Integrating the Assisted Living Staff in Your Senior Living Care Plan

​Assisted living staff will be able to do their jobs better if they are treated as active and welcome participants in your senior loved one’s care. There are several reasons this approach is important:
 
1. It increases trust in your senior loved one’s care.
It’s normal for family members to worry about the quality of care a senior loved one will receive in a new assisted living community. One of the best ways to put your worries behind you is to get to know the staff and ask for updates.
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2. The assisted living staff will be a big part of your lives.
While your parent or loved one is living in assisted living, the staff will become the main people helping them with the activities of daily living.
They will also be the main social interaction your loved one has day to day and will become the friendly faces you see on your visits. Make an effort to get to know your senior living staff.

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3. Share your knowledge to help them provide more personalized care.
While you need assisted living staff to help with your senior loved one’s care, they also need you in order to do their jobs as well as possible. It is important to take the time to know their interests and life story to help carry out individualized care plans. Having open communications with the family helps to facilitates this.
The more you interact and communicate with assisted living staff, the better they’ll understand the person they’re taking care of and how to best treat them.
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4. Updates on changes
The best way for everyone involved in your loved one’s care to stay aware and on top of all changes is by keeping the lines of communication open. If you notice something different about their behavior during a visit, make sure you tell the staff so they can make any needed changes to the care routine.
Also, regularly ask assisted living staff about any changes they notice so you are aware and know how to handle them and can bring them up with the doctor if needed.

How to Create a Successful Senior Care Team
Here are some important tips to successfully treat your loved one’s care as a team effort you can all contribute to:

1. Be respectful
Working in an assisted living community is hard work. Be careful not to take your upset feelings over your loved one out on the staff. Communicate respectfully and keep in mind that you’re communicating with people that have an active role in making sure your loved one is as comfortable and healthy as possible.

2. Keep in regular contact.
It can be talking to the staff during regular visits, emails or phone calls. Make sure you proactively communicate with the assisted living staff. This gives you the opportunity to get to know them and shows them you’re interested in updates on your loved one’s care. Regular communication keeps everyone in the loop and ensures you’re all on the same page about what your loved one needs and how to provide it.
 
3. Show the assisted living staff how much you care.
Little acts of kindness can go a long way. Consider giving your assisted living care team small gifts or thank you cards. Bringing donuts when you come for a morning visit or getting a small birthday gift for a staff member you’ve seen go above and beyond.  Any way you can think of to show them you’ve noticed the hard work they do and appreciate them. It can help reduce their stress and make it easier for them to keep up the good work.

4. Work together for better senior care.
As you already know, taking care of an aging senior is a lot of hard work, and often thankless work. You can make the lives of your loved one’s assisted living care team easier and improve the quality of care your family member receives at the same time by embracing the team that is working with your loved one.  Treat them like a part of the team and get to know them as human beings.
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