If you are the loved one of someone in senior living, whether it’s assisted living, memory care, or post-acute care, you know how hard these past few months have been. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been very clear that the population most at risk for complications has been the geriatric population. As such, we had to act decisively and swiftly to implement new policies and procedures with our number one priority being to keep the people entrusted in our care safe from the virus. Naturally, these changes to the status quo have caused some discomfort for our family members. While we understand that we can’t completely make those fears go away, here are some of the things we have done to provide comfort to our family members during these unprecedented times.
Commitment to Transparency
One of the staples of our approach to caring for our family members has been to remain unwaveringly committed to transparency in everything that we do. Our assisted living, memory care, post-acute care and home care teams have provided regular communications via phone calls, emails and scheduling video calls with your loved ones. We have also worked together with all local press outlets to ensure that we share whatever we can with the communities we serve wherever it is safe and possible to do. According to Health Management, “Disruption, uncertainty and distraction contribute to an environment, in which corrupt actors can take advantage of the crisis for their own benefit…. It is essential to maintain and expand transparency, openness and integrity throughout the health sector.”
Offering Support Resources on a Regular Basis
We understand that sometimes mental health issues require professional support and guidance. The CDC’s page on mental health during COVID-19 notes that, “The coronavirus disease…. pandemic may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.” With that in mind, in addition to offering our own monthly support groups which feature educational and wellness tips for family caregivers, we also regularly promote our support resources page which lists a variety of professional organizations that are trained to assist in stress and anxiety due to COVID-19. We want our family members to know that we are there for them during this difficult time.
Implementing New Ways to Be Even More Available for Them
The status quo of our ability to be available for family members is simply not enough during a pandemic such as this. From the beginning, we implemented innovative programs to be available for our family members such as daily phone calls and creating a streamlined process for concerns to be addressed at the Corporate level. As has always been the case, we also have the administration at our communities ready and at your service for any localized and specific concerns you may have. Experts agree that, “Effective and timely health communication is always important, but this has become even more clear as the public health and medical communities work to stop the spread of the new coronavirus across the world.”
Updating our Social Media on a Consistent Basis
A byproduct of the stay at home orders implemented by government officials during COVID-19 is that people are glued to their phones and computers like never before. Knowing that, our company has placed a higher priority on our marketing and branding efforts creating additional, COVID-19 specific posts for family members to view valuable resources, communication and updates. We understand that during this difficult time the best tool we have is information. We are committed and dedicated to keeping you informed by reaching you where you are. For more information and to follow us on your preferred social media channel, check out the links at the bottom of the website to learn more.
At Spring Hills Senior Communities, we are dedicated to providing comfort to our family members in any way that we can. To learn more, contact your local community.