improving workforce retention in

senior living communities

defining the problemThe assisted living community has been facing an employee

retention problem for decades. With our aging population living

longer and facing more chronic conditions, the physical and

emotional demands of caregivers become more challenging.

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The senior living industry has a turnover rate of

50%according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To put this figure into better perspec-tive, if your facility has 1,000 staff members, you need to hire 500 new employees every year to maintain the

status quo.

workloadA caregiver’s responsibility within an assisted living environment is emotionally and physically taxing work. The added pressures and protocols with the pandemic have led to even more elevated stress and a growing mental health crisis for frontline care workers. Aside from the added pressures of the pandemic however, health care workers continue to face an increase in work hours which are leading to burnout. Employees are overworked because facilities simply can’t keep up with hiring. As a result, senior living communities lack the number of caregivers and other staff to adequately handle the number of residents.

High physical and emotional workload demands combine to drive quality staffers away. This turnover rate breeds distrust and dissatisfaction in residents, and can require remaining staff members to increase workloads beyond their capabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused extraordinarily high turnover among staff at senior living communities. Based on a recent survey, “56% of respondents said that pandemic-related stress resulted in trouble sleeping;

31% developed severe headaches or stomach aches, and 16% reported increased alcohol or drug use.”

contributors to the problem

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low payWith around 10,000 Baby Boomers reaching retire-ment age each day, the U.S. population is graying. One of the fastest-growing needs in every area of the country is direct care workers to take care of this aging population. But those personal care aides and nursing assistants are typically on the bottom of the healthcare pay scale.

Nursing assistants can get paid around $12 per hour, with nurses faring a bit better at $20. Low pay in assist-ed living facilities can drive caregivers and other staff to find work elsewhere in other areas of healthcare or outside of healthcare completely where they can have higher pay in less stressful jobs. What they may lose in working in an environment that allows them to meet their passion to serve provides them a less stressful and higher paying opportunity.

A study by KARE indicates that a low pay rate is a main demotivator for caregivers. On a scale from 1-10 (1 not a factor, 10 significant factor), caregiversgave a low pay rate an average of 8.09 for being asignificant demotivator to take a position.

lack of career growthLastly, assisted living caregivers/staff are promised a physical and emotional workload that may lack variety or room for growth. This coincides with residents being dissatisfied with their lack of care when care-givers have begun to lose admiration for their work without the support for personal advancement.

Difficulty advancing into senior management positions is caused by a lack of staff development programs. This results in staff feeling a “lack of belonging” when they can’t achieve their personal goals or career aspirations.

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By 2030 almost 1 in 5

Americans will be 65 years or older

how can we fix it?automation & technologyThe escalating shortage of nursing staff, traditional institutional long term care (LTC) must change. This requires a deeper look into new approaches toimprove the challenges LTC facilities are facing.

Adopting high-tech options is a promising option where residents are the primary consumers of products used to improve their quality of life. These high-tech approaches use seamlessly integrated technology that recedes into the background of residents’ lives.

Implementing technologies that save time and work may include things like mobile devices, electronic scheduling that provides resident engagement scores and resident management systems that allow staff to have more efficient communication and targeted engagement with residents. This can also be used to help assess and manage workload and make resident’s families feel comfortable and assured with the care their loved one’s are getting.

benefits to innovative technology include:• Viable solution to remedy current job

shortage• Better use of caregiver’s time • Improved communication among staff

and residents with more streamlined information and accessibility solutions

• Closer, faster connection to families (i.e.: Video conferencing), building trust between facility and families

Technology has the potential to be used as a tool to create innovative and effective long-term care and support. If implemented appropriately, automating operations can be an important instrument to critically improve workforce retention.

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pay rate & benefits

Offering higher pay than competitors can also im-prove the quality of candidates needed to fill job vacancies, ultimately reducing turnover. Barring pay increases, assisted care facilities can also provide incentive programs including full health benefits, rewards systems, and retention bonuses tied to staff longevity.

advancing career growth

Employee satisfaction in any organization impacts turnover rates. By focusing on employee development programs, assisted living communities can improve employee satisfaction immensely. Investing in ongo-ing professional development and advanced training programs can also improve resident outcomes, as employees understand that their contributions are valued by senior leadership. Furthering employees’ education training can help them feel valued and in-vested in the company.

A focus on furthering education is key to higher re-tention rates. That commitment to training is seen by employees as an investment in their worth and a powerful incentive to stay at the facility.

Pay rate is the main motivator for caregivers. Paid time off can also go a long way and shows that employers support employees taking the time to recharge. In turn, those people feel valued when they are paid well and their personal and mental health are in their employer’s best interest.

professional development offerings can include:

• Interdisciplinary care plan meetings• Supervisory training• coaching/mentoring workshops• team building• Reward/Incentive programs for furthering

education • Leadership training• Seminars on resident rights and needs.

When it comes to employee development, making efforts to invest in the staff improves both resident and employee outcomes. Making strides to fully understand employee needs and desires, and cre-ating career paths that allow caregivers to take on new skills and responsibilities can be the catalyst to employee retention.

A lack of career growth is one of the most prominent reasons workers report leaving their jobs. According to a recent survey, 63 percent of employees said a lack of career development opportunities would be enough for them to leave their current employer.

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promote from within

Promoting from within not only provides a clear path to greater compensation and responsibility, it also helps employees feel that they’re a crucial part of the company’s success. When employees are promoted from within, people see opportunity to grow with-in their organization, and that ripple effect can be overwhelmingly positive.

The ability for caregivers to achieve career goals saves both time and money on the company’s end, reducing costs associated with onboarding and training.

offer flexibility in scheduling

Flexible work opportunities continue to grow in a variety of fields. People are often quitting their job due to inconsistent work hours, which means more dependable hours or the flexibility of schedules would make people more apt to stay with an organization.

Flexible work schedule benefits include reduced stress, improved productivity, and higher job satisfaction. Ways to adjust scheduling options:

• Don’t push overtime without relief • Look into past schedules to identify any overtime

or call-off patterns or regular scheduling gaps• Pull more cost-effective part time staff to reduce

burnout and heavy overtime• Try cohorting schedule (A&B teams alternating

shifts, or 7 days on, 7 days off)

wellness Plans

Prioritizing staff well-being means offering things such as mental health support to reduce risk of burn-out, appropriate PPE availability, and even employing the right resources to keep employees engaged.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) can provide support for employees dealing with personal or pro-fessional issues, in addition to help combat absentee-ism, maintain productivity, and ensure positive culture in the workplace. Healthy assisted living staff will keep coming back to work when they are of sound body and mind, fully supported by management.

improved communications

Many staffers in assisted living facilities report that they love working with their residents and coworkers, but can face serious disconnects with residents when it comes to impaired hearing or communicating while masked. When staff members are constantly raising their voice with residents due to the burdens of hear-ing loss, it leads to frustration, exhaustion, and a loss of patience for both staff and residents. Addressing hearing accessibility should be considered a key com-ponent to every community.

It’s no secret that communication is the founda-tion of a successful business operation, regardless of industry. In the healthcare and senior living field, strengthening professional and personal relation-ships between staffers and residents can greatly reduce employee turnover rates, resulting in improved quality of care for community residents.

A solution like Eversound helps improve communica-tions across the community as well as the efficiency of one-on-one sessions between Resident and Care Staff. Additionally, Eversound supports successful family visits and drives overall resident engagement and satisfaction

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key takeawaysThere is no one size fits all approach to employee retention, but building a strong culture promotes growth and wellness, which, in turn, makes people want to stay. With the right systems and technologies in place, administrators can better care for their residents and rebuild trust among stakeholders.

Understanding the needs of the employees and making sure they’re feeling appreciated and supported should be a top priority. Technology, improved pay and benefits, and professional development programs should be considered to increase staff satisfaction and morale. It’s time providers receive the proper resources to invest in their frontline caregivers to improve quality care and reduce employee turnover.

Get in touch today!

ES2049-0921

Eversound empowers

teams to combat the

burden of hearing loss

and bolster resident

engagement, helping

senior living commu-

nities take a holistic

approach to improve

their everyday lives.

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sources1. https://www.workstream.us/blog/factors-turn-

over-rate-assisted-living

2. https://seniorhousingnews.com/2021/04/07/over-50-of-assisted-living-nursing-home-work-ers-report-burnout-24-say-they-had-covid-19/

3. https://www.census.gov/library/stories

4. https://www.workstream.us/blog/factors-turn-over-rate-assisted-living

5. https://www.doyoukare.com/kare-news

6. https://us.softbankrobotics.com/blog/6-ways-to-improve-turnover-rates-for-assisted-living-staff

7. https://us.softbankrobotics.com/blog/6-ways-to-improve-turnover-rates-for-assisted-living-staff