Senior living facilities management faces higher risks and increased scrutiny by both seniors and their family members. A robust facilities maintenance program is essential to maintaining senior health and mobility, not to mention the efficacy of treatment and physical rehabilitation. Facilities Managers need to understand how their activities impact senior housing residents and their well being.
Senior Living Facilities Management Challenges
As with any health care facility, senior living care facilities face the challenges associated with health and wellness. These challenges are in addition to common difficulties in facilities management, but reducing costs and improving resident experiences. Prominent problems in senior living facilities management include:
- Limited staff. Proper labor management is essential to ensuring all seniors in facilities have quality living conditions, and limited and/or inexperienced staff makes this even more critical.
- Changes in funding. Senior housing facilities receive funding from Medicare and insurance, so changes in healthcare legislation will affect senior living facilities.
- Increased family engagement. Ensuring a positive experience for a single customer in the commercial facility is simple; the customer needs to get what he expects. In senior living facilities management, the residents and their families will be heavily involved. As a result, facilities management and maintenance issues will come under greater scrutiny.
- Maintaining regulatory compliance. As explained by James Clayton via Health Facilities Management, regulations affecting senior living facilities include much more than the typical rules for building systems in commercial facilities. As a healthcare facility, it falls under the authority of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), so even minor things, like the products used by custodial workers, under the direction of the Facility Manager, can have a significant impact on compliance.
New Technology Engages Seniors and Encourages Health
The introduction of smart technologies, including automated lighting, USB-charging stations, connected care platforms and AI-enabled platforms, such as Amazon Echo or Alexa, has the potential to revolutionize how residents receive care. One of the most common factors associated with poor treatment outcomes and cognitive decline, reports Jamie Morgan of Health Facilities Management, is stress, and stress can be relieved by a technology-rich environment. Technology encourages memory recall, and for seniors with the ability to use apps on their connected devices, they can enjoy greater comfort in care facilities.
Best Practices in Using Senior Living Facilities Management Technologies to Improve Livelihood
There are thousands of possible ways to use technology to improve senior living facilities management. Instead of focusing on individual improvements, Facilities Managers should follow a few best practices to ensure nothing is overlooked. These include:
- Focus on safety and fall prevention.
- Ensure residents and their families’ rooms or units are secure.
- Offer a way to connect with residents and their family members.
- Address maintenance or custodial needs immediately.
- Maintain proper documentation for all systems and work orders completed.
- Reduce overhead costs through smart systems and controls.
- Remember transport vehicles for resident appointments and excursions too.
- Implement medication management and food safety processes
Increase the Quality of Care Through Better Senior Living Facilities Management Today
Senior living facilities management will benefit from connected, smart technologies and controls. As the field of facilities management evolves, the conditions and capabilities of senior living Facilities Managers will increase, and quality of care will improve as well. Find out what your organization needs to do to take advantage of new, connected facilities management systems by visiting ENTOUCH online or calling 1-800-820-3511 now.