Care homes, senior living centers, and retirement villages are big businesses in America; 73% of these facilities are for-profit organizations. As the population ages and people live longer, the demand for senior care living and support will only grow.
However, it’s not as easy as simply opening up residences for people to move into; the senior care sector is governed carefully. Those embarking on a business venture catering to this demographic need to ensure that they follow all legal guidelines and federal regulations to deliver the best quality of life for all residents, whether it’s an independent senior living community, a medical provisions care facility, or a hospice setting.
This post provides tips on how to make your care facility stand out for all the right reasons. By implementing these strategies, you can elevate the care and support you offer, ultimately benefiting your residents.
Hire the Best People
You want only the best, most nurturing, and caring employees working for you, and the type of people you hire can directly impact the standard of care you can offer. If those on your books aren’t as interested in giving your residents and their families the best living experience, then you need to assess whether they fit your ethos.
To ensure that you not only attract the right people but also get the best offer from your employees and keep turnover low, you can do the following:
- Ensure adequate training is provided
- Company policies are straightforward to follow and understand
- You maintain a high level of professionalism.
- You offer support and guidance for your employees.
- Create a positive working culture.
- Foster inclusivity
Engage with staff and create positive engagement opportunities for all levels of management staff and residents for a more significant impact. Fostering inclusivity promotes a harmonious work environment and enhances the quality of care and support offered to the residents.
Stay Compliant
Following all legal guidelines and complying with them is the best way to deliver care and be confident you’re running an above-board service and providing the standard of care and living expected by both residents and the state. For example, you need to ensure that you are recertified each year as an administrator, so taking your rcfe recertification classes can ensure you’re legal and compliant.
You need to do your due diligence to ensure that you meet these high standards daily and that nothing is slipping, from the level of care provided to the equipment you use to your hygiene standards for residents, staff, and living quarters and facilities. It can be worth checking in with your legal counsel or ensuring you aren’t unintentionally flouting any rules and identifying issues.
Feedback, Reviews, and Inspections
If you’re looking to make changes and improvements, then ensuring you have regular quality control checks, reviews of performances and issues, and inspections of working methods and living standards, etc., can ensure you can identify any problems and resolve them.
Having robust reporting measures in place, which includes comprehensive incident reporting and regular performance reviews, and acting on feedback or incidences of corners can not only put your residents’ minds and their families at ease but also give you confidence that nothing untoward is going on.
Make it your business to know your business and know exactly what is going on so you can work towards improved standards thanks to regular checks, inspections, and acting on feedback.
Partner with Other Providers
When it comes to elevating what you do and the services you provide, partnering with strategic local businesses or partners can help ensure that you’re offering only the best experience to everyone in your care. This can be done by working with local healthcare professionals, such as doctors and therapists, specialist agencies that provide specific care services, or departments like nutritionists to get the assistance you need and improve care and support on-site when required.
It can involve using local services to offer increased entertainment and enrichment, e.g., working with local schools to bring in schoolchildren to meet your residents or having the local shelter bring in dogs to visit your seniors and offer them the chance to spend time with pets and provide enrichment. It’s entirely up to you what type of services will benefit your establishment and the care you deliver, but strategic partnerships can elevate what you do and allow you to increase your standards.
Essentially, putting your patients’ needs and your employees’ working environment at the front of what you can do to elevate your reputation, the standards of care you offer, and the quality of life for those who reside with you. By putting people above profit, you can elevate your services and improve what you do.
