Re–energizing Your Aging Services Staff

Fostering a Resilient and Happy Team

How to Energize Your Senior Care Employees

The last several years have placed significant stress on those in the health care community. The stress of the pandemic—and pandemic fatigue—took a real toll on employees, particularly in senior care and aging services. Burnout and compassion fatigue are very real in the nursing care industry. How can your staff be expected to give their best to your residents every day if they are not feeling motivated, valued, or appreciated?

 

Now is the time to energize your aging services staff. They likely need to remember why they do what they do—the impact they make on your residents and the important role they play in the overall operations of your team. They can also be reengaged around your mission as a senior care community.

 

This may feel like a monumental task: Start small. Little changes can make a big difference for your team members and their physical, mental, and emotional well–being.

  1. Listen to and observe your staff. Look for signs of exhaustion or stress. Keep in mind that many employees experiencing burnout may not be displaying those signs in the workplace. This is why it is important to regularly ask your team members how they are feeling and what kind of support they need. As a leader, you can work to remove the stigma around asking for help.
  2. Help team members foster resilience skills. In times of high stress in the workplace—like those brought by the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic—mindset is everything. It can help your employees be adaptable during stressful and unexpected situations.
  3. Honor special occasions. When possible, recognize the good work of your team and their accomplishments. Take time to join together in celebration for holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions in the workplace.
  4. Practice patience. Remember that your employees are not machines or robots—they will have bad days and good days. They have feelings that need to be recognized, validated, and supported. Challenging times call for grace and understanding.
  5. Offer flexibility. It can be difficult to energize employees solely with incentives, particularly when many nursing care environments are currently short–staffed. Be flexible in ways that you can, such as extending a lunch break or offering additional paid time off.

Our employees are central to our mission as a senior care organization: Without them, we could not deliver aging services to our community. Keeping our teams engaged and energized is essential to the future of the senior care industry. How are you re–energizing your staff? 

If we can offer any additional support, please reach out.

 

Contact McGregor