Improving the quality of life and well-being of those we serve means successfully including families as vital care team members.
By implementing steps to successfully bridge family members through more open communications and rapport building, we are creating a stronger foundation in which to better care for all members of the care team.
Let's consider five ways to implement a family engagement plan that will improve outcomes for your residents/clients, family satisfaction, and business success.
Step 1: Create a workable and well-thought-out strategy.
Your team needs to understand the why. What are the benefits of including families in the care plan for your organization? Include all levels of staff so that everyone can contribute. Remember that family involvement is perceived differently by your team members, and all of their input is important in creating your strategy and gaining buy-in!
Step 2: Expand opportunities to learn together.
Quality workforce training is imperative to driving positive change in any organization. How would that same training benefit a family member? Training that includes experiences and practical tools will be more effective than traditional methodology. Check out our specialized training programs here
Step 3: Encourage staff and families to communicate and build rapport through education and training opportunities.
Learning retention soars when we can apply the knowledge we've learned to real-life situations. Find out more about learning retention strategies in our white paper.
Step 4: Track outcomes.
With shared education platforms, is family engagement increasing? Does the family feel more empowered as a member of the care team? Do staff feel more comfortable communicating with the family? Are the quality of life measurements for the resident/client improving? Outcomes tracking helps reinforce goals, adjust steps as needed, and encourages the team to keep moving forward.
Step 5: Deliver a plan of sustainability.
It's great to see a project in action, especially one that works! But unless there is a solid path to keep it alive, unfortunately, it has the possibility of fading. Family engagement on the care team is critically important. Determine how your training, education, communication, and rapport building will continue to gain traction, making this an important piece of your overall strategy to improve the lives of residents/clients, family, and staff and to support business goals.
To learn more about innovative and effective training and education for staff and families, visit AGE-u-cate Training Institute's family of programs that ignites change.