5 Things Successful Senior Care Organizations Do Differently

By Valerie Feurich, Director of Marketing and Technology and Debi Tyler Newsom, Client Relationship Director

Is your organization struggling with staff longevity? Is the lack of staff or related stress compromising care and increasing incidents?

Improving staff longevity is not an easy task. Stress from Covid-related issues has left a lot of folks exhausted. You may be offering employee-appreciation incentives but not seeing a return. Likely, you feel quite frustrated as well.

Employee appreciation is vital. That said, you may need more oomph to persuade staff to stick around. An organization’s atmosphere and culture are foundational to a pleasant employee experience. Daily interactions between staff and management set the tone. They make or break that relationship, creating loyal fans or job seekers in your team.

So, what is it that successful organizations do differently?

Teepa and her PAC Team have visited and spoken to hundreds of care organizations. While doing that, some clear patterns have emerged. Here are the 5 things we noticed successful organizations all have in common:

1. Engaged Leadership

An engaged management team sets thriving care organizations apart from their just-surviving counterparts.

What does that mean? And how does that help staff longevity?

When leadership does not hide behind the desk all day, a sense of true community evolves. Management visible on the floor engaging with residents and staff fosters an atmosphere of genuine connection.

When I worked in a senior care community, our CEO was a true?Servant Leader. Not only did he run the organization well in business matters, but he made sure to regularly interact with staff of every level. When he walked the campus, you could not tell whether he was talking to the janitor or the board president. He treated all as equals, and regularly expressed his genuine appreciation to his team.

He always knew at least one meaningful thing about each staff person. Questions like?How is your little daughter doing??or?Done any good fishing lately??showed he knew about and cared for his team members as people.

During his tenure, the organization experienced the highest staff longevity it ever had. And when he retired, heartfelt outpourings of care and deep appreciation spread across the campus.

So, what can you do to create this type of atmosphere?

Simple – Go out and talk to people. Get to know your team, and really take an interest in who they are. Familiarize yourself with their challenges and successes. It’ll help you understand the employee experience in your community, and make them?feel seen and heard.

2. Setting Expectations

Too often we hear of incidents where a resident got hurt because the staff member attempted assisting by themselves.

I thought I could do this by myself,?I didn’t want to bother others, or?I was afraid for my boss to find out I don’t know how to do this,?are common explanations.

Organizations that experience less of this all make it very clear to staff that they don’t expect them to know or do everything. They let them know that it’s not only okay to ask for help, but that it is encouraged.

This way, team members feel supported and part of a true team.

Does your staff feel comfortable asking for help? Do you actively encourage reaching out to others for assistance?

You may think this goes without saying. However, by clearly stating things, not once but often, you’ll eliminate doubt and foster confidence.

3. Encourage Self-Care

Organizations that succeed do so with a healthy team. What does that mean?

They allow people to take time off when they need it, and don’t punish them for being ill. While it should go without saying, not offering paid sick leave forces team members to decide between paying bills or getting others ill. Is that really a burden to throw upon your staff?

Yes, of course there will be cases where folks take advantage of this offering. But, if you hire well and trust your team to make the right decision, you’ll be rewarded in the long run.

By allowing your staff a little time to care for those they love at home, you’re likely to create a loyal team.

4. Focus on Communication

Can you read minds? Chances are, you answered?no. Likely it will also not come as a surprise that your staff does not have that skill either.

Successful organizations realize that to create outstanding results, good communication is key. They understand that clarity from management about goals and expectations are vital for employee success.

Successful communities also give their employees a voice, being sure to take their input seriously.

Do you have communication silos in your organization? Consider doing a?gap analysis. How?

As you walk the campus, strategically ask team members about information they should know about. Questions like?What do you think about our plans for the memory care renovation??or?What are your thoughts on the revised emergency procedures??can reveal how much information was dispersed.

If they can answer them, great. But if they can’t, try following the communication trail to see where it broke down. Determining your weak points will allow you to strategically strengthen your communication pipeline.

5. Investments in their Team

Successful organizations recognize that healthcare evolves at a steady pace. To keep up, communities with outstanding performance actively encourage their team to learn and try out new skills.

By investing in their growth opportunities, through courses and tuition reimbursement, they foster a top-of-the-line team.

Practical care education, such as PAC’s?Champion Courses?and?Certifications, empower staff to better manage dementia care challenges. Also, the added confidence in their skills will reduce stress and increase job satisfaction.

You may think?But what if they leave after I’ve spent all this money on their education??True, that is a valid concern. But,?What if you don’t make that investment and they stay? Is that the type of staff caliber you?really?want?

The best care organizations, such as?PAC’s?Designated Organizations, take it even one step further. Not only do they invest in their care staff’s skills, but leadership actively participates in these courses too. Why?

So they can walk the walk. So, they can show that they’re not above anybody else. So, they can communicate to the entire team that this is what leadership believes in and wants to see. To show that these skills are worth one’s time.

Conclusion

Organizational self-care can be challenging but is well worth the time and effort spent. By fostering leadership that makes it a habit to walk the campus and interact with their team-members, boundaries crumble and a sense of unity prevails.?Unity cultivates loyalty.

Reassuring the team that you don’t expect them to know everything lowers hesitancy and the reluctance to ask for help. Placing trust in your team to not misuse paid sick leave improves the work environment and reduces risk of getting others ill. Closing communication silos reduces errors and misunderstandings.

Investing in your team through education creates staff members who are skilled to care for your resident’s mind, body, and souls. Because truly successful organizations thrive to create a community that respects and honors all residents, leadership, and staff members alike.

Now it is your turn. We’d love to know. Which types of organizational self-care efforts have made a difference in your community? Let us know by commenting below.