CindyHeilman
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Feb 1, 2011, 1:44 PM
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Person-centered care begins with a new attitude toward employees
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By Cindy Heilman, MS, DTR
There is a Catch-22 at the management level of senior living communities, when leaders evaluate the roles of dining room servers in often entry-level, low-paying jobs. The bar is set low, so administrators do not expect much from underpaid employees.
Now, as an advocate for what’s fair and right in this industry, I land on the side of the servers. I wish that they were paid more because I know how incredibly valuable they can be to the success of the business. But I would also challenge those same administrators to change their line of thinking. There are ways to compensate servers that are not necessarily part of the weekly paycheck. Offer them training. Offer them experience. Offer them variety. And do what the company you represent does best: Offer them care.
Language barriers are often an issue in this setting but shouldn’t be. Administrators should be proactive and create opportunities to access English as Second Language classes. It is in the company’s best interest to offer that training in-house or pay for evening or weekend classes.
This level of care and benefit to employees should extend even further. It should include help with filling out government forms, assistance with day care coverage, and flu shots for employees and their families. Flu shots should have a high priority because they directly affect the health and well-being of senior residents.
Figure out ways to cross-train positions so that it may add more hours to shifts. Additionally, this practice builds skills. For instance, a person may work the dayshift in central supply and also come in later to serve meals. It is a way to build skills, and beef up paychecks.
Perhaps more importantly – to the employee and the employer – offer young workers an opportunity to build their resumes by teaching them about providing good customer service. Actively encourage and inspire young workers to believe in a brighter future. Make them understand that there is opportunity for growth in this job and that it is a springboard to success.
Set good systems in place so each person thrives at being accountable for performing well, helping others and having leaders praising good performers. Others will see the standards are being raised and rise to the new level.
Administrators may argue that taking an approach like this will mean the loss of good employees. Certainly, that will happen. But there are benefits that outweigh any negatives. And employees are more likely to stay loyal and committed to an organization that looks out for their best interests. Expectations will be raised. Production will improve. Morale will be high.
When administrators think about their communities and the people who populate the buildings, it’s easy to see the residents. And they are all, no doubt, steadily moving in the direction of their final years. It is the company’s job to honor and cherish people in the later stages of life.
But any community is also certain to have entry-level service employees, and many of them are young. There is balance happening here. Young people in their first jobs are at the beginning stages of life, and seeking success. Honor and cherish them as well.
Cindy Heilman, MS, DTR, is the CEO of Higher Standards, an Oregon based company whose mission is to turn community food servers into company assets through education and training. She has created her experiential training program Kind Dining ® as a tool for providers to improve their organization's current dining program and raise the quality of the mealtime experience for seniors and servers.
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(This post was edited by CindyHeilman on Feb 3, 2011, 8:10 AM)
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