You May Think Senior Living Stinks, But What About the People?
All of us are well aware that senior living, regardless of level of care, needs a big makeover. A reimagining. An overhaul. Some say we need to blow it up and start over. Some say it has run its course and the generations to come have zero interest of ever leaving their home. There is absolutely validity backed by consumer research that supports that mindset, but I have had a lot of conversations with people in senior living and many of them never planned on leaving their home. I am not sure this is a generation thing as much as a human control thing.
Life happens and our ability to fully control it is limited and highly dependent on other variables. Those being overall health, family, income, support, vocation, and location to name a few. Sure, the needs-based model attracts and invites in a different persona than that of a purely independent living communal living, but just because people intend on plan A does not mean there may not be a plan B that actually happens.
Regardless of what we all believe is right, wrong or worthwhile about senior living now, or in the future, there is a group of people we are forgetting in our highly opinionated evaluations.
What about the staff at the communities that are the care and operational partners giving it their all to make whatever version of “senior living” we label it the best it can be? Why are we not more concerned how our conversations and recommendations are impacting their morale?
Sure, we may find it advantageous to point out what is failing to strategist, investors, developers, owners and operators. Explain what may or may not be positively or negatively impacting occupancy. Ask why people refuse to move in. Discuss how you can choose to partner or collaborate with home health organizations or battle them head-to-head. Or even point out the miss of community that is supposed to offer residents purpose and belonging, yet we still have levels of loneliness in communal living that are hard to defend and explain.
All of these opportunities exist and need to be addressed and figured out, but the message we are imparting on the “community” is a bit toxic. Defeating. Hopeless. If I was the one reading the pages and listening to the podcasts and webinars of what is wrong, I am not sure I could wake up every morning inspired and joyful to go to work and do what I can to keep the ship from sinking.
How Can We Still Support Our People?
One thing I know to be true in this line of work, or really any line of work. The people closest to the problems of misses often have the best solutions or ideas to arrive at a new way of thinking. Moreover, empowering people to not only recognize the need for answers and new ways of doing things, but also making space for trial and error to test out new ideas is both validating, and inspiring.
When I think about why it is so difficult to hire or keep people in this space, I cannot help but think we are causing our own issues. If we do not find a way to speak to staff about the need for change in the model, while also speaking kind and graciously, supporting and acknowledging the obstacles, encouraging, and uplifting with a promise to arrive at a “new senior living” together then I do not see how we can expect people to “show up” for a job we have unapologetically lost faith in, or believe is fundamentally broken.
I Don’t Know the Answer…
I do not believe the solution is written in one sentence, or that one person can solve the dilemma, but I do think there is a need for a more humble and humanistic approach when we speak of the opportunities in the industry. I think we need to be closer to the staff doing 95% of the work and find ways to support and encourage the efforts, reminding them how incredibly important and vital they are to run the business. In the end, whatever direction the industry takes, the people we need to carry out a new mission and new offerings most likely will remain the same because they love what they do for the people they do it for. After all, it will be the same players, just different teams and a new league.