Key Takeaways from Elevating Senior Living Teams: Best Practices for Innovators

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The senior living industry plays a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of older adults. However, the persistent issue of staff turnover in senior living communities has long been a challenge that requires innovative solutions. The search for fresh ideas to attract, retain, and motivate an exceptional team is a goal that senior living operators are increasingly embracing. 

In this blog, we will delve into three main takeaways from our recent panel webinar featuring leaders from Berwick Retirement, Origin Active Lifestyles, and Verve Senior Living, which shed light on their strategies to empower their senior living and life enrichment teams with technology! 

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Takeaway 1: The Importance of Embracing Modernization and Digital Transformation

There is a fundamental shift in the senior living industry towards embracing modernization and digital transformation. This shift is not only essential but also timely, as senior living communities grapple with the pressures of staff turnover while striving to maintain the highest quality of care for the new generation of residents. Below is a quote from Harmeet Kandola at Verve Senior Living that highlights this: 

“Now we're having more meaningful programming where we're travelling and using different technology. When we move from independent living to assisted living, it's kind of about having that integrated programming that caters to both of those needs and across that demographic.” - Harmeet Kandola, Verve Senior Living

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Takeaway 2: Leveraging Technology for Excellence

One of the key takeaways from this webinar is the emphasis on leveraging technology to earn recognition as top employers within the senior living sector. Technology, often seen as a tool for streamlining processes and improving efficiency, can also be a powerful ally in staff retention and motivation to do their jobs well. Below is a quote from Melissa Braun from Berwick Retirement that highlights this: 

“Right off the bat, Welbi has changed our team's job essentially, as far as giving time back to doing research and planning and being creative and spending more time with residents, and getting to know them on an individual basis. The biggest piece is the analytics that comes with using the technology and having all of that information housed in one spot, which is at the tip of your finger to make decisions.” - Melissa Braun, Berwick Retirement Communities 

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Takeaway 3: How to Avoid High Turnover

High staff turnover in senior living communities comes with substantial associated costs. These costs extend beyond financial considerations and can impact the quality of care provided to residents, disrupt the sense of community, and tarnish the reputation of the facility. Below is a quote from Carrie Erickson from Origin Active Lifestyles that highlights a strategy that operators can use in order to combat staff turnover: 

“We do have a fairly low turnover rate, which is great. We ensure that our staff benefits are great, such as having beyond the paycheck programs, as well as an extended EPA program, and really encouraging people to use it if they need it, as well as education and training. But one of the stressors I think about, especially in the active living and life enrichment realm is the stressor of knowing that there's an increasing body of knowledge and research about aging and how to age “well”. It is important to know how we can impact people, and try to balance that knowledge and pressure.” - Carrie Erickson, Origin Active Lifestyles 

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Didn’t catch the live event? You can see the full webinar here. Like this article? Make sure to sign up for news and updates from Welbi below!