Caregivers are the backbone of care homes. Without them, it is impossible to provide high-quality care to residents. As a care home manager, it is important for you to keep your caregiving staff happy. Here are some ways to boost your staff’s morale:
1. Work with individual caregivers:
When it comes to addressing problems with job performance, directly approach the caregiving staff in question. This way, there is an opportunity to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. Additionally, by taking this direct approach, you show that you value your caregiving staff and are committed to ensuring their success. There may be times when a caregiver in your care home is reluctant to bring up a problem because he or she may think it is a small problem. However, small issues can often snowball into big problems. It is, therefore, important that you have regular meetings with your staff.
2. Plan social activities:
Regularly plan social activities as it will instill team spirit among the caregivers. Also, social activities help to break the monotony of day-to-day routine. With some regularly scheduled fun, caregivers will look forward to coming to work and will be more likely to stick around for the long haul. When caregivers are happy and engaged, they will be better equipped to provide high-quality care.
Some of the social activities for caregivers that you can plan include:
- Weekly team lunch
- Dinners to recognise a team member’s work
- Knowledge sharing sessions
- Team outings to nearby parks or other picnic spots
- Movie outings
- Indoor and outdoor game activities
3. Set practical work schedules:
Caregivers play a vital role in providing care and support to residents. However, caregivers can also be at risk for burnout if they do not take care of themselves. When caregivers are exhausted, their work may suffer along with it. So, educate your caregiving staff on the risks of burnout. Also, ensure that they know the signs to watch out for. Here is a useful read on caregiver’s stress and burnout.
4. Reward caregivers:
Many caregivers are in it for more than just a paycheck. They genuinely care about residents and want to make a difference in their lives. However, even the most selfless caregiver likes to be recognized. An appreciation mail or a mention in the internal newsletter can work wonders for hardworking staff members.
5. Offer training opportunities:
For healthcare workers, staying up-to-date on the latest medical advances is a necessity. From new treatments and technologies to changes in insurance coverage, the healthcare landscape is constantly evolving. As a result, caregivers must be prepared to adapt and learn new skills on a regular basis. One way to ensure that your team is prepared for whatever changes come their way is to encourage and sponsor voluntary training opportunities. This may come in the form of conferences, advanced degrees or online certifications.
6. Empower your workforce with the right tools:
As any caregiver knows, having the right tools can make all the difference when it comes to providing care. The right tools can help caregivers feel more confident and competent in their roles and they can also make the caregiving process more efficient and effective.
For instance, digitalisation of health records can help streamline the work of caregivers. Besides digitisation of health records, you can also implement electronic MAR (eMAR). eMAR can help automate medication management and administration processes in your care home. With eMAR, caregivers can access resident records with just a few clicks. By automating many administrative tasks, eMAR can free up caregivers’ time to offer better person-centered care. To know how eMAR can help your care home, book a demo today.
