Category: General

by Kim Jimenez

The reason we tend to find things like this funny is because we can see the reality in them! Do we over complicate things? Do we feel the need to make things so detailed we miss the overall goal or mission?

A saying that comes to mind that would apply here and to many situations is K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid…or the politically correct Keep It Simple, Silly!)  Another form of this is Keep It Short and Simple.  Although some situations are no doubt very complicated, the most beneficial thing you can do is try to simplify it the best you can and certainly do not complicate already simply issues.  This can apply to business plans, customer issues, setting goals, deciding your mission and so much more.  So next time you are faced with an obstacle, issue or decision, make it an opportunity to embrace it and K.I.S.S.

by Kim Jimenez

With recent events all over the nation, paralyzing ice storms in the east, tornados in the Midwest, fires and mudslides in the west, we can’t help but say once again: Do you have emergency plans and processes in written form? Has your staff, your entire staff, been trained?

We cannot emphasize enough the need for disaster planning/emergency preparedness and related training.  Even if you have the best thought-out plans sitting in that binder on the shelf, those plans will fail if they are not conveyed to all levels of staff.  Even if a community’s upper management/administration knows what to do, they may not be on site during said emergency.

• How practical are your plans?
• Are your plans accessible and executable? A written plan that can’t be executed is worthless!
• Can these plans be executed rapidly, efficiently and effectively?
• Have you given your entire staff ample opportunity to review, practice, clarify or ask questions about your emergency procedures?

A Plan No One Knows Is Really No Plan At All

In regards to this last item; let us again underscore the need to convey plans to your employees, train them, train them some more and schedule periodic training and review of these plans.  Yearly is a good place to start according to OSHA but we would recommend more frequently as your employees don’t just have to get themselves out of harm’s way, but must know without hesitation how to assist your residents.  As with anything else, the more everyone is exposed to these plans the more likely they will be successfully and effectively implemented.  There will also be a need to address some of your standard policies when facing an emergency.  Some policies, which may be pretty straight forward on a typical day, may need a different interpretation during an emergency; different scenarios may require different responses regarding a stated procedure or policy.  In an emergency, there may not be time to question and clarify; staff will need to take immediate action without delay.

One Plan Will Not Fit All Situations

What are some events you need to plan for?

• Medical Emergency
• Fire
• Flood
• Tornado
• Hurricane
• Electricity failure
• Running water/hot water failure
• Intruder on premises
• Acts of violence
• Hazardous materials spill
• Evacuation by authorities
•  Missing resident

These are just a few of the scenarios you need to consider.

Have you considered different variables to these situations: various times of day (where are your residents? In their rooms sleeping, gathered in the dining room, etc.) Consider varying levels of staff on site (day shift, night shift, weekends, etc.).  What are your plans to ensure operation of resident equipment and ample supply of medications?

And keep in mind, if your community is experiencing a natural or other unexpected disaster or situation, your employees are more than likely experiencing the same thing.  Your employees homes may be flooding, downed trees and power lines may prohibit them from getting to your community, they may be tending to young children if local schools have been affected as well.  Consider this when making your plans, and your alternate plans.  Yes, you may need alternate plans in addition to your master plan. 

So Many Questions!

How about technology concerns; have you backed up all your records and information to an off-site location? Be it a paid service or a server provided by your parent company, as long as it is far removed from your location, make sure this is done.  Events such as tornadoes, floods and fire can wipe out all your paper and computer files on site.

Is your contact information current and correct? You will need more than just 911. Contact info needs to include emergency responders, utility companies, staff, resident families, corporate contacts, insurance representative to begin with.

What about the aftermath of emergencies? Do you have a plan for recovery?  Do you have ample insurance to cover any and all types of emergencies/disasters? Have you reviewed and updated your policies lately?

All this may sound overwhelming because of its scope and importance.  There are many resources available to help you update or form your emergency preparedness/disaster plan.  Many states and/or state organizations have templates that conform to their state specific regulations, industry associations have guidelines and many private companies offer their services in helping you prepare a plan of action. 

Here are just a few resources to review:

Emergency Preparedness Tool Kit from ALFA.org

Updating Your Disaster Plan from LeadingAge.org

Department of Labor; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

by Roy Barker, Director – Special Projects

Your individual “Quits Rate” can actually tell you a lot about the operations of your community and also the sentiment of your workforce.  The “quits rate” is a measurement published by the U.S. Labor department that indicates how many employees voluntarily quit their job.  The published rate can provide some insight on the overall job market, employee sentiment, and the economy.

For years the published unemployment rate was used to gain insight in to these area.  Today the calculation has gotten so murky with who is being counted and who isn’t, it does not give a clear image of the employment and economic pictures.

“Quits rates” can give us some insight into the confidence of workers to change jobs.  In tight economic times when there are fewer job openings, the quits rate will drop because workers are more concerned about hanging on to the job they have due to fewer available jobs and the uncertainty of leaving their current one.  Whereas, when the economy is expanding and there are plenty of jobs available for workers to move around, the quits rate will trend higher because workers are more confident about moving to different jobs and even other fields.

The published “Quits rate” for January 2014 was 1.7%, meaning 2.38 million workers voluntarily quit their jobs in January.  The rate hit a low of 1.3% in 2009 and has risen ever so slightly.  For the years 2000 – 2007 they averaged around 2.1%. 

A Wednesday, April 2, 2014, Bloomberg article: Yellen Jobs Dashboard Shows Rate Rise Far on Horizon: Economy, says that of the nine labor market indicators that new Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen looks at, only two have returned to pre-recession levels.  So while it is unclear exactly when we will see this upturn in the economy, it will happen, but this forewarning of things to come should give forward thinking operators time to implement programs to increase retention rates. 

There are definite measurable monetary costs associated with turnover.  The average cost to turnover a $10 an hour employee is between $4,000 and $6,000 dollars, some estimates put it as high as $10,000.  For middle managers the cost can be up to 150% of their yearly salary and executives up to 200% of their yearly salaries.

What does all this have to do with the senior living industry and your community?  The sentiment is that there is pent up employee turnover that will begin to manifest itself when the economy begins to show improvement, and this could drive your employee turnover rate even higher than it already is.

In addition, the above figures do not take into account the non-monetary cost, like stress on residents and their families from seeing a stream of different caregivers and managers. There is also the stress it adds to employees left to cover open shifts and take on an increased workload just to name a few.  These can lead to poor service, satisfaction surveys, reportable incidents, and less than good reviews.

Employee turnover is a very costly proposition and must be dealt with.  While “cost creep” is the silent income statement killer in senior living, employee turnover is the daunting, sickening sound that will not go away. A 2013 Career Builder   survey of 5,500 found that 77% of “full-time employed workers are open to or actively looking for new job opportunities.” It’s like the runaway locomotive that is loud and scary, but is expected, so everyone just moves out of the way.  The unfortunate fact is that while there are strategies to slow it down and minimize the damage, most still get ran over by it.

A recent Paycom survey said the 94% of voluntary employee separations come from “push” reasons and not “pull”.  Meaning something within the existing organization triggered the employee to want to leave, not an offer from another company.  This means that employers can control a large amount their employee turnover. 

Now is the time to take a look at your current employee turnover rates.  While some turnover is necessary and healthy, don’t let unnecessary employee turnover sour your communities culture while draining your earnings and cash flow.

by Kim Jimenez

Not that long ago “multitasking” was the only way to work and even live. Working on multiple tasks at once, jumping from one task to another in order to accomplish more in less time, or so we thought.  Now, after years of eating lunch at your desk while working, checking emails while in an important meeting and barely hearing what your client is saying as you jot down notes about a separate big project you are working on, it has been determined that all this multitasking is actually doing us more harm than good.  It has increased our stress levels, reduced our creativity and produced a lot of substandard results. Some of our multitasking has even become dangerous; texting as well as engaging in phone conversations while driving has been proven to be distracting at minimum and deadly at its worst. 

According to Organizational Behavior (Schermerhorn/Osborn/Uhl-Bien/Hunt, 12^th Edition) hi-tech young professionals are sometimes referred to as the “Elsewhere Class.”  This is because “Elsewhere” is the place you are thinking about even when you are not there.  Technology is the enabler of work preoccupation.  It also states that “the Elsewhere Class face lots of stress in struggles to balance work, family and leisure.”  Clifford Nass, a psychology professor at Stanford University, says today’s nonstop multitasking actually wastes more time than it saves—and he says there’s evidence it may be killing our concentration and creativity too.  It can definitely be credited with troubled relationships, whether family, friend or co-worker.  The current practice of checking emails and messages and even taking phone calls while with others at social, work or family events has made today’s “multitaskers” seem rude, insensitive, and dismissive.  It is putting up a wall on personal interactions and has become a major issue in today’s society.

“Be where you are” is an increasingly common adage as of recent.  It refers to being totally mindful of what you are doing at that moment, the people you are with at that moment.  It encompasses putting that phone away and making eye contact with that person you are dining with, actively listening to your clients or coworkers, putting your total concentration into that work project you are working on right now, not being distracted by the next thing your are going to work on and finally not taking work with you and actually relaxing on vacation.  In the February 3 issue of Time Magazine, the cover story was “The Mindful Revolution; The science of finding focus in a stressed-out, multitasking culture.”  It states there are nearly 1,000 certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructors teaching mindfulness classes worldwide.  We now need instructors, certified instructors, to help us focus and relax.  Also it gives the suggestions of wearing a watch so you will not be tempted to check your phone for the time (um, guilty here!) and no phones in the bedroom so it is not the very first thing you pick up in the mornings (again, guilty). 

While some see this as a minor issue, it is becoming more and more evident this trend has damaged our wellbeing.  So, take this seriously and find out when and where you are “elsewhere”, take a look at your relationships with clients and vendors as well as family and friends to determine if they are healthy or distant.  As an employer, this can affect the performance of your employees and that reflects on you.  While some of this multitasking may not be avoided at “crunch time”, be sure to encourage your employees to get away from their desks at lunch, focus on the task at hand and make sure YOU are giving them time away from the job by not contacting them during their off hours whenever possible.  Finding the right balance between work, family and leisure will give peace of mind and contentment which in many cases will translate to increased performance while at work.

Here at MDS we strive to keep you informed and up-to-date about news within the senior living and housing industry as well as headlines about our economy, employment, financial, national and world happenings that could potentially affect you and your business.  Periodically we will post links to stories we think will benefit and interest you.  Sufficient information is the key to effective decisions.

The following links will take you outside the MDS website to the sources of these headlines. 

From SeniorHousingNews.com

What Senior Housing Can Learn from Ford Motor Co.

Buying a car and buying a house might be two distinctly different purchases, but retirement giant Del-Webb and Ford Motor Company find they actually have quite a lot in common…Read More>>

Assisted Living Unprepared for Huge Healthcare Role

Assisted living is poised to play a huge role in the healthcare system, but only on certain conditions many in the industry say haven’t yet been met. Much hinges on the ability to track and prove outcomes…Read More>>

Senior Living Community Goes Farm-to-Table for Savings, Resident Satisfaction

A new senior living community in Massachusetts is taking cues from the restaurant scene for its dining concept—largely a farm-to-table approach…Read More>>

Providers Gain Huge ROI with High-Tech Tracking

Tracking residents’ health has always been a major component of senior living. But new technology is allowing that tracking to become faster, more efficient, accurate and comprehensive, and some companies are saving by double-digit margins when they move to real-time monitoring…Read More>>

From The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Housing Starts Fell Slightly in February

WASHINGTON—Unusually cold weather chilled new-home construction in February, though underlying data signals a possible spring rebound…Read More>>

New Orleans Projects Get a Lift; First Phase of $663 Million Development Plan Set to Launch

Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans have another reason to celebrate: The conversion of a long-shuttered office building into apartments for low-income senior citizens is almost complete and soon will start accepting residents, marking a milestone in the city’s efforts to transform one of its poorest neighborhoods…Read More>>

Executive Leadership; The Top Issues CEOs Face These Days

The CEO of 2014 isn’t the CEO of 1914. Aside from being chief spokesperson, political strategist, good corporate citizen and running a business, these are the top five things today’s CEO faces…Read More>>

Consumer Prices Remain Nearly Flat in February

WASHINGTON—Falling energy costs largely offset rising food prices in February, keeping inflationary pressures tame across the U.S. economy…Read More>>

From Bloomberg Businessweek

NorthStar Realty to Buy $1.05 Billion of Health-Care Buildings

NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. (NRF:US), a New York-based property investment company, agreed to buy 60 U.S. senior housing and nursing-home buildings as it seeks to expand in health-care real estate..Read More>>

This Group Wants Companies to Take Clowning Seriously

Physically engaging in shared play and learning new skills can improve moods, boost morale, and enhance employee focus, argues Miller, who cites a 2013 Gallup poll noting that 70 million American workers are either not engaged or actively disengaged from work. For corporations, engagement translates to greater profits as workers stay home less and work harder…Read More>>

 

 

by Roy Barker, Director – Special Projects

Last summer I read an article in USA Today and it suggested that to help reduce the cost of living in New York City, city planners are proposing that developers test apartments in the 300 sq. ft. range.  This is due to the rising cost of rent in true dollars and as a percent of available income.  This is somewhat parallel to the seniors housing market in that senior living and housing communities must balance size of living units against the affordability for seniors. Therefore, like the above scenario, senior living units can be very compact. One dilemma that results is “how do I go from a house with all of this space and all of this ‘stuff’ to a much smaller apartment and not lose my quality of life.”

Well the old saying has never been truer, “necessity is the mother of invention”.  It’s very coincidental that shortly after reading that article I ran across a video on Wimp.com of different innovative home furnishings designed for space saving and functionality.  While all these inventions presented in the video may not be for the senior housing industry, some form of adaptation could help with current space issues.  I am confident there is a creative innovator out there who will see one of these ideas and be able to adapt it to the senior housing needs.  Cost is always a consideration when building and furnishing units, but with these smaller units gaining a wider market appeal and the potential to save on monthly service fees, the initial cost of these multi-functional, space saving pieces could just be worth it.

Read the article and view the video and let us know what you think.  What are some of your space saving ideas?  Which product in the video was your personal favorite?

NYC asking developers to test 300-square-foot apartments, USA Today

Modern Furniture that maximizes the use of space without sacrificing style on Wimp.com

 

 

From SeniorHousingNews.com

 

Toshiba Eyes $10 Billion Opportunity with New Healthcare Tech

Despite an overall growth in senior living pay in 2013 from the previous year, industry executives saw their salaries and bonuses decrease, according to the eighth annual ALFA Senior Living Compensation Survey. The average base pay of employees included in the survey rose 2% in 2013 compared to 2012. For executive jobs, however, the average… Read More »

Top 5 Health Care Technologies at SXSW

South by Southwest, an annual week-long conference event held in Austin, Texas, each yeah showcases the latest in music, film and burgeoning startup companies from around the country. The event, which takes place from March 7-16, dedicates a considerable portion to innovative technologies under its SXSW Interactive Festival. The Interactive Festival plays home to Startup… Read More »

 

From USAToday.com

Retirement Living: Biggest retirement regrets

There are few things in life that let you do a do-over. Retirement is not one of them.

So, if retirees had an opportunity to do something differently to prepare for their golden years, which mistakes would they correct?

Financial advisers, asked about their clients’ biggest regrets, had a bunch…Read More »

What the Social Security COLA means to seniors

Despite a narrow brush with a new reduction to Social Security benefits, seniors will not see the proposed move to a more conservative cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, in 2014.

President Barack Obama’s announcement on Feb. 2 that he was scrapping the earlier proposal preserves the status quo for seniors — for now. The grand budget compromise it was supposed to prompt did not materialize…Read More »

Wall Street Journal Online

Proposed Medicare Part D Drug Changes Are Scrapped

Plan to Limit Types of Antidepressants and Other Medicines Faced a Backlash

The Obama administration said Monday that it would scrap much of a proposed plan to limit the types of antidepressants and other drugs that seniors can get through Medicare after a backlash from lawmakers and the health industry…Read More »

House Approves Changes to Doctors’ Medicare Payments

Bill Includes Bipartisan Deal to Raise Physician Payments by 0.5% Annually for Next Five Years

WASHINGTON—The House passed legislation on Friday to overhaul how physicians are paid for treating Medicare patients, in a largely partisan vote reflecting continued divisions over the 2010 health-care law…Read More »

 

by Roy Barker, Director – Special Projects

Where is your website hidden?

Generally when I pick graphics for the blog I pick ones that go with my topic, but in this case I saw a great graphic that needed writing about.  While it is typically said that you need to be on social media “because everyone else is” or “its great consumer research” or “its key for building relationships” or one of the many other good reasons, one that is not mentioned often enough is the power of social media to drive traffic to your website.

There are two main ways this is accomplished, direct links to your website and the Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  When posting content to your LinkedIn or Facebook accounts use a link back to your blog or website and direct readers there to get more information.  This also works in group postings and discussions for both LinkedIn and Facebook.

I’m not a big proponent of writing articles singularly for SEO purposes.  I feel that SEO is a side effect of great content.  While you do want to be smart and use key words where possible, the focus of your writing should be the message, not be to squeeze in as many key words as possible, that takes away from the meaning of your article and generally make it harder to read and follow.  You should focus on timely and relevant subjects for your industry and write them in a clear and concise manner.  If you do these well, your content will be read, commented on, shared, linked to, and all the other things that help your SEO efforts.

Pictures and videos are also great attractions to readers.  Content with pictures and/or videos have a much higher viewing percentage than those that don’t.  I have read that a blog is like leaving a trail of bread crumbs for your readers to your website and a video is like leaving chocolate covered bread crumbs.  But again, a great picture or video with lousy content will not earn you a loyal following.

When you write an article or blog, driving traffic to your website and SEO optimization is a great objective, but don’t forget the here and now, you have an audience right in front of you, so say something noteworthy.

Let MDS show you how you can utilize social media in a comprehensive senior living and housing marketing campaign.

Contact Roy Directly at:
Dallas/Fort Worth – 817.925.8374
Boston – 978.432.9834
roybarker@m-d-s.com

 

by: Kim Jimenez

So, you are in the healthcare and hospitality business. Your attention is on a well-maintained property, proper nutrition plans, quality activities and a staff that can meet the needs of your residents.  Running a top notch operation is your focus and for the most part that is how it should be.  But one area you may not be paying enough attention to is your technology.  Do not neglect the security of your technology.  Computers are no doubt used throughout your community for any number of tasks and because the industry is becoming more and more digital, communities are at risk of being hacked.  

The cost of cyber crimes can be measured in dollars but there are also costs that cannot be measured.  The cost of time, reputation and trust are issues that affect any company that has been hacked.  A report by McAfee estimates the cost of cyber crimes cost the U.S. economy as much as $100 billion each year.  But that does not measure the cost of losing customers, damaged reputation and the effect on people whose information may have been compromised.

Since you are not a retail establishment processing credit and debit cards all day long, why, you ask, would anyone want to hack YOUR system?  Various reasons but they all stem from one common thing: INFORMATION! You have information that criminals can use to commit Insurance fraud, identity theft and scam the elderly.  With medical records going digital and much of the medical equipment being serviced remotely with internet, the health care industry is becoming a target.  In fact the value of medical records on the black market is reported to be $60 versus the value of credit card info which is $20 according to the Wall Street Journal.

What you may not know is that hackers, scammers and cyber criminals in general have their own network.  They share information about what equipment companies are using, internet addresses, and passwords to network firewalls.  These hackers dump information on file sharing sites. One site had information from three nursing homes in New York.  According to a Wall Street Journal report a document on one of these file sharing sites “included the brand of firewall, the networking switch, the Internet addresses of wireless access points for 11 rooms, precise blueprints of the facility, the locations of PCs and printers, and the encryption keys, usernames and passwords granting access to the network.” Scary stuff!

If you are a large corporate community, no doubt you have an IT department to work with.  If you are a small, independent community be sure you are consulting with a reputable security firm.  There are steps you can take to protect yourself, but you have to take them.  But many have the mindset of “It only happens to someone else” or “it only happens to those big retailers.”  Hackers look for anybody whose system is susceptible to hacking, they do not discriminate and they are not picky.  So, take some time NOW to review your system’s security, the safety (or vulnerability) of your patient’s medical records and the risks associated with such a breach.  The time is now BEFORE you get hacked.

  For more information and resources:

Four Ways to Protect your Community Against Hackers – SeniorHousingNews.com

Nursing Homes Are Exposed to Hacker Attacks; Cybersecurity Experts Find Trove of Information on File-Sharing Web Site– Wall Street Journal

The Economic Impact of Cybercrime and Cyber Espionage – McAfee and The Center of Strategic and International Studies