Today the very face of large-scale residential care is changing. More programs are responding to market needs in an innovative and highly person-centered way. This has to be from skilled nursing centers to larger, multiple-bed assisted living programs.
From our perspective, the number one item that must never be ignored from a clinical and marketability perspective is the employing of
a highly skilled, motivated Activities Coordinator. You need someone who can write, critique, execute and adjust as necessary a daily activity routine. The elements included in this routine will always consider the individual needs, interests, preferences and even fears of each resident. In the absence of such a routine, residents will not only complain of boredom but may lack the psychological motivation to manage their limitations.
Let’s face it, there is value in being distracted from what ails us. Personal fulfillment is heightened when we are busy with productive activity.
Item Number 2 – Communication
Communication equipment matters. This extends to private phones in resident rooms. Some facilities – especially those exclusively serving those with advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s disease – may be able to skirt past this but others may not want to try. This is especially applicable for younger residents managing catastrophic injury who want private conversations with legal counsel, case mangers and intimate companions.
While these are requirements in certain Medicare certified residential models, others may have the option not to install them. However, considering the prevailing desire for privacy and independence even in a supervised living program, a home abandoning a provision for personal phones may be cutting into marketability in a dangerous way. Families and others want to call Granny directly, not have her brought down the hall to speak to their families on a public phone.
Be sure and make an inventory of what you need not only to satisfy regulatory requirements but also to enhance your advantages over others. In the end let’s face it, “the best man wins”, including in the long-term care marketplace.
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