Thinking Outside the Box–For a Future in Care

Anna Eigner, Division Head in the Elderly Care Department at Diakonie de La Tour

I want to help shape the health and care sector, develop innovative services for older adults, and be part of the necessary change.

As a department head in the Division of Elderly Care at Diakonie de La Tour, Anna Eigner is actively shaping the further development of health and care services. Much of what she learned during her master’s program in Business Development & Management directly informs her day-to-day professional work–from strategic planning to the implementation of concrete change processes.

In her master’s thesis, Anna examined social sustainability and alternative organizational models in mobile home health care. Her research drew, among other things, on the Dutch Buurtzorg care model and approaches from “Reinventing Organizations.” A key finding of her research was that employees in mobile care services are generally open, curious, and receptive to organizational changes. While writing her thesis, Anna was not yet aware of how relevant her research topic would be to her future career. Later, she was able to draw on the insights from her master’s thesis in numerous professional discussions–including, notably, during the job interview for her current position. As a result, her thesis became an important bridge between academic inquiry and professional practice.

Anna particularly appreciates that she can apply nearly all the content from her master’s program in her work in project management and as a department head. Courses on knowledge management, change management, and sustainability help her further develop her area of responsibility in a targeted manner. Marketing skills, the importance of which she had initially underestimated, are also proving valuable today.

Looking ahead, Anna hopes to develop innovative services for older adults and drive necessary changes in the health and long-term care sectors. At the same time, it’s important to her to remain flexible both professionally and personally, to explore new perspectives, and to continually question existing structures.

She advises students to look beyond the confines of their own industry. For example, insights from supply chain management can also be applied to mobile care services. “Hang in there–it pays off. Take advantage of the access to highly qualified faculty, build a strong network, and choose a topic for your thesis that you’re truly passionate about.”