The recent Frontline story, "Life and Death in Assisted Living" clearly was about one thing: you can't trust Emeritus. Their buildings might look beautiful, but their care is ugly.
I watched the show carefully, hoping (fearing) I might see one of my own buildings. Three of their Memory Care Communities were designed, built and operated by my partners and I for many years before we sold them to Summerville, who shortly after merged with Emeritus. I put my heart and soul into those building, picking every single color, every piece of furniture and every single caregiver who worked in them for many, many years. Selling them was bittersweet - it was like sending your babies off into the real world - sad, but exciting with possibilities for a completely new phase of your life.
When we sold our communities we started aQuire Training Solutions - an online caregiver training company dedicated to making the highest quality training available to every caregiver, in every care setting, anywhere in the world. Leveraging the power of the internet, we believed that we could change the face of caregiving to be better, stronger, more informed and more compassionate.
We did it exactly for the reasons highlighted in the Frontline story: the one area that makes or breaks care is the quality of caregiver training. Skimping or cutting corners on training will yield less than the best quality care - no matter who you are or how big your company.
I knew this to be true from my years of operating Memory Care Communities. Training matters. Paying close attention to who you hire and how you train matters more than almost anything else you do.
Today, the best news for providers - and for consumers - is that caregiver training isn't an impossibility. It can be done quickly, efficiently, effectively and easily with a solid online solution. The best companies invest in training, track it closely and ensure that it is done well. They train even more than state requirements, because they know that training yields not only improved quality of care but also improved bottom line business success as consumers, referral sources, regulators - and the media - become familiar with that commitment to training.
If you're a family members looking for assisted living care let me assure you: the story really isn't about Emeritus. You can trust them exactly as well as you can trust any other assisted living provider - after your homework is done in the individual community you're considering. Check out how long their Executive Director has been around (longer is almost always better). Ask about the level of training and how it is provided to their caregivers (listen for specific answers with evidence easily visible).
Emeritus is a big company - and big companies make the easiest targets. It doesn't make them evil; it does mean they have much more room for error or employees with a grudge. Can they improve - who can't? Are they perfect - who is? What I do know is that many of the individuals in their organization are deeply dedicated to quality care - in some of the most beautiful care environments in the country (even if I did build a couple of those myself!).
As a consumer, watching the Frontline story should scare you a little. But more importantly, consider it an opportunity to become more educated and to know what questions to ask and what to look for. Good assisted living care is out there, more readily available today than at any other time in our nation's history. It's a gift for families and for elders needing care but wanting the independence of a living environment that doesn't feel like a hospital or nursing home. It's the option we chose for our parents, both my husband and I, and we were thankful every single day - despite occasional bumps in the road - that this option existed.
In the end, it is all about the quality of the caregivers. Having immersed myself in creating a caregiver training company for the last several years I see the difference. Quality training can change the quality of care - it can make a clear difference every day for every family involved.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Monday, December 26, 2011
Genuine Leadership
Strong leadership is a proven factor in a successful operation of any kind. Leaders like Lee Iococca revived Chrysler from a sure death, just as leaders like Adolf Hitler changed the face of the globe.
In your organization, strong leadership is vital to success, too. But a strong leader knows to listen to his team and let their requests, ideas and suggestions guide his decisions, too.
When I left home to attend college in another state I needed a job. I knew that I could work with seniors (my parents owned senior care communities and everyone in our family helped out from time to time). So I applied at a nearby nursing home, and was hired on the spot.
I remember very little about that job, other than the lack of training and the physical intensity and intimacy of care that I was expected to give. I was 17 years old, and it was incredibly overwhelming.
I also remember the nurse who hired me. I remember telling her that I would work any and all evenings of the week if I could just have Friday nights off as often as possible. Being a college freshman, I wanted to join in the social life at school and feel a part of that environment, too.
I’ve never forgotten her response. Not the words she said, but the actions she took. Not once during the semester I worked there was I scheduled off on Friday night. Not one single time.
By the end of the five or six months, I was done.
My memory of those months has shaped my own management style in fundamental ways.
I remember what it was like to be thrown into something I wasn’t ready for, either in life maturity or in skills.
I remember what it was like to have the one thing I requested totally disregarded by management.
And so today I run a training company that helps prepare nursing assistants and caregivers to give incredibly challenging, intimate care.
I listen to my employees and give them as much flexibility in scheduling as possible.
I know that I would have stayed in that job, perhaps for my full four years at college if I had been adequately trained and respected. Instead, I left people whom I had genuinely learned to love in the care of others – and found a job where my needs were respected, too.
We’ve had crises in turnover in senior care, industry-wide. We’ve had PR disasters and plenty of census challenges, too.
At the end of the day, I believe that the strong leaders – those people who have led their organization to success – will be ones who know the value of their team, and who listen to them, train them and respect them.
Genuine leaders. Real success.
In your organization, strong leadership is vital to success, too. But a strong leader knows to listen to his team and let their requests, ideas and suggestions guide his decisions, too.
When I left home to attend college in another state I needed a job. I knew that I could work with seniors (my parents owned senior care communities and everyone in our family helped out from time to time). So I applied at a nearby nursing home, and was hired on the spot.
I remember very little about that job, other than the lack of training and the physical intensity and intimacy of care that I was expected to give. I was 17 years old, and it was incredibly overwhelming.
I also remember the nurse who hired me. I remember telling her that I would work any and all evenings of the week if I could just have Friday nights off as often as possible. Being a college freshman, I wanted to join in the social life at school and feel a part of that environment, too.
I’ve never forgotten her response. Not the words she said, but the actions she took. Not once during the semester I worked there was I scheduled off on Friday night. Not one single time.
By the end of the five or six months, I was done.
My memory of those months has shaped my own management style in fundamental ways.
I remember what it was like to be thrown into something I wasn’t ready for, either in life maturity or in skills.
I remember what it was like to have the one thing I requested totally disregarded by management.
And so today I run a training company that helps prepare nursing assistants and caregivers to give incredibly challenging, intimate care.
I listen to my employees and give them as much flexibility in scheduling as possible.
I know that I would have stayed in that job, perhaps for my full four years at college if I had been adequately trained and respected. Instead, I left people whom I had genuinely learned to love in the care of others – and found a job where my needs were respected, too.
We’ve had crises in turnover in senior care, industry-wide. We’ve had PR disasters and plenty of census challenges, too.
At the end of the day, I believe that the strong leaders – those people who have led their organization to success – will be ones who know the value of their team, and who listen to them, train them and respect them.
Genuine leaders. Real success.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Leading with Laughter
One of our foundational concepts here at aQuire Training is that our work should be FUN. We’ve painted some key words on the wall in our conference room – and FUN is among them. Yes, we’ve got our serious words there: Passion, Integrity, Purpose and Profit.
But several years ago I realized that for all the hours we spend at work – and around our co-workers – if we aren’t having FUN, we’re missing something real that adds value to our lives. Along the way, I realized that when I’m having fun at work, I’m working harder, being more creative and making other people’s lives more enjoyable, too.
I’m not watching the clock, thinking about lunch, or counting the days until my next paycheck.
I’m being much more engaged in my work, and, as a consequence, I’m much more productive, too.
People around me respond in a different way, too. Others stop being territorial about their projects or ideas. Collaboration comes more naturally, as we laugh together and then – seriously – come up with imaginative solutions to challenging problems.
For a project at my church several years ago I researched the effect that laughing together has on building community. The results were amazing to me. When we laugh together, we connect on a level that instantly creates bonds. We lean in toward each other; sometimes we touch each other companionably on the arm, back or shoulder.
When I walked through my assisted living communities and saw caregivers laughing with residents, I saw an extraordinary amount of eye contact, hugging and playfulness occurring. I learned that this was one of my strongest indicators of a team that felt engaged, safe and confident.
They were not working out of fear of their supervisor catching them doing something wrong.
They were not watching the clock; or waiting for their next break, their lunch hour, quitting time.
They were acting out the reason they worked in this challenging memory care environment: because they loved their residents.
I could tell they felt empowered and supported by management; safe to express the love and the joy they felt in their hearts.
Clate Mask, CEO of a company called Infusionsoft says this about fun in the workplace:
After all, adding humor, laughter, and fun into your work environment...
• Helps relieve stress (and happy people tend to be more productive)
• Creates a stronger bond amongst you and your employees
• Has a positive impact on your customers (and attracts more of them)
• Improves the physical health of you and your employees
• Encourages more open and honest communication
• And so much more!
Jody Urquhart of weLead Online Magazine (www.leadingtoday.org) describes some of the specific benefits of fun in the workplace:
“Laughter releases endorphins (a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine) into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells. It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.
“Humor also levels the playing field to create an atmosphere that encourages honest dialogue, open communication, and increased risk taking. Creating more equality in power or control shows people respect and builds pride in their work.”
Most useful to me, however, are Ms. Urquhart’s “13 Steps to Creating a Fun Workplace.” Click here to check them out! http://www.leadingtoday.org/Onmag/feb03/ju-feb03.html
She suggests that, as managers, we create an environment where our employees have fun. We don’t need to come to work dressed as a clown, but we do need to set the tone that it’s OK to laugh and have fun at work. Most of all, though, we need to let our employees be creative – we need to get out of the way so they can bring more fun into the workplace.
As a manager, pay close attention to how you say things to your team, especially those ugly “disciplinary” things. If you hear yourself frequently making threats (“anyone with more than one tardy in the next pay period will be terminated”) stop for a minute and think of a way to say that with humor, and in a positive tone. Try something like this: “if you’ve got someplace more important to be than at work when you’re scheduled, we’re gonna let you be there all the time! We don’t want to get in the way of what you’re rather be doing!
Or here’s another one: “If you love this place so much you don’t want us to pay you, please don’t bother to fill out your timecard.”
You get the idea.
Now go have some fun today!
But several years ago I realized that for all the hours we spend at work – and around our co-workers – if we aren’t having FUN, we’re missing something real that adds value to our lives. Along the way, I realized that when I’m having fun at work, I’m working harder, being more creative and making other people’s lives more enjoyable, too.
I’m not watching the clock, thinking about lunch, or counting the days until my next paycheck.
I’m being much more engaged in my work, and, as a consequence, I’m much more productive, too.
People around me respond in a different way, too. Others stop being territorial about their projects or ideas. Collaboration comes more naturally, as we laugh together and then – seriously – come up with imaginative solutions to challenging problems.
For a project at my church several years ago I researched the effect that laughing together has on building community. The results were amazing to me. When we laugh together, we connect on a level that instantly creates bonds. We lean in toward each other; sometimes we touch each other companionably on the arm, back or shoulder.
When I walked through my assisted living communities and saw caregivers laughing with residents, I saw an extraordinary amount of eye contact, hugging and playfulness occurring. I learned that this was one of my strongest indicators of a team that felt engaged, safe and confident.
They were not working out of fear of their supervisor catching them doing something wrong.
They were not watching the clock; or waiting for their next break, their lunch hour, quitting time.
They were acting out the reason they worked in this challenging memory care environment: because they loved their residents.
I could tell they felt empowered and supported by management; safe to express the love and the joy they felt in their hearts.
Clate Mask, CEO of a company called Infusionsoft says this about fun in the workplace:
After all, adding humor, laughter, and fun into your work environment...
• Helps relieve stress (and happy people tend to be more productive)
• Creates a stronger bond amongst you and your employees
• Has a positive impact on your customers (and attracts more of them)
• Improves the physical health of you and your employees
• Encourages more open and honest communication
• And so much more!
Jody Urquhart of weLead Online Magazine (www.leadingtoday.org) describes some of the specific benefits of fun in the workplace:
“Laughter releases endorphins (a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine) into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells. It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.
“Humor also levels the playing field to create an atmosphere that encourages honest dialogue, open communication, and increased risk taking. Creating more equality in power or control shows people respect and builds pride in their work.”
Most useful to me, however, are Ms. Urquhart’s “13 Steps to Creating a Fun Workplace.” Click here to check them out! http://www.leadingtoday.org/Onmag/feb03/ju-feb03.html
She suggests that, as managers, we create an environment where our employees have fun. We don’t need to come to work dressed as a clown, but we do need to set the tone that it’s OK to laugh and have fun at work. Most of all, though, we need to let our employees be creative – we need to get out of the way so they can bring more fun into the workplace.
As a manager, pay close attention to how you say things to your team, especially those ugly “disciplinary” things. If you hear yourself frequently making threats (“anyone with more than one tardy in the next pay period will be terminated”) stop for a minute and think of a way to say that with humor, and in a positive tone. Try something like this: “if you’ve got someplace more important to be than at work when you’re scheduled, we’re gonna let you be there all the time! We don’t want to get in the way of what you’re rather be doing!
Or here’s another one: “If you love this place so much you don’t want us to pay you, please don’t bother to fill out your timecard.”
You get the idea.
Now go have some fun today!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Senior Care in Tough Times
I’d like to never again hear this phrase at the start of a sentence, especially spoken by the double-bass “voice of God”:
In these trying financial times…
They seem to be followed by words of advice or, really, a sales pitch.
During the years I operated our own group of assisted living communities I can’t remember a time that wasn’t “financially trying.”
Oh sure, there were weeks, months, and maybe even a year or two when all our administrators and executive directors stayed put and stayed on track, and when our nurses, caregivers and other staff were happy and productive.
But there were certainly days and months when it seemed like we were in an “all hands on deck” environment, trying to avoid some pitfall or another.
Start-up, my favorite part of ownership, was exciting – and stressful. If the fill-up rate didn’t match projections, we could quickly drift into “financially trying times.”
The ebb and flow of census, even though it seemed to be almost predictably cyclical, could give us moments of anxiety and worry.
I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about.
My point is that as a business owner and operator, we know trying times. We live them, breathe them, and know that, with focus and consistency we will survive them.
We’ll survive these times, too, at least most of us. Some of us will have built enough cushion to avoid sleepless nights entirely.
Others of us will see opportunities in the challenges and come out ahead.
Those of us who work hard to consolidate expenses, hire and train smarter and more effectively will see a major upside, not just a slow recovery.
We can learn from watching those in our industry who are plummeting publicly and brutally.
And we can grow stronger. Because tough times are no match for tough, determined people on a mission!
In these trying financial times…
They seem to be followed by words of advice or, really, a sales pitch.
During the years I operated our own group of assisted living communities I can’t remember a time that wasn’t “financially trying.”
Oh sure, there were weeks, months, and maybe even a year or two when all our administrators and executive directors stayed put and stayed on track, and when our nurses, caregivers and other staff were happy and productive.
But there were certainly days and months when it seemed like we were in an “all hands on deck” environment, trying to avoid some pitfall or another.
Start-up, my favorite part of ownership, was exciting – and stressful. If the fill-up rate didn’t match projections, we could quickly drift into “financially trying times.”
The ebb and flow of census, even though it seemed to be almost predictably cyclical, could give us moments of anxiety and worry.
I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about.
My point is that as a business owner and operator, we know trying times. We live them, breathe them, and know that, with focus and consistency we will survive them.
We’ll survive these times, too, at least most of us. Some of us will have built enough cushion to avoid sleepless nights entirely.
Others of us will see opportunities in the challenges and come out ahead.
Those of us who work hard to consolidate expenses, hire and train smarter and more effectively will see a major upside, not just a slow recovery.
We can learn from watching those in our industry who are plummeting publicly and brutally.
And we can grow stronger. Because tough times are no match for tough, determined people on a mission!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Building your Dream Team, Part 4
Adapted from Fred Lee's book, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently."
Building the perfect team isn’t a one-step job. It’s a process that takes time, focus and little incremental steps.
Let’s look at some other tips from Disney in building the dream team:
Building the perfect team isn’t a one-step job. It’s a process that takes time, focus and little incremental steps.
Let’s look at some other tips from Disney in building the dream team:
- Tapping into each person’s passion means knowing that person. As you get to know each employee better you’ll get a sense of whether he or she is in the right job – the job that truly fits. Are work assignments one that the person loves? Are they tasks the person feels he/she does well in? Researchers have found that the tasks we say we love are most likely the tasks we’re best at – so pay attention to those complaints and those success stories you hear about.
- Knowing your staff members also means knowing what will reward and motivate each of them, too. One manager tells a story about getting McDonald’s gift cards for everyone on staff and feeling proud that she had a great motivation/reward tool at her fingertips at all times. One problem – about half of her staff didn’t go to McDonalds. For those people, this was less a motivation and reward than a clear indicator that their boss didn’t know them very well.
- Make work fun. Yes, working at Disney seems like it would be fun anyway, until you think about the actual tasks involved. How fun would it be day after day helping people into and out of rides? Serving popcorn and soda pop? What makes it fun is the atmosphere. Is your work atmosphere fun? Do people laugh – or at least smile – throughout the day? Are you being a leader in creating a fun environment for work?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Building your Dream Team, Part 3
Adapted from Fred Lee's book, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently."
Last week we talked about the importance of sharing your dream with your team.
Let’s look at how we can develop a dream that the entire team is a part of creating. Here are some ideas to get you going:
Finish this sentence: “I dream of working on a team where ________________.” You might take a minute to answer this question yourself first. What’s important to you? You might list:
Ask your team to finish a couple more sentences, too, and see where that discussion leads. Here are some you might try:
I want to work for a manager who ________________.
I want to work with coworkers who ________________.
I enjoy my work most when ________________.
I wish there was more ________________ here at work.
Get the conversation going – engage your team in the journey and in reaching for the dream!
More next week!
Last week we talked about the importance of sharing your dream with your team.
Let’s look at how we can develop a dream that the entire team is a part of creating. Here are some ideas to get you going:
Finish this sentence: “I dream of working on a team where ________________.” You might take a minute to answer this question yourself first. What’s important to you? You might list:
- Everyone puts forth their best efforts.
- We reach – and exceed – our company goals.
- We have extremely satisfied clients.
- We all feel like good friends.
Ask your team to finish a couple more sentences, too, and see where that discussion leads. Here are some you might try:
I want to work for a manager who ________________.
I want to work with coworkers who ________________.
I enjoy my work most when ________________.
I wish there was more ________________ here at work.
Get the conversation going – engage your team in the journey and in reaching for the dream!
More next week!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Building your Dream Team, Part 2
Adapted from Fred Lee's book, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently."
One of the lessons we can learn from Disney in building the dream team of caregiving staff is simply this: Have a dream.
Before he was president, America would flock to listen to Barack Obama speak, because he so eloquently articulates a dream for this country. Whether you are a supporter or not, it’s hard not to feel the passion of his dream (check out this You Tube video titled “Yes We Can” if you haven’t experienced it yet).
In days past, Martin Luther King shared his “I have a Dream” speech – a speech that lifted our national discussion about race and relationships to an entirely new level.
Goals, objectives and mission statements don’t really motivate people to stretch outside their usual behaviors. Dreams do.
Some days, your dreams may simply include having every shift filled and never having to pull a night shift yourself again.
But to truly motivate your own team to work at their highest level, share the dreams you had when you first began in this field. Did you dream of creating a caring environment that felt like a home? A team that loved every single person in your care? A place where people came together to accomplish more than they could do on their own – and had fun, laughed and hugged freely?
In our office, we’ve written the dream on the wall – literally. Through an inexpensive website source we ordered vinyl lettering and carefully applied our dream (borrowing from the words of John Quincy Adams) on the wall: “If your words inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
It is our dream to become leaders by inspiring others to do all of those things.
What are your dreams? How do you share them with your team?
Next week, we’ll look at some additional, concrete steps you can use to help share your dream, and build your team.
One of the lessons we can learn from Disney in building the dream team of caregiving staff is simply this: Have a dream.
Before he was president, America would flock to listen to Barack Obama speak, because he so eloquently articulates a dream for this country. Whether you are a supporter or not, it’s hard not to feel the passion of his dream (check out this You Tube video titled “Yes We Can” if you haven’t experienced it yet).
In days past, Martin Luther King shared his “I have a Dream” speech – a speech that lifted our national discussion about race and relationships to an entirely new level.
Goals, objectives and mission statements don’t really motivate people to stretch outside their usual behaviors. Dreams do.
Some days, your dreams may simply include having every shift filled and never having to pull a night shift yourself again.
But to truly motivate your own team to work at their highest level, share the dreams you had when you first began in this field. Did you dream of creating a caring environment that felt like a home? A team that loved every single person in your care? A place where people came together to accomplish more than they could do on their own – and had fun, laughed and hugged freely?
In our office, we’ve written the dream on the wall – literally. Through an inexpensive website source we ordered vinyl lettering and carefully applied our dream (borrowing from the words of John Quincy Adams) on the wall: “If your words inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
It is our dream to become leaders by inspiring others to do all of those things.
What are your dreams? How do you share them with your team?
Next week, we’ll look at some additional, concrete steps you can use to help share your dream, and build your team.
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