This past year has sent many retirement communities back to square one, unable to utilize the plans of moving forward they had set in place. Finally, there is light ahead that will bring us relief as the vaccines become available. Our resilience and adaptability have carried us through. These vaccines on the way will help many long term care communities to pick up where they were forced to change plans and to begin moving forward again. It will take time for the health crisis to reverse but communities can still set goals and make resolutions for 2021 while the end of COVID 19 comes closer.  There is always room for improvement or even goals to keep high standards for your community. It is time to make resolutions for achieving those standards for your residents and the high standards for your serving staff.

One of the ways to move forward is utilizing a Kind Dining♥ training methodology to upgrade the performance of your food serving staff. The individual responses from our training courses have shown that our goals of teaching person-centered care are right on track. The new year will continue to focus on the individual resident and their home in your community and how your food serving staff will show empathy, kindness, and efficiency in their duties. Setting goals now on refreshing your employees’ attention to mindfulness and something as simple as body language is vital to success and the reputation of your community. Including the invisible workforce of volunteers in your training program is investing in the possibility of future employees. At the very least these volunteers are lightening the workload of your serving staff. Help them do it wisely by including them in your training sessions. We caution serving staff and caregivers to be mindful of taking care of themselves both physically and mentally. They cannot contribute to the care of others if they are not healthy and strong enough on their own.

In setting the new year resolutions decide on the first step of quality improvement that is most important to your residents. Purpose and choice are at the center of person-centered planning. When serving staff know the residents’ needs and preferences, they can respond quicker and more efficiently if and when a problem arises. The educated serving staff is a highly claimed asset to the community. Residents build a higher degree of trust and respect for those tending to their care when they feel the care is personal. When a closer relationship has been formed between serving staff and residents, changes can be made appropriately and in a timely response.

B♥ Kind ®Tip: What does person-centered care service feel like to residents?