USING BEST PRACTICES, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT TO PROMOTE RESIDENT SAFETY
“Managers should be exploring the critical personality attributes in workers that are necessary to perform their jobs honestly, capably, and with the proper amount of motivation,” said Olney.
other topics. “The goal is to ensure team members are aware of their active role in compliance and their role in protecting the rights of our residents,” said Nadelstumph. She oversees the Brandywine Center of Excellence that develops and conducts pro- grams on leadership, training, innovation, and quality.
Design clear policies In general, employee policies fit into two categories, according to Olney. There are protocol-based policies, for example, how to properly carry out certain tasks such as medication administration. The other type of policy addresses behaviors that are dis- couraged or desirable with enforcement and reward mechanisms. Concrete examples help employees un-
derstand the policies. Olney recommends developing 10-15 bullet point examples of unacceptable behaviors. Examples of desired behaviors should also be provided. “It’s a carrot and stick approach,” said Ol- ney. “These are the behaviors we want and the ones we don’t want.” Management oversight and engagement
is key to the success of a resident safety pro- gram, according to providers. Managers set the tone for a culture of caring and provide an example to the front-line staff. Benchmark has implemented a Leader-
ship Presence Model. A manager is onsite seven days a week and licensed nurses are on duty 24/7 overseeing the resident care that is being delivered. Emphasis is placed not only on meeting regulatory standards, but also on creating a positive experience. “We have a values-based culture,” said Sampath. Family members are part of the safety
equation. “Families want and need to know who will be taking care of their loved one,” said Nadelstumph. The family education program starts at the time of the commu- nity tour, familiarizing them with basic poli- cies and procedures.
10 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2018 At move-in, the family, along with the
resident, receives a review of quality initia- tives, safety procedures, resident rights, and grievance policies. They are also apprised of their role in the annual customer satisfac- tion survey program that reviews quality in all areas of care. A goal of educating the family, and the
new resident, is to create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns or problems, according to providers.
Make transparency a priority Open communication among the staff is also important. Brandywine has an “alert line.” It is an
anonymous call-in number operated by a third party to track complaints to ensure team members and families have another outlet to receive prompt attention and fol- low-up on complaints and investigations. Benchmark has a “candor line,” a hot-
line that team members can call to report concerns. “We let them know there is no punishment for reporting an allegation,” said Sampath. Sunrise’s Coppola agrees. In her experi-
ence, an open environment that encourages team members to raise their concerns allows managers to understand what is happening and then take a corrective course of ac- tion. “At the end of the day, we are people working with people,” she said. “We need to make sure team members are comfort- able bringing concerns forward. As soon as you get into a situation where people have a fear of bringing things forward, you have the potential for more challenges.” Technology is helping to provide more
transparency in the work environment, which can promote resident safety and re- duce instances of abuse. Philips Lifeline, the makers of emergency
call systems, has developed a new solution called CarePoint 5.0. It features software
that allows the staff to determine a resi- dent’s location when help is needed so they can respond and provide assistance quickly. CarePoint also allows managers to send on- demand notifications to the staff at any time regarding activities, emergencies, evacua- tions, or any other information needed to be communicated quickly. Response data is collected that can be
used to determine what kinds of calls for assistance are being made and how caregiv- ers are responding. “The first step is to make sure caregiv-
ers and community owners have insight into the care that is being delivered,” said Paul Adams, senior director of product management for home monitoring, at Philips Lifeline. In the future, Adams expects the system
to engage with family members to give them better insights into the activities of the resi- dent. “We are on the cusp of major changes on how we can help companies improve the quality of their services,” he said.
Keep employees engaged Worker engagement programs also help promote resident safety. But how can a manager tell if a worker is truly engaged? Engaged employees show up on time
ready to work when their shift starts. They don’t need a lot of vocal encouragement or reinforcement from someone else. They take pride in doing their job well.
BE AWARE OF WARNING SIGNS
Staff should watch for indications that abuse is taking place. Warning signs will vary based on the kind of abuse, but here are some common red flags.
• Bruises • Withdrawal • Not eating • Fear • Poor hygiene
• Sudden changes in financial condition
• Mood swings
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