Senior living communities are busy and vibrant places. There are a lot of moving parts, and sometimes it's hard to make sure every piece is working the way it should. In fact, it can be tempting to ignore small problems that arise, because often, you have bigger things on your plate. However, not resolving issues as soon as you see them can damage your community's atmosphere, resident morale, and your reputation. Ensuring you are actively listening to every stakeholder in your community is the first step to a healthier, more robust community.
Family Concerns
Family members who bring up concerns should always be taken seriously, right away. There can be a tendency to mitigate their perceptions because "they're not here all the time" or "they don't understand the procedures." However, untrained eyes have a way of catching things often missed by those too involved in the environment. Family members are concerned for their loved ones and will always be searching for signs of wrong-doing because they can’t be there all the time. That’s okay. Let them be your fresh set of eyes and give you the feedback you need. It can even be helpful to participate in family-oriented activities or start a family advisory board. Meet them where they are and the negative feedback, when it comes, may be less pointed.
Staff Speaking Up
You should always empower your team to share problems with you. Never over-react or deal blame if a problem is brought to your attention. Knowing about issues is always preferable to letting them simmer. It takes a lot of courage for staff to come forward, especially if the problem is about another member of the team. It is essential that you build relationships with your management team and even lower, that way staff members will feel comfortable approaching you with issues. Even better than handling everything yourself, build a community that enables staff to think critically in order to solve problems or intervene within their scope of knowledge. Create a culture where problems are opportunities; there is nothing better than a community and staff that are always learning.
Happy Residents, Happy You
Keeping residents happy is a huge part of your role. As an administrator, you field complaints both large and small. It’s important to not get discouraged, especially by a repetitive or repeat complainers. Take their complaints seriously, every time. Vocal residents are in fact much preferred to residents who have apathy about their surroundings. You want to know about the issues in your community, as soon as they happen. And if you happen to get a compliment from your chronic complainers, you definitely know you are on the right track.Turning around a dissatisfied resident is always a win!
Don’t Wait
You don’t always have to wait for a problem to arise or an issue to continue long enough for someone to complain. You can be proactive in asking your residents, family members, and staff about their experiences in your community. Whether you have a weekly check-in with staff or start a family advisory committee, being proactive is always a better option than being reactive. One of the best ways to get real-time, honest answer is through resident surveys. Giving regular, targeted surveys from Senior Living Alliance can help you gather the pulse of your community and take the steps you need to change!
Don’t let problems fester in your community. Be open to opinions and concerns, and always take immediate action!