I know of a nursing home where the residents actually get to interview candidates and have a say in hiring. Sounds crazy huh? Well consider that a resident (not a rehab patient who will be going home) will be spending part of their life with this new hire and it is not so surprising after all. When it comes to nursing home staffing and assisted living staffing, what might be surprising is the fact that the industry has struggled with the idea of consistent assignment for years.
Consistent assignment means that residents see the same caregivers almost every time they are on duty. Studies have confirmed that residents and their family members value the quality of the relationships they have with the front-line caregivers higher that the quality of the medical care and the quality of the food in a facility. And providing residents with the same caregiver results in more individualized care, which leads to better clinical outcomes and quality of life.
Consistent assignment is not limited to nursing and assisted living facilities. A friend of mine needed home care services following a hip replacement. The agency he hired rotated staff, which is normal since he initially needed 24/7 care. However, they kept the caregivers for the three shifts the same. On a rare occasion that a substitute was sent my friend was not happy.
Sure people get sick or have scheduling conflicts. But time and again home care agencies are selected or de-selected on whether they provide consistent assignment. Consistent assignment helps the caregivers know what their residents/clients like and dislike and the elder more readily recognizes the caregiver.
So why did this take so long to implement? Well not everyone is implementing it yet but reasons have included:
- management's desire for fairness by rotating staff and having them become familiar with the needs of all under their care
- a desire to prevent staff burnout
- discouraging strong relationships to shield staff from grief when residents/clients die
Yet it has been shown that rotating assignment exacerbates low staff morale- leading to staff burnout, call-outs, and turnover.
So how does consistent assignment benefit everyone?
- Allows staff to develop closer relationships with residents/clients in their care and with co-workers.
- Residents/clients receive better care.
- Residents feel more comfortable and secure.
- It leads to improved job satisfaction.
- Staff turnover is reduced.
- Staff feel valued.
- Staff are empowered. They feel more accountable and able to make and implement decisions.
- Relationships develop and blossom.
- There is more familiarity with resident/clients' needs and desires. Staff can anticipate needs and their work become easier as a result.
- It results in less absenteeism.
No matter how dedicated to person centered care you are perfection isn't possible. No one can work every day. People will not always have their favorites. Yet boomers are using their clout to insist on higher standards and consistent assignment is part of that. What would you want for yourself after all?
With consistent assignment you will have more satisfied residents/clients and staff. Less turnover means more consistency in care. And that has been proven to enhance the quality of care. With better quality and better experiences, people talk. And word of mouth is your most potent marketing tool. It is a perfect cycle for sustaining and growing your long-term care business.
