Burnout is the state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive workloads. This sustained stress can lead to depression, fatigue, and anxiety. The effects of burnout go beyond the individual employee to the community as a whole. When senior living employees experience burnout, quality of care decreases.
Creating a sustainable model is a key responsibility for all senior living leadership teams.
How Administrators Can Help Prevent Burnout
When employees feel overwhelmed and undervalued, productivity and morale suffer.
Employees experiencing burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to look for a new job, according to a Gallup poll from 2018. Even if the employee stays with an employer, they are more likely to experience a lack of confidence in their work and are less likely to discuss career objectives with their supervisors.
Here are a few changes you can make to prevent burnout at your organization:
1. Invest in your employees
Investing in software can help organize the workflow and improve the speed and quality of care towards residents. Performing duplicative work due to miscommunication can become a liability in senior care, especially when that redundancy is taking away from important tasks. Finding a platform that centralizes communication and data is essential in smooth staff operations and satisfaction.
Be sure that the software is also dedicated to enhancing employee wellness.
2. Offer creative incentives
Creative compensation packages benefit both staff and administration by making employees feel appreciated and heard without breaking the bank. Particularly in light of COVID-19’s impact on the labor market, many communities may not be in the financial position to spend cash to attract and retain talent yet, making alternative incentives all the more appealing and accessible.
- 3. Provide flexible schedules
Offering flexible work schedules can help break the cycle of overworked employees quitting and leaving more work to leftover, burned-out staff. Staggering shifts or integrating part-time shifts can offer a reprieve from the demanding day-to-day workflow.
- 4. Above all: Communicate
Miscommunication and the feeling of not being heard were among the main stressors found in caregivers’ jobs. Make yourself available by doing weekly check-ins and applying an open-door policy. Employees who feel supported by their supervisors are nearly 70% less likely to burnout.
How Staff Can Beat Burnout
Senior living employees don’t have to wait for leadership to make a change. It is important to address the root causes of burnout as soon as you notice the symptoms since it can lead to serious long-term issues like depression and anxiety. Consider these tips in preventing burnout:
1. Join a caregiver support group
Connecting with others who understand your troubles and situation can be extremely beneficial, both to you and the rest of the group. You could discover helpful tips to cope and manage stress or simply have a safe space to vent.
- 2. Identify and reduce job stressors
Keep track of the situations or people that make you feel stressed during your workday. Write them down in a journal every day. Eventually, patterns will emerge that you can either avoid or confront.
Make time to check in on yourself and re-center. Remember that by caring for yourself first, you’re ensuring that you can provide quality care for your residents. Follow these tips for keeping up with self-care.
How Wellzesta Can Help
Wellzesta Elevate is designed to combat employee turnover by increasing employee satisfaction and well-being.
Elevate’s innovative approach to decreasing employee turnover includes streamlining communication, improving operational efficiency, and allowing staff to care for themselves along with their residents.
Click here to learn more about Wellzesta or connect with a member of our Sales team.
