AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

Part of my responsibility as the VP of Grant Initiatives is to track the progress of Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® online coach training for the nursing homes that are participating in our Civil Monetary Penalty Grant (CMP) projects.  We have amassed an impressive list of nursing home staff in Ohio , Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee who have completed online training to become Compassionate Touch® and/or Dementia Live® coaches.

After months of reviewing training reports, this week I noticed something other than the number of new coaches, and that is the number of coaches since 2019 who are still with their facility.  

I need to preface by saying that this information has not been confirmed by participating facilities, but each time an email bounces back to me- the name is scratched off my list.  In Ohio, 99/124 Compassionate Touch® and 76/106 Dementia Live® coaches appear to be reachable with the same email address used to enroll in coach training, indicating retention of 79% and 71% respectively.

Admittedly, there is likely a margin of error in these numbers, but assuming a -10%, these numbers are impressive, considering the massive turnover that has occurred during the pandemic.  

Employee Engagement and Retention

While the recipe for retention is far more involved than just providing staff education, I believe I am justified in believing the human resource investment that these participating facilities made in Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® training may have contributed to the retention of these coaches.  Many of these coaches are still in touch with me and share their excitement about starting up training again.  

 National Commission for Quality Long Term Care, 2007

 Public Policy and Aging Report, 2017

 National Institute of Health, 2021

The above studies reveal that the reasons for voluntary separation include many factors, but lack of quality training and education, feeling ill-prepared, and absence of professional growth were consistent factors. 

Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® coach training is high quality, relevant and fills knowledge gaps that move the ill-prepared to a place of confidence and competence.  These programs are also utilized as career ladder opportunities in many organizations, and that number is growing.

Everyone should take a moment and think of your accomplishments over this past year- I am sure there are many.  For me,  taking stock that perhaps our work at AGE-u-cate® has helped to in some way to keep employees engaged and retained is very rewarding.

This blog title is credited to a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA).  I was enlightened after attending a symposium entitled, "The New CNA Workforce:  Frontline Lessons from the Pandemic" given by NAHCA. 

Career CNA board members and thought leaders shared their passionate pleas for significant change.  It really was quite moving, and frankly, sad.  Sad in the sense that they felt compelled to give everyone a piece of their mind about how, for decades, they have been treated by their superiors and organizational leadership.  

A stern warning was delivered, "We will not tolerate these conditions much longer", and seriously, who can blame them.

Lori Porter, Co-founder and CEO of NAHCA shared this startling reality- there are 425,000 fewer nursing home workers today than before the pandemic, and if serious change doesn't ensue immediately, this number will grow exponentially.

Why must change be driven through threats?  The answer is because nothing else seems to have worked.  

Don't think that it is only about the pay.  Yes, nursing assistants need, and deserve to make much more than they do, but what they also need is to be a valued and respected member of the team.  

I reeled hearing one CNA board member describe how in the middle of rendering care to one resident, a nurse knocked on the door to say that there are two more call lights going off and could she please hurry up. Seriously?  This unacceptable and disrespectful to the nursing assistant, and the care receiver.  

Wake up to Change

Change in this realm will include everything from a long-term national strategy to reform the long term care system to immediate, organization-specific actions.  But, one CNA board member laid it out, "We need to get back to the basics, and re-set."  My ears perked up, because this exact phrase has been our mantra at AGE-u-cate for months.   

We simply must take care of the caregivers, so that they can give their best to their care receivers.  The basics include respect, dignity, and appreciation for all.  When we get back to the basics, we can begin to rebuild a healthy organizational culture. 

It will be up to leaders to work in tandem with all employees create the path to a healthy culture.  Listen to what your staff have to say- you may be surprised how much thought they are giving to the issues at hand, because they deeply care.  So many ideas were shared, but one that stood out to me is the desire for more education and training that grows skills and leads to advancement.  The lack of a career ladder for CNAs is a detriment to the future of this workforce.

I heard so many great ideas from these passionate CNA thought-leaders and I crave more conversation.  We have to give them what they need, so I am grateful that NAHCA Board Chair Sherry Perry has agreed to meet with me next week to continue the conversation.   Sherry's profile on the NAHCA website includes this statement:

"Being a member of NAHCA has inspired me to be the best CNA I can be.  It’s helped me to realize that my voice can make a difference not only for other CNAs but most importantly the elders we care for.”

Thank you Sherry and to your colleagues for speaking your voice- I hope you know that you were heard by many, and I am honored to have been included.

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AGE-u-cate was honored to welcome Stacy Porter from The Beryl Institute as guest presenter on our October Virtual Road Trip Webinar topic, "Becoming the Best Place to Be."

The Beryl Institute is a global community of healthcare professionals and experience champions committed to transforming the human experience in healthcare.  Many of the institute professionals are Certified Patient Experience Professionals (CPXP) who are turning more attention to the Aging Services industry.

Culture and Leadership

The Beryl Institute experience framework consists of eight components, with Culture & Leadership at the top. Stacy shared that  the foundation of any successful experience effort is set on the purpose, values and how the organization is lead.  Stacy offered steps organizations can take to begin transformation:

• Create a definition for resident experience
• Operationalize your mission/vision statements by bridging your purpose and aligned actions
• Ensure everyone who shows up to work has the skills and ability to execute on your purpose

Environment and Hospitality

Another component of the experience framework is Environment and Hospitality. The elders that participated in interviews indicated that they really look for a culture of home in their communities.  Warm and fuzzy words come to mind when most people think of the word home:  belonging, love, comfort, safety, relationships. acceptance.  

• Live up to the meaning of community
• Take care to address isolation and loneliness
•  Create transparency around death and dying

Inclusion is an essential to make any of this work.  All stakeholders, most importantly those that live in the community, must be invited to become involved.  Stacy concluded with this:

A fundamental shift in thinking and direction is needed.  There is no normal to which to return.

AGE-u-cate is grateful for Stacy's time and valuable information shared on our Virtual Road Trip, and we look forward to continued collaboration.  

Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear or read something about Caregiver Burnout.   The subject seems to revolve around these themes:

• Caregiver burnout leads to turnover
• Burned out caregivers impact the quality of care
• Organization leaders need to pay attention to this issue

We are well beyond the stage of prevention, and it is probably something that should have been addressed very early on in the pandemic.  There is no value in would have or should have discussions. Perhaps the best we can and should do right now is work toward some level of burnout recovery for the dedicated workers who have hung in there.

There are good things that some organizations are doing right now, including but not limited to additional days off with pay, thank you lunches and flexible scheduling.  But, as we crawl our way to a place that feels more like recovery verses trauma, let's give some thought to more systemic and continuous ways to keep caregiver burnout in check.

Future Focus:  Caregiver Burnout Prevention

An effective strategy depends on understanding all of the reasons for caregiver burnout, and there are many. Coping strategies, or lack thereof,  is just one factor.  In other words, staff who are equipped with coping strategies do better- makes sense, right? 

The first step is for caregivers to know what burnout out looks and feels like.  Acute awareness before it spirals out of control is critical.  Next comes healthy and effective coping strategies.  Caregivers who are not educated on how to recognize and employ strategies to alleviate burnout are at high risk for many problems. 

In an effort to offer Aging Services organizations an immediate intervention to address caregiver burnout, we created a one-hour device enabled course entitled, "Coping with Caregiver Burnout."  AGE-u-cate is offering this time limited complimentary course audit here:

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This is something that should not have come as a surprise to me, but it did.  Persons living with dementia, even in the mid to later stages, can call upon their long term memory and actually read!  Not only can they read, they can enjoy themselves!

It turns out that I was partially correct, in that people with dementia are unable to read text dense, visually overwhelming materials.  I think back to my early days working in the nursing home when we would place a National Geographic magazine or USA Today Newspaper in front a person with dementia thinking that would keep them busy and engaged.  Sheesh.

Created by Susan Ostrowski, MA, MS, CCC-SLP,  Reading2Connect® is a life enrichment program centered on books adapted for adults living with dementia. The R2C® strengths-based program enables a higher level of wellbeing through reading independently, expressing individuality, recalling pasts, sharing humor, and emotionally connecting with peers, family, and caregivers.

This works because reading is a skill that is generally preserved and intact in the procedural memory of an elderly person.  Like brushing teeth or using a spoon, the ability to read is automatic and often remains to some degree functional even in the later stages of dementia.  

Bring Back The Joy of Reading

The Barrington Area Council on Aging (BACOA), located in Barrington Illinois, recently integrated Reading2Connect® with the members of their Adult Day Program.  This testimonial put a smile on all of our faces:

"Our Adult Day Program members look forward to our Reading2Connect sessions. The highly readable print with the accompanying photos allows everyone to connect in their own way. The wide variety of themes help evoke conversation. I observe intimate connections, social engagement and expressive language within the group members".

Pam Pellizzari, CDP
Memory Programs Manager
BACOA

Reading2Connect® is a perfect program for Area Agencies on Aging searching for innovative ways to reach isolated elders living with dementia.  Memory and Nursing Care Communities and Adult Day Programs can make life enrichment programming stand out with Reading2Connect®!

In an effort to learn about the educational priorities for Aging Services providers, AGE-u-cate® conducted a survey and asked respondents to identify topics most important for staff.  Fifty percent (50%) of respondents represented the nursing home industry, and the remainder was a combination of other sectors and professionals that serve the industry.  Sixteen topics were offered, and 63% of the respondents selected "Preventing Caregiver Burnout" as most important.  

One survey respondent shared,

The American Medical Association urges leaders to "strive to maintain critical infrastructure and have support in place for staff during this time, knowing that this may require modifications to existing strategies, tactics and roles." An imperative strategy is to educate staff on the signs of chronic stress and how to intentionally employ coping strategies.  

Look no further for an excellent and affordable resource to educate your staff about caregiver burnout.  Reach out to Laura Ellen via the link below to receive complimentary access to AGE-u-cate's REVEAL Aging one-hour device-enabled course "Preventing Caregiver Burnout."

Your feedback on the need for additional topics is invaluable as AGE-u-cate continues to plan for future courses.  Follow this QR code to participate in our 4 question survey.  Thank you!

AGE-u-cate® appreciates learning about organizations out there improving the lives of elders.  I had the pleasure to meet Jared Bloomfield, the National Field Manager with Wish of a Lifetime at AARP.  We connected after attending the Pioneer Network Symposium "Envisioning the Future Finding Meaning and Purpose" held on September 22. 

Wish of Lifetime, a charitable affiliate of the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), sponsored one of the sessions at the symposium called, " A New Look at Community Commitment: It’s All About Making Connections”.  I was captivated and inspired by the presenters in this session:  Mary Knapp, Annie Dunlap, and Kelly Klund who all shared the ways that their respective organizations are creating meaningful engagement opportunities for the elders they serve.  

Wish of a Lifetime's mission is to shift the way society views and values our oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages.  They are working hard to connect elders with amazing opportunities to fulfill a dream.  

Become a Wish Nominator

"Wish of a Lifetime" has a Wish Team that reviews nominations submitted via their website.  Jared shared that they have the capacity to accept more nominations!  It seems that the pandemic has hijacked time that aging services staff might otherwise spend submitting an application on behalf of an elder, but Jared assured me that submitting an application is easy and worth it!  A link to their website and nomination portal is below.

It has been said many times that the older generation has suffered the most from the effects of the pandemic because of the extended isolation and loneliness they have endured, so I jumped when I heard about this opportunity to share the call for nominations.  To inspire motivation- read this story: Joy Takes Art Lessons.

Everything has changed for Joy because of one wish.  Please visit Wish of a Lifetime Nomination to learn how you can submit an application today. Learn more about Wish of a Lifetime here. 

AGE-u-cate will be keeping an eye on the good work of "Wish of a Lifetime", because we share a mission to improve the quality of life for elders through our engaging life enrichment programs Compassionate Touch, Reading2Connect, Ageless Grace, and Flashback.  

What feels abundant right now is trauma, stress, and burnout.  Heading up an Aging Services organization during this time has been no easy task.  At AGE-u-cate, we have tried to offer nuggets of support and encouragement to help infuse some hope in what feels like a long nightmare. 

With so much out of our control these days, there is something we can control, and that is how we relate to each other.  Kindness should always be a part of a leadership philosophy, but when we feel pushed to the edge, kindness might take a backseat.

Kindness can be defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.  Seems like a fairly simple and straightforward way to interact with others.  In fact, ABC news reported last year on research that informs us that being kind pays off.  Being kind makes us feel better and healthier, and is wired into our survival.  Oxford anthropologist Oliver Curry believes that we are kind because under the right circumstances we all benefit from kindness.

Aging Services providers are scrambling to find new and dynamic ways to replenish their depleted workforce.  Creative messaging and incentives are being deployed to entice prospects, but these efforts are for naught if turnover continues at the pace this industry has experienced.  A laser focus on employee retention is imperative.