Creating a Welcoming Culture

As a home care franchisor, I know that one of the first steps to overcoming staffing challenges is creating a kind and welcoming organizational culture. It’s not a new concept, but in today’s competitive home care marketplace, it has to be more than a goal - it has to be standard practice.

I recently sat down with Rob Liebreich , President and CEO of Goodwin Living, and other business leaders, to discuss the importance of culture in a senior living environment.?

“In terms of focusing on culture, our organization has been a leader in this space for many, many years,” Liebreich said. “At the heart of it, we see everyone as sacred - the residents, the people we serve in the community and certainly our team members. We do our best to support, honor and uplift each and every person.”

Liebreich said his organization also prioritizes diversity.

“We have a really interesting circumstance. We have over 10,000 people a year apply to our organization. We hire just about 400 of those, so we’re fairly selective,” he continued. “We’re very diverse in our field and in our market. We have over 65 countries represented by our team members. We have a lot of varied cultures to think about and bring together, and we do that with great intention. We recognize that people are coming from different backgrounds, different philosophies, different beliefs and that’s really important, We work to celebrate those different elements and weave them into thaw that we go about serving the older adults we’re so fortunate enough to be able to serve.”

He added that diversity will be key in meeting future staffing challenges - and not just for his organization.

“I would say that for places that don’t have that diversity, caregiving is going to become much more difficult. When I talk to people in the Midwest, especially in rural areas, they can’t find caregivers. They’re relying on older family members, older relatives or even older neighbors to come in and support them. So, we’re finding more 60-, 70- and 80-year-olds caring for 70-, 80- and 90-year-olds. That’s the reality of our country, One of the key differentiators that we’re going to have to lean into is that people want to come into our country, We need them. We need the hands, and we need the love, beauty and respect they have for older adults. We need to be as intentionally welcoming as possible. It’s not a political matter… it’s a business matter. We don’t have enough hands, and the only way we’re going to get those hands is to welcome people from elsewhere and they treat them with the reverence and respect they deserve.”

At HomeCare Advocacy Network, our commitment to creating a welcoming culture is reflected in our values. We prioritize the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect while elevating the privilege of caregiving.

To learn more about HCAN and our focus on culture, visit hcan.com.

Learn more about Goodwin Living, you can view the entire conversation with Rob Liebreich.