of people with dementia but as well as to other condition that affects the cognitive and reality function of the person. It involves with visual aides and basic knowledge orientation like asking about current events and today’s date. This approach is an interaction between the staff and the client. We know that patients with dementia are having trouble remembering recent events, that is why doing this approach is much needed and must be done more often. The staff can also ask the client some basic current events that the client should be able to remember if the memory is still fresh like the current Prime Minister of New Zealand. Asking the current date is equally important to prevent the client from memory deterioration. Most facilities should be able to post visible visual aids that are easy for the elderly to read like a big calendar to common areas where they can see it more of ten. The team can also innovate in doing it so in a way that it appears to be more fun and enjoyable to the clients. It can be done in a form of games where group of patients are gathered together and a facilitator ask them series of questions that involves reality orientation. In this way, they will feel it as a form of game without creating pressure to anyone being asked. It can be done in schedule as a way of socialising with others as well. Personal interaction can be done as much as possible. That is why all the health care workers should be able to learn these skills and be able to integrate it to their everyday interactions with the patients. Validation Approach Emotional aspect of the patients should always be considered in caring them. By doing a validation approach, they will allow the clients to voice out their concerns in contrast to what is actually you are observing. Care providers can do it by observing the patients emotional state and by asking them what they are currently feeling. By doing this, the patient will feel that their current emotional state are being considered and will uphold their integrity and purpose to live. Though this technique often seems to be complicated to care givers, but this approach seems to be the most important to the clients by just merely listening to them you will be able to ease what they are feeling. Assistive Technologies Nowadays healthcare institutions are dependent on the use of assistive technologies in carrying out their daily tasks in taking care of the patients. These technologies are very much helpful in managing the care of the patients like use of wheelchair, hoist, walker and others. Wheelchair is one of the most common equipment being used by elderly who are having difficulty in walking. It is important to note that as the age progresses they are becoming dependent to these equipment. Improper use of it will also lead to an accident that will add to the health problems of the elderly. Proper training to all including the staff is essential and as well as those caregiver who are under the direct care of the client. The patients should also be evaluated as often as possible if ever there is a need of other equipments to aid the care or there is a progress in order to provide more independence as much as possible. Reminiscence Techniques This technique is very common to those who are suffering Alzheimer’s disease. This is very effective if the one who are giving the care is a relative or someone who have been around with the client for a long time because the goal of reminiscing old good events are those that being shared by the client and the carer. In this way, the patient may relive an old fond memory that may enhance the ability to regain lost memory. By doing so, the client’s self-esteem is being established again that will give them a sense of life integrity. Holistic Approach This approach is very effective and should always be integrated in every care because it will encompasses all aspect of care by looking at the patient’s condition not only by their physiological needs but also their emotional, social, spiritual and psychological needs. By meeting each aspect of the individual’s needs, the client’s wellbeing is being uplifted and the caring process is broader that they can feel that their needs are being attended. Question 4 Public Health and Health Promotion In public health, there has been an effort to create a harmonious environment when it comes to equality, and cultural diversity as far as provision of the person-centred approach to individual is concerned. It is the goal of the private sector in partnership with the government to create a program that will be beneficial to elderly with dementia and across diversified cultural differences. They have even made it as a priority for dementia in all of its community involvement and awareness of the condition. In the health promotion aspect, the government had listed down six activities for those who have dementia. It includes minimising discrimination, where it should not be in any care, by promoting it, people suffering from this condition will be able to integrate in the community and have a graceful aging. Secondly, they focused on enhancing person-centred approach that every client with dementia should be able to receive this type of approach, as this would be more effective to elder clients. Thirdly, they promote activities that reduces stoke so the facilities must involve all the clients in a more active lifestyle and activities despite the challenges that the patients are having. Fourth is the reduction of incidence of fall as this is very common to elderly. Safety measures have been promoted and being practice to lessen the incidence among the clients. Their mental health is also important that is why is should be given a priority by assessing their mental wellbeing, and lastly, they encourage health and activity in older life in order to prevent these common conditions affecting elderly people. By engaging them to more active task while aging, they lessen the tendency of developing common geriatric conditions (National Service Framework, Department of Health, 2001). Question 5 The goal of these health sector standards and codes of practice, and other standards in applying to a person-centred approach for individuals with dementia and other common geriatric health conditions is to be a guideline in practicing the care to this group of client. Since most of them they are unable to promote their rights as a consumer, these codes will be a guidelines for us and will be a moral etiquette checker if the provider are doing what is supposed to be done. Conclusion Since people with dementia may tend to be uneasy and disorganise due to the complexity of their condition, person-centred approach in managing their care should be inculcated in the health care team. Though it may be independent from institution perspective of care as well as to bio-medical perspective, the core of the care should be running in a person-centred approach since all we care after all is what the clients will feel when we are at their side and we are talking to them. While their abilities to communicate and recognise simple task is fluctuating, we should always be ready to guide them and relive what is missing in them so that they can continue living a life worth living. Recommendation Due to the fluctuating health condition of people with dementia and other common geriatric health conditions, the following recommendation are made concerning continuous staff training, public engagement and stakeholders support. Continuous staff training Staff and caregivers alike should be able to receive the latest information in giving care that would be focused on the person-centred approach, because it is commonly being neglected due to the outlying medical concerns of the client, this important aspect of care is often being taken for granted. The facilities should conduct at least once a year or as soon as there are latest innovation towards caring has been released. Public Engagement Though this is more common in an aging population like New Zealand, it is often neglected by the citizens due to various commitments they are dealing from a day to day. Engaging the family more often will be beneficial not only to the care facilities but also to the client who lacks attention from their own family. Stakeholders support It will not be successful without the support of everyone who are involve in the care. There should be a harmony in carrying out the goal of having a more patient focused care. Nonetheless, it is everyone’s responsibility as a providers to be the best that they can be for the benefit of the clients with dementia to achieve optimum health. Bibliography Electronic source http://www.health.govt.nz (National Service Framework, Department of Health, 2001).

Ferguson Foundry Limited

————————————————- Case: Ferguson Foundry Limited (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Date: March 10 2013 To: Mark Ferguson, President From: Carl Holitzner Re: FFL’s Lower-Than-Budgeted Profit for the Fiscal Year Ended May 31 2010 The major issue is determining why Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL) actual profit was $367,600 lower than budgeted, despite selling 2,000 more wood stoves (12,000 instead of 10,000 units). This will be explained using Variance Analysis to demonstrate the underlying reasons why the company failed to meet its president’s expectations.FFL profit for 2010 was below budget due to many factors both production and marketing related. From a production perspective, there were 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis (As shown in Exhibit 3): 1. Direct Labor 2. Variable Overhead 3. Fixed Cost The $139,2 00 unfavorable Direct Labor Variance can be attributed to many reasons however it is most likely linked to the management team. Due to the early retirement of the sales manager, the production manager being hospitalized and the accountant quitting, it can be understood that inefficiencies were bound to arise.Without proper management, labor reduced overall productivity of the company, as these workers took 121,200 hours to produce 12,00 stoves rather than the standard 120,000 hours that it should have taken. This reduced Net Income by $18,000 (Labor Yield Variance calculation). Secondly, the problem arising from Direct Labor also transcends to the Variable Overhead, as it is used as its cost driver. As a result, the $69,600 unfavorable Variable Overhead Variance can also be attributed to the more hours undertaken to produce the 12,000 stoves.With the lack of an inefficient management team, overhead could have accumulated through inefficient use and/or the budget could have not even accurately portrayed current rates for overhead items. The third problem with regards to the production perspective concerns the increase in fixed costs. In particular, the fixed manufacturing cost increased by $30,000 over budgeted costs, which in turn resulted in a reduction of net income by the same amount. This could have resulted due to several reasons such as additional machinery being required to handle the increased sales volume.However at this point it is unclear given the information provided and so further investigation must be conducted in an effort to better budget for future fixed costs. From a marketing perspective, there were also 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis: 1. Price 2. Fixed Cost 3. Sales Mix In analyzing the price changes, although it was beneficial to increase the sell price of the Basic Wood Stove ($300 to $325), this income benefit was significantly outweighed by the reduction in sell price of the Del uxe Wood Stove ($800 to $700).In the end, the price changes of both products resulted in a $300,000 reduction in profit (Sales Price Variance). Another reason for FFL’s lower than budgeted profit, although obvious and minor, had to do with the increase in selling and administration cost. As can be seen in Exhibit 3 by the Fixed Selling & Administration Budget Variance, an increase in the fixed costs reduced net profit by $7,000. The third problem area, concerning the marketing perspective, involved the difference in sales mix from actual to budget.FFL actually sold more Basic Wood Stoves and fewer Deluxe Wood Stoves than budgeted. Unfortunately, the Deluxe Wood Stove possessed a higher standard contribution margin per unit than the Basic ($210 to $80). Therefore the difference in the mix of sales caused FFL’s net profit to be reduced by $234,000 (Sales Mix Variance). Ultimately, more market research must be conducted to better understand consumer wants and needs and th us be able to efficiently budget company products accordingly to reach profitability goals. APPENDIX EXHIBIT 1| | BASIC (Actual)| BASIC (Std. | DELUXE (Actual)| DELUXE (Std. )| Selling Price| $325| $300| $700| $800| Variable Costs:| Direct Materials| $67. 50| $70. 00| $171. 00| $190. 00| Direct Labor| $104. 00| $90. 00| $248. 00| $240. 00| Overhead| $52. 00| $45. 00| $124. 00| $120. 00| Sell & Admin| $15. 00| $15. 00| $40. 00| $40. 00| Total Variable Costs| $238. 50| $220. 00| $583. 00| $590. 00| Contribution Margin| $86. 50| $80. 00| $117. 00| $210. 00| CONTRIBUTION MARGINS TABLE| Illustration of some calculations involved: *Using the Actual Results Table Provided in Exhibit AActual Unit Selling (Basic) = Sales Revenue ? Sales Volume (units) = $2,340,000 / 7,200 units = $325 Unit Direct Materials (Basic) = Direct Materials Cost ? Sales Volume (units) = $486,000 / 7,200 units = $67. 50 *Using the Unit Cost Standards Table Provided in Exhibit B Std. Unit Direct Labor (Basic) = DL Std . Qty. Per Unit x DL Std. Rate Per Hr. = 6 hrs. x $15. 00 per hr. = $90 APPENDIX EXHIBIT 2| For the Year Ended May 31 2010| | ACTUAL| FLEX-BUDGET VARIANCE| FLEX BUDGET| SALES-VOLUME VARIANCE| STATIC BUDGET| TOTAL VARIANCE| Quantity (units)| 12,000| | 12,000| | 10,000| |Sales Revenue| $5,700,000| ($300,000)| $6,000,000| $250,000| $5,750,000| ($50,000)| Variable Costs| $4,515,600| ($99,600)| $4,416,000| ($181,000)| $4,235,000| ($280,600)| CM| $1,184,400| ($399,600)| $1,584,000| $69,000| $1,515,000| ($330,600)| Fixed Costs| $919,500| ($37,000)| $882,500| | $882,500| ($37,000)| Net Income| $264,900| ($436,600)| $701,500| $69,000| $632,500| ($367,600)| FLEXIBLE BUDGET REPORT| GIVEN CALCULATED FILL IN THE BLANK VARIANCES: ($) = UNFAVORABLE & $ = FAVORABLE Illustration of some calculations involved for Flex Budget: Flex Sales Revenue = Std.Sell Price Per Unit x Actual Sales volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $300 x 7,200 units = $2,160,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $800 x 4,800 units = $3,840,000 Total Flex Sales Revenue = $6,000,000 Flex Variable Costs = Std. Variable Price Per Unit x Actual Sales Volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $220 x 7,200 = $1,548,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $590 x 4,800 = $2,832,000 Total Flex Variable Costs = $4,416,000 Flex Fixed Costs = Static Fixed Costs APPENDIX EXHIBIT 3| | FLEX BUDGET VARIANCE| SALES VOLUME VARIANCE| SALES VARIANCES| | | | Sales Price| | $300,000 U| -| Sales Mix| | -| $234,000 U|Sales Quantity| | -| $303,000 F| Sales Volume | | -| $69,000 F| TOTAL SALES VARIANCE| | $300,000 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VARIABLE COST VARIANCES| | | | Direct Materials| | $109,000 F| -| Direct Labor| | $139,200 U| -| Overhead| | $69,600 U| -| Selling & Admin| | $0| -| TOTAL VARIABLE COST VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | TOTAL CM VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | FIXED COST VARIANCES| | | | Mfg. Budget| | $30,000 U| -| Sell & Admin Budget| | $7,000 U| -| TOTAL FIXED COST VARIANCE| | $37,000 U| -| | | | | TOTAL VARIANCE| | $436,600 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VA RIANCES TABLE| U = UnfavorableF = Favorable APPENDIX Illustration of some calculations involved in creating Exhibit 3: SALES VARIANCE Section Sales Price Variance = Actual Units sold x (Actual Sell Price – Budgeted) Basic Wood Stove = 7,200 x ($325-$300) = $180,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = 4,800 x ($700-$800) = $480,000 U Total Sales Price Variance = $300,000 U Sales Mix Variance = (Actual Sales Mix % – Budgeted) x Actual total units sold x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = [(7,200/12,000)-(4,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $80 = $144,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = [(4,800/12,000)-(5,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $210 = $378,000 UTotal Sales Mix Variance = $234,000 U Sales Quantity Variance = (Actual total units sold – Budgeted) x Budgeted Sales Mix % x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = (12,000-10,000) x (4,500/10,000) x $80 = $72,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (12,000=10,000) x (5,500/10,000) x $210 = $231,000 F Total Sales Quantity Variance = $303,000 F Sales Volume Variance = (Actual Sales Volume – Budgeted) x Budgeted Cm per unit Basic Wood Stove = (7,200-4,500) x $80 = $216,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (4,800-5,500) x $210 = $147,000 U Total Sales Volume Variance = $69,000 F Ferguson Foundry Limited ————————————————- Case: Ferguson Foundry Limited (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Date: March 10 2013 To: Mark Ferguson, President From: Carl Holitzner Re: FFL’s Lower-Than-Budgeted Profit for the Fiscal Year Ended May 31 2010 The major issue is determining why Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL) actual profit was $367,600 lower than budgeted, despite selling 2,000 more wood stoves (12,000 instead of 10,000 units). This will be explained using Variance Analysis to demonstrate the underlying reasons why the company failed to meet its president’s expectations.FFL profit for 2010 was below budget due to many factors both production and marketing related. From a production perspective, there were 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis (As shown in Exhibit 3): 1. Direct Labor 2. Variable Overhead 3. Fixed Cost The $139,2 00 unfavorable Direct Labor Variance can be attributed to many reasons however it is most likely linked to the management team. Due to the early retirement of the sales manager, the production manager being hospitalized and the accountant quitting, it can be understood that inefficiencies were bound to arise.Without proper management, labor reduced overall productivity of the company, as these workers took 121,200 hours to produce 12,00 stoves rather than the standard 120,000 hours that it should have taken. This reduced Net Income by $18,000 (Labor Yield Variance calculation). Secondly, the problem arising from Direct Labor also transcends to the Variable Overhead, as it is used as its cost driver. As a result, the $69,600 unfavorable Variable Overhead Variance can also be attributed to the more hours undertaken to produce the 12,000 stoves.With the lack of an inefficient management team, overhead could have accumulated through inefficient use and/or the budget could have not even accurately portrayed current rates for overhead items. The third problem with regards to the production perspective concerns the increase in fixed costs. In particular, the fixed manufacturing cost increased by $30,000 over budgeted costs, which in turn resulted in a reduction of net income by the same amount. This could have resulted due to several reasons such as additional machinery being required to handle the increased sales volume.However at this point it is unclear given the information provided and so further investigation must be conducted in an effort to better budget for future fixed costs. From a marketing perspective, there were also 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis: 1. Price 2. Fixed Cost 3. Sales Mix In analyzing the price changes, although it was beneficial to increase the sell price of the Basic Wood Stove ($300 to $325), this income benefit was significantly outweighed by the reduction in sell price of the Del uxe Wood Stove ($800 to $700).In the end, the price changes of both products resulted in a $300,000 reduction in profit (Sales Price Variance). Another reason for FFL’s lower than budgeted profit, although obvious and minor, had to do with the increase in selling and administration cost. As can be seen in Exhibit 3 by the Fixed Selling & Administration Budget Variance, an increase in the fixed costs reduced net profit by $7,000. The third problem area, concerning the marketing perspective, involved the difference in sales mix from actual to budget.FFL actually sold more Basic Wood Stoves and fewer Deluxe Wood Stoves than budgeted. Unfortunately, the Deluxe Wood Stove possessed a higher standard contribution margin per unit than the Basic ($210 to $80). Therefore the difference in the mix of sales caused FFL’s net profit to be reduced by $234,000 (Sales Mix Variance). Ultimately, more market research must be conducted to better understand consumer wants and needs and th us be able to efficiently budget company products accordingly to reach profitability goals. APPENDIX EXHIBIT 1| | BASIC (Actual)| BASIC (Std. | DELUXE (Actual)| DELUXE (Std. )| Selling Price| $325| $300| $700| $800| Variable Costs:| Direct Materials| $67. 50| $70. 00| $171. 00| $190. 00| Direct Labor| $104. 00| $90. 00| $248. 00| $240. 00| Overhead| $52. 00| $45. 00| $124. 00| $120. 00| Sell & Admin| $15. 00| $15. 00| $40. 00| $40. 00| Total Variable Costs| $238. 50| $220. 00| $583. 00| $590. 00| Contribution Margin| $86. 50| $80. 00| $117. 00| $210. 00| CONTRIBUTION MARGINS TABLE| Illustration of some calculations involved: *Using the Actual Results Table Provided in Exhibit AActual Unit Selling (Basic) = Sales Revenue ? Sales Volume (units) = $2,340,000 / 7,200 units = $325 Unit Direct Materials (Basic) = Direct Materials Cost ? Sales Volume (units) = $486,000 / 7,200 units = $67. 50 *Using the Unit Cost Standards Table Provided in Exhibit B Std. Unit Direct Labor (Basic) = DL Std . Qty. Per Unit x DL Std. Rate Per Hr. = 6 hrs. x $15. 00 per hr. = $90 APPENDIX EXHIBIT 2| For the Year Ended May 31 2010| | ACTUAL| FLEX-BUDGET VARIANCE| FLEX BUDGET| SALES-VOLUME VARIANCE| STATIC BUDGET| TOTAL VARIANCE| Quantity (units)| 12,000| | 12,000| | 10,000| |Sales Revenue| $5,700,000| ($300,000)| $6,000,000| $250,000| $5,750,000| ($50,000)| Variable Costs| $4,515,600| ($99,600)| $4,416,000| ($181,000)| $4,235,000| ($280,600)| CM| $1,184,400| ($399,600)| $1,584,000| $69,000| $1,515,000| ($330,600)| Fixed Costs| $919,500| ($37,000)| $882,500| | $882,500| ($37,000)| Net Income| $264,900| ($436,600)| $701,500| $69,000| $632,500| ($367,600)| FLEXIBLE BUDGET REPORT| GIVEN CALCULATED FILL IN THE BLANK VARIANCES: ($) = UNFAVORABLE & $ = FAVORABLE Illustration of some calculations involved for Flex Budget: Flex Sales Revenue = Std.Sell Price Per Unit x Actual Sales volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $300 x 7,200 units = $2,160,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $800 x 4,800 units = $3,840,000 Total Flex Sales Revenue = $6,000,000 Flex Variable Costs = Std. Variable Price Per Unit x Actual Sales Volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $220 x 7,200 = $1,548,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $590 x 4,800 = $2,832,000 Total Flex Variable Costs = $4,416,000 Flex Fixed Costs = Static Fixed Costs APPENDIX EXHIBIT 3| | FLEX BUDGET VARIANCE| SALES VOLUME VARIANCE| SALES VARIANCES| | | | Sales Price| | $300,000 U| -| Sales Mix| | -| $234,000 U|Sales Quantity| | -| $303,000 F| Sales Volume | | -| $69,000 F| TOTAL SALES VARIANCE| | $300,000 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VARIABLE COST VARIANCES| | | | Direct Materials| | $109,000 F| -| Direct Labor| | $139,200 U| -| Overhead| | $69,600 U| -| Selling & Admin| | $0| -| TOTAL VARIABLE COST VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | TOTAL CM VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | FIXED COST VARIANCES| | | | Mfg. Budget| | $30,000 U| -| Sell & Admin Budget| | $7,000 U| -| TOTAL FIXED COST VARIANCE| | $37,000 U| -| | | | | TOTAL VARIANCE| | $436,600 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VA RIANCES TABLE| U = UnfavorableF = Favorable APPENDIX Illustration of some calculations involved in creating Exhibit 3: SALES VARIANCE Section Sales Price Variance = Actual Units sold x (Actual Sell Price – Budgeted) Basic Wood Stove = 7,200 x ($325-$300) = $180,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = 4,800 x ($700-$800) = $480,000 U Total Sales Price Variance = $300,000 U Sales Mix Variance = (Actual Sales Mix % – Budgeted) x Actual total units sold x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = [(7,200/12,000)-(4,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $80 = $144,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = [(4,800/12,000)-(5,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $210 = $378,000 UTotal Sales Mix Variance = $234,000 U Sales Quantity Variance = (Actual total units sold – Budgeted) x Budgeted Sales Mix % x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = (12,000-10,000) x (4,500/10,000) x $80 = $72,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (12,000=10,000) x (5,500/10,000) x $210 = $231,000 F Total Sales Quantity Variance = $303,000 F Sales Volume Variance = (Actual Sales Volume – Budgeted) x Budgeted Cm per unit Basic Wood Stove = (7,200-4,500) x $80 = $216,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (4,800-5,500) x $210 = $147,000 U Total Sales Volume Variance = $69,000 F Ferguson Foundry Limited CASE ANALYSIS: FERGUSON FOUNDRY LIMITED (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction After reviewing the financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2010, Mark Ferguson, President of Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL), was disappointed with the results. Operating Income was $367,600 below expectation, despite having sold 2,000 wood stove units greater than budgeted. To determine which areas FFL’s actual performance was better or worse than expected, a variance analysis will be conducted.However, it is important to note that variance analysis alone can only emphasize areas that need improvement, and not determine the reason for these discrepancies. A further investigation is warranted once determining the issues outlined through variance analysis. Analysis – Qualitative and Quantitative There are many areas within FFL’s production which have been proven to be unfavourable, and where immediate improvement is necessary. Of particular concern is the variable overhead, where an unfavorable variance of $180,600 was discovered (Appendix F).Within this variance, the variable overhead costs, both manufacturing and non-manufacturing of the Deluxe model are what seem to be causing inefficiencies. The Deluxe model accounts for $157,200 of the $180,600U mentioned above. Other Key Areas of Concern Outlined Through Variance Analysis: * Appendix I: Although the selling price of the basic model increased by $25, a $100 reduction in the selling price of the Deluxe model counterbalanced this increase, and negatively affected income. Appendix E: The difference between the budgeted and actual sales mix had an adverse effect on revenues. The Deluxe model had a greater CM/unit of 210, and was budgeted at 55% of the sales mix, however, it only ended up accounting for 40% of the actual sales mix. * Appendix H: The market share of FFL resulted in being less than expected (10% to 9%), in a market which was larger than expected/budgeted (133,333 to 100,000 uni ts). Recommendation and Implementation We recommend a proper rectification of the issues with regards to FFL’s unfavourable variances.Firstly, is it of utmost importance to have all the necessary components of management (i. e. supervisors, directors, and managers) on the job and ready to manage. Once FFL has the personnel to solve these significant issues, the following must be corrected, in order: Direct labor inefficiencies and high overhead costs, most importantly. Then, they can â€Å"fine tune† and solve higher than usual selling and administrative expenses and high fixed overhead costs. Further instructions with regards to solving these issues are outlined in Appendix K.However, if FFL is not capable of reorganising the company by itself, external help is necessary to implement specific changes that will improve FFL’s bottom line. REFERENCES Bhimani, Alnoor et al. Management and Cost Accounting. Pearson Education Limited, 2012. Print. APPENDIX A DIRECT MA TERIAL VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX B DIRECT MATERIAL VARIANCES CONTINUED *540,000 + 912,000 = 1,452,000 *315,000 + 1,045,000 = 1,360,000 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX C DIRECT LABOR VARIANCESNote: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX D DIRECT LABOR VARIANCES CONTINUED Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX E SALES VARIANCES 7200/12000 = 0. 6 4500/10000 = 0. 45 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX F VARIABLE OVERHEAD VARIANCE *Variable Selling & Administrative Expenses are labeled as Non-Manufacturing in this table. Total Variable Overhead for Basic and Deluxe = 27,000U + 18,000F = 9,000U Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX G FIXED OVERHEAD VARIANCE *750,000 ? 115,000 = 6. 217 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX H MARKET VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX I VARIANCE OVERVIEW Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPE NDIX J ANALYSIS OF THE UNFAVORABLE VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable Note: $421,300 represents the sum of all unfavorable variances that have brought down the company’s annual earnings. Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX K RECOMMENDATIONS: REDUCING THE TOTAL UNFAVOURABLE VARIANCE

Reading Lolita in Tehran: Themes †Women in Iran Essay

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is very symbolic of the women in Iran, as the ideas of resisting to accept the government, finding a sense of belonging and wanting to live in a fantasy world illustrates their thoughts during a very rough period of time. Nafisi, who represents the women of Iran, displays this via her progression throughout the novel, as it summarizes the struggles that women went through to endure a happy life in Iran. A theme that is repeatedly presented to us in this book is resistance. To be more specific, resistance by women against the new government that has been inaugurated. The new government taking over, making Iran an Islamic Republic results in the installment of numerous rules and regulations that oppress the female population. Nafisi’s thoughts are displayed when one her students says, â€Å"She resented the fact that her veil, which to her was a symbol of a sacred relationship to god had now become an instrument of power, turning the women who wore them into political signs and symbols† (Nafisi 103). The downgrading of women by the new regime makes Nafisi question her loyalty to her religion and results in her resisting by not wearing her veil. Not only this, but the regime preventing literature to be taught in Iran, especially work from the Western world causes Nafisi and her students to rebel by meeting in secrecy, despite the severe consequences that they would face if they got caught. When referring to meeting in secrecy, Nafisi says, â€Å"That room, for all of us, became a place of transgression† (Nafisi 8). For Nafisi and her female students, the room that they meet in had become an oasis for them as they are able to zone out from what was going on outside and spend quality time working on the one thing that they all enjoyed†¦ literature. Iran in the 1970s and 80s consisted of a population of women that were very well-educated. When facing oppression, these women did not shy down from protesting and taking part in demonstrations to get their point through. They had all built up this sense of courage and started using the motto, â€Å"it takes courage to die for a cause but also to live for one† (Nafisi 249). This statement made by Nafisi shows their confidence, as it propelled them forward to put up a fight to regain the rights that were lost. As the government tried to demolish their spirits, these women rose up and opposed by displaying their rebelliousness. Resisting to accept the new government is one of many themes that represents the thoughts and actions of women in Iran. Acceptance is another theme in the novel that can be tied to the symbolism of women during the revolution and war. To begin with, many women had trouble accepting the new Islamic based regime that had taken over. This can be seen by the actions of Nafisi, as she says, â€Å"We are not with the regime in our hearts and minds† (Nafisi 313). Even after saying this, Nafisi is compelled by the idea of not being able to teach and pass on her knowledge about literature. Women like Nafisi realized how helping the youth prosper would lead to a successful country in the future, and did not want to miss out on the opportunity to help, despite their feelings about the new rules. Not only this, but Nafisi is unable to understand how people around her are able to accept the new rules and regulations of the government so easily, as she struggles to cope with the fact that women were being demoralized. Nafisi, along with numerous women in Iran began to feel like outcasts within their own country and battled within themselves to identify the image that they wanted to portray. This can be seen when Nafisi questions herself, â€Å"When I walked down the streets, I asked myself, are these my people, is this my hometown, am I who I am† (Nafisi 74)? Finding a sense of acceptance regarding the revolution and war was their biggest goal but for many, not being able to speak their mind was unimaginable. After struggling to accept the new government, many Iranians decided to make the move to the western world. Nafisi decided that this was the best way to escape her problem of not being able to fit in. Soon after, Nafisi realized that leaving may not have been the best option for her. She says, â€Å"You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, because you’ll never be this way again† (Nafisi 336). Once again, she starts questioning herself and comes to the conclusion that Iran will always be where she hails from, regardless of the circumstances. Wanting to be accepted was something that women seeked in Iran, but as they fought with the idea of giving in to the regime, many of them were unable to find a way of fitting in and left Tehran for a better opportunity. The setting in Tehran had become unbearable for women, as the oppression had taken a huge toll on many of them. A way of getting away from this was by comparing the real world to a fantasy world that they could only dream of living in. One comparison that is made, is to an author by the name of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nafisi and her book club see how their dreams for a better Iran are similar to the ideas that Fitzgerald incorporated in his book. Whilst discussing the book, a students says, â€Å"What we had in common with Fitzgerald was this dream† (Nafisi 144). Not only this, but Nafisi compares her life to Gatsby and sees this fantasy world that he lives in as being the place that they ultimately want to end up in. For the female population of Iran, these dreams had to be fulfilled, as the ideas of freedom and peace in the rest of the world were constantly being displayed. As the novel progresses, Nafisi interprets that dreaming is extremely valuable as she sees opportunity and hope in picturing a better outcome to the troubled times in Iran as seen in this quote, â€Å"It teaches you to value your dreams but to be wary of them too, to look for integrity in unusual places† (Nafisi 135). It is her dreams that strive her forward and keep her fighting for the freedom that she deserves. This novel by Azar Nafisi displays the life of Iranian women as they fought to win back the rights that were wrongfully taken away from them. The females rebelled with great integrity instead of accepting the regime and tried to place themselves in a fantasy world to make things better, but for many, the oppression was too much to handle causing them to flee the country for the sake of giving themselves an opportunity to live a happy life.

Factors That Helped Fast Retailing Group to Grow Free Essay Example, 2750 words

It is clear from the discussion that though the top management at Fast Retailing Group (FR) did not exactly know as to the consumer preferences and market challenges they will come across, yet the CEO Tadashi Yanai did have the capacity to think about a future that he desired for the Fast Retailing Group (FR), and to consider the steps that the company needed to take to achieve this vision. This very ability did play an important role in allowing the Fast Retailing Group come out with some of the very successful apparel brands in the local and overseas markets. The special thing about Fast Retailing Group (FR) is that not only it has a formal vision, but the top management made it a point to spread this vision across the company branches and stores. Tadashi Yanai right from the start had a clear picture as to the shape that he wanted his company to take. He also had a clear picture regarding the kind of management and employees that will help him achieve this goal. This vision helpe d the top management at Fast Retailing Group (FR) come out with a mission statement that was to direct and guide the company s expansion policy over the next couple of years. We will write a custom essay sample on Factors That Helped Fast Retailing Group to Grow or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The other thing about this company vision was that it happened to be clear and exact that helped the company identify the steps to be taken to achieve success and the things that it needed to avoid to prevent setbacks. One thing that was peculiar about the Fast Retailing Group (FR) was that its vision happened to be alive that managed to incorporate and analyze the failures and setbacks that the company faced during varied stages of its diversification and expansion plans. Hence, as per the aspirations of the CEO Tadashi Yanai, Fast Retailing Group (FR) happened to be a company that believed in continual learning and adaptation.