Seniors want to learn about and adapt to new technology, but confusing and inaccessible user interfaces can discourage them from trying.
A recent study shows Facebook’s positive effect on the well-being of older adults, improving feelings of competency, autonomy, and connectivity.
Topics: Wellness Science Emotional Wellness Technology social isolation
A study by the Center for Disease Control showed that an estimated 20% of seniors aged 55 or older experience some form of mental health concern. The most common mental health issues include severe cognitive impairment, anxiety, and mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder.
Topics: Seniors Wellness Wellbeing Resident Engagement senior wellness journaling senior care purposeful life software
Wellzesta’s incorporation of technology to ease senior living staff’s workloads aids in employee satisfaction and decreases staff turnover.
In an article by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, several medical professionals expressed the growing need for technology in senior living, particularly in combating employee turnover.
With an increase in demand for caregivers, both at home and in senior living communities, contrasted against an annual turnover rate of 40 to 75 percent, the importance of reducing employee turnover in the senior care industry is not to be taken lightly.
While employee turnover in any industry is costly and damaging to the organization, the specific dangers this issue creates in senior care are unique.
The disruption in the consistency of caregiving services can negatively impact outcomes for both residents and staff wellbeing. Residents’ mental health can be affected when they are routinely subjected to new and rotating staff, forcing them to endure the emotional impact of lost relationships with previous caregivers. Continued turnover can lead to periods of understaffing, resulting in overworked employees and further amplifying the negative impact felt by residents.
Along with causing distress among residents and staff, employee turnover can be extremely expensive. Costing organizations, on average, $2500 per turn over at a rate of 40% in the first 90 days, continued employee turnover is simply not something that most senior living communities can afford.
This is why putting systems in place that actively work toward retaining staff in eldercare and achieving staff satisfaction is essential in reducing employee turnover.
Wellzesta is a technology company that specializes in preventing employee turnover and encouraging wellbeing in its users. Designed specifically with senior living staff in mind, Wellzesta Elevate is a comprehensive platform that works to ease caregiver workload and streamline communication in order to foster employee wellbeing.
When an employee feels that their voice is heard, they are 4.6 times more likely to perform their best at work. By providing a way for employers to collect staff feedback and satisfaction scores, Elevate allows communities the opportunity to empower employees and solve inefficiencies, effectively achieving higher employee retention rates.
Along with dissatisfaction, an increase in senior living staff workload is another consequence of high employee turnover. As facilities continue to encounter high turnover rates and are faced with understaffing, they are forced to over-schedule caregivers. Overwhelmed by their duties, employees can experience burnout, which can affect the quality of care that staff in eldercare are able to provide, and can also result in safety issues for residents.
“Our staff have been asked to take on a lot this past year during COVID, both extra work and emotional support. It’s time we give them something that benefits their own wellness. The Elevate app does just that.” Ann S., Director of Human Resources.
Additionally, ineffective communication in senior living communities can increase workload and cause distress among staff in eldercare. Without a way to quickly communicate urgent updates, preventative measures, or delegate duties to various staff, miscommunication is inevitable. However, in an industry where miscommunication could result in causing harm, applying efficient communication channels becomes all the more necessary.
Caregivers are an indispensable part of a senior’s wellness journey. Any action that goes towards improving a senior living staff’s work experience and relieving some of the pressure of this high-stress career should be a priority among senior living communities.
Here are a few ways Wellzesta Elevate is combating employee turnover and increasing job satisfaction in eldercare workers:
Topics: Senior Living Wellness Employees engagement software staff wellness staff retention senior care software
As Director of Wellness Arts for Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Alice Smith knows the importance of whole-person wellbeing.
Topics: Senior Living Seniors Wellness Wellbeing Resident Engagement Life Plan Communication Technology senior wellness ccrc aging wellzesta eldercare engagement software senior care
The impact of social isolation and loneliness on populations of older adults and people with disabilities has received a great deal of attention in the news and from institutions in recent years.
Currently, one quarter of our aging population and one half of those living with physical and cognitive disabilities report living lives in unwanted isolation.
Topics: Senior Living Seniors Wellness life plan community senior wellness health & wellness social connection social wellness transportation senior care
Embrace what's next for senior living. Elevate is workforce engagement + wellness software that streamlines communications, reduces operational inefficiencies, and cultivates staff wellbeing. The result? Better employee retention and engagement.
Topics: Senior Living Wellness life plan community ccrc wellzesta engagement software workforce engagement elevate workforce staff wellness staff retention
Wellness programming for seniors is impactful in many ways, due to the fact that it is often multi-dimensional, focusing on a variety of wellness dimensions at once. Classes of all types usually address social wellness, as seniors come together to learn, exercise, or travel. While this can benefit seniors’ social connections, helping them make friends and avoid isolation, it can be intimidating for seniors who are introverted to only have access to wellness programming in group contexts.
Topics: Senior Living Wellness senior wellness health & wellness wellzesta introverts personality
The nature of reality is that change is happening all around us, all the time; everything in life is impermanent. Yet, the paradox is humans have an adverse reaction to change. We are constantly in resistance to the groundless flow of change.
Topics: Wellness Wellbeing Emotional Wellness wellzesta gratitude journaling mindfulness meditation
Author Will Durant once wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Habits define us, and as we pursue better health and wellness, our habits can make or break us. Often it’s not the big changes, but the small, daily choices, that lead to a healthier life. In the pursuit of better wellness, here are some of the most effective ways to track your wellness progress and make the most of your daily habits.
Topics: Senior Living Seniors Wellness Wellbeing Emotional Wellness senior wellness wellzesta bullet journaling gratitude journaling habit tracking