Of course it’s imperative to regularly communicate with residents’ family members, especially as it relates to health and care issues. But at times, clinical information can be confusing, too technical, or even discouraging. How can clinical leadership ensure a steady flow of information? Moreover, how can they ensure that challenging news is neither unwelcome nor too overwhelming? Two senior living executives with clinical expertise weigh in …
Budgie Amparo
Senior Vice President, Quality & Risk Management
Emeritus Senior Living
[email protected]
Communication is considered a crucial component of collaboration with families involving resident-related care issues, but it is not limited to falls and medication changes.
Communication with families should start from the day of move-in by having a thorough understanding of the resident and family expectations. This would the best time to go over community standards and practices involving family notifications.
What are these standards? Ongoing and regular communication should be established by the community with family members. Staff should look beyond calling or communicating with the families only when there is a problem. In addition to our planned family care conferences, the community should be calling these family members on a regular basis or sending them recent pictures of residents involved in meaningful activities.
When bad news must be shared, take to time gather all needed information. Calling the family member without proper preparation could cause increased anxiety on the part of the family member or responsible party which could lead to lack of trust and confidence in our staff. We can prevent and minimize these family anxieties by making communications succinct and factual. Be organized, accurate, calm and confident. Gather all your thoughts. Never make assumptions involving an alleged or unwitnessed fall. Focus on the interventions that you rendered, in order to assure the family that your priority is resident safety.
As far as medication and medication changes are concerned, prior communications are key.
At the time of move-in, have an accounting of the resident’s medications and partner with a physician to educate the resident and the family member on medication indications in layman’s term if all possible. Forewarn them about possible changes and medication adjustments depending on the overall condition of the resident.
Explain community practices and involving medication management. For the family member in charge of ordering medications and bringing these medications to the community, it is imperative for the family member and or responsible party to know how you deal with medications not delivered in a timely way by the family.
These upfront discussions are going to prevent and or minimize miscommunication. Then when there are changes or questions to be addressed, communications will be smoother and far more productive.
Whether sharing good news, breaking bad news or simply sharing information, clear communications are a key element in nurturing our relationships with our residents their family members.
Brenda Abbott-Shultz
Vice President, Resident Care Operations
Benchmark Assisted Living
[email protected]
Throughout the course of an assisted living stay our residents will likely experience a range of complications related to their aging process.
When significant changes in condition occur, clinical staff needs to initiate immediate connection with the family member, whether through voice-to-voice calls, e-mails, or face-to-face connections. These touch points are essential to the operation of our communities.
Too often, though, communications revolve around only the “negative incidents.”
Families’ interactions with us may involve only problems, or discussions about higher service level fees or an increase in rent. Loved one start to cringe when they see us on their caller ID. They visit after hours and on weekends so they do not have to interact with management staff.
The safeguard lies in a commitment to ongoing communication. When we proactively communicate the subtle changes in their loved one’s condition over time, then the eventual discussion about a service level increase becomes easier.
In addition to ongoing status updates, it helps to build bridges by sharing good news. When the executive director calls just to tell the family member that their loved one had an exceptional day—and sends a follow-up e-mail with pictures—the discussion about the bad day down the road will be better received.
We do so many things well every day and we need to start taking credit for them, communicating the positives as the basis for a long-term relationship with loved ones. Invest in the positive communications, and the positive relationships will be built.
Likewise, it is important to take the time to follow up on complaints. Five out of every six people will continue to do business with you even if you didn’t resolve their problems to their level of satisfaction if they perceive you to be friendly, non-defensive, and committed to the relationship.
While it is important to immediately confront issues, it is just as important to communicate your responses to the resident/family member’s satisfaction, which in turn promotes resident retention.
Last but not least, recognize your associates who do spend the time investing in positive communications and relationships with your residents/families. Drive positive communications by recognizing and rewarding those who model that type of contact. Then when bad news must be delivered, families will be better situated to receive and understand it.
