Operating Officer, Sonata Senior Living. Workforce and retention have always been a focus she said, even when margins were strong, but there was a stronger pool of candidates to choose from to support operations. Fast forward to today and there has been a shift. While communities are still focused on the mental, emotional, physical, and social wellness of residents and their loved ones, there’s a new focus now, Merrill said…a focus on staff and the burnout and emotional fatigue resulting from workforce challenges and labor shortages.
“Occupancy declines along with labor and expense increases have compressed margins so dramatically that many operators exhibit new levels of stress related to the viability concern for their organizations [burnout]. The mental exhaustion that comes with vacant positions, staffing challenges, significantly inflated labor costs, and contract labor usage, all compress the margins further, requiring raised rates and decreased spending,” explained Merrill. It’s troubling she said. New and veteran industry leaders are abandoning the industry altogether.
Damon Thomas, VP of Operations with Providence Senior Living agreed. Stress and burnout are taking a toll on the mental health of providers. It’s a vicious cycle…turnover produces labor shortages then inadequate staffing followed by job dissatisfaction and ultimately burnout. The stress is too much, and burnout strikes when those who are highly committed face fatigue and frustration.
Thomas said Providence is serious about what their associates are going through and what they have experienced over the past three years. Some of Providence’s approaches to address the issues include education on self-care, work-life balance, how to protect their mental and physical health, increased flexibility in community staff ing, f ree lunches and snacks during the workday, plus a focus on workplace leadership and culture. “We focus on transparency, trust, respect, openness, equality, empathy and support…and are also mindful about promoting inclusion, collaboration and support, “ said Thomas.
Moreover, Dr. Pena-Rosa emphasized the importance of access to employee assistance programs, broadening mental health
coverage in health benefits, and ensuring a safe and supportive environment for staff members to seek assistance if they require additional resources or accommodations.
Speaker and author Sharon Fekete of The Broken Road to Mental Health, in Life and in Business, also stresses the importance of creating a safe space to speak openly about mental health. So many people fear the stigma associated with mental health. They worry about what people will think, how they may act or judge. Resources need to be shared openly and made available, not hidden away or kept hush-hush. The availability of these services is crucial. Sharon, herself, talks candidly about this piece of the mental health puzzle in her book and weekly podcast. She also reminds us to not only help those who seek help but “don’t forget about your strong friends.” Sometimes they are the ones that need the most help.
What are you doing to break the cycle?
Connect with Sheri on LinkedIn.
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