Especially during these trying times, peace of mind is an invaluable asset for family members of individuals in senior living. It’s a very intimate process to relinquish responsibility for your loved one to a long-term care building, whether it is assisted living, memory care, home care or post-acute care. One of the most effective ways to avoid feelings of caregiver guilt is to choose a community that you are able to trust. Here are some of the ways that senior living communities can foster trust and provide peace of mind to the family members. As a reminder, all photos featured in this blog post were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Communication
One of the most important aspects of building trust in any relationship is effective communication. It is the senior living community’s job to listen to all concerns you may have as a family member and also to communicate any updates or changes in your loved one’s care that you need to be aware of. According to experts, “The way we communicate with others is a primary way we build trust. Along with specific behaviors and actions, communication serves as the vehicle for building trust in relationships.” When looking into assisted living or memory care for your loved one, make communication skills one of the top items on your list of things to look for.
Reviews/Reputation
When it comes to reputation, a company can preach about how great they are until the cows come home. The true proof of how good a senior living facility is lies in its reviews and reputation. In today’s world, a quick Google search will give you a true idea of what it is like to entrust your loved one in a particular company’s care and will make you much more informed when making your decision. In fact, some sources claim that, “It’s gotten to a point where we trust online reviews as if they were personal recommendations from family and friends.” In summary, if a company has overall good reviews, it makes it much easier to trust them with your loved one moving forward.
Social Media
In today’s world, if a company is not active on social media, they are dying. With that said, social media is a great way to remain connected and communicate with companies even further and have new people within the organization hear your concerns or requests. When discussing the impact of social media on consumers’ ability to trust you, sources say that, “These interactions help build brand trust and a form a community around your brand.” When considering care for your loved one, a great way to know if you can trust them is to look into their social media presence and see how active it is.
Accommodating to Your Loved One’s Needs
With regards to senior living especially, the ability to accommodate the needs of your loved one is vital in building trust with the company. When deciding whether or not you can trust them, questions regarding how they were during the sales process and tours as well as the overall atmosphere and energy of the seniors already in the building should be very vigilant in your mind. The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund discusses the importance of making accommodating needs by saying, “Some people who have one or more physical, sensory, intellectual or cognitive disabilities or conditions, including older persons, may require specific accommodations in order to ensure that healthcare and preventive services are appropriate and effective.”
At Spring Hills Senior Communities, we take the trust you take in us very seriously and aim to provide you with peace of mind at all times. This is why, during COVID-19, we are doing daily phone calls, scheduling video chats with families, and having steady email communication at all times. To learn more about our holistic approach to caring with a commitment to quality, your local community.