Righting The Ship in Long-Term & Continuing Care

May 2, 2022
newsroom

Many long term care and continuing care facilities will need a post pandemic operational over-haul in order to ensure long term success and sustainability.For many facilities post pandemic day to day operations have changed dramatically. And, many facilities unfortunately, are not thriving in this new environment. Although the acute conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic have lessened, a not so subtle, post pandemic residue has ungraciously transformed senior care facilities into a muddied slog for survival.

The senior care industry is now being asked to do even more with even less thus profoundly affecting residents, staff and ownership along the way.Industry wide, universally recognized issues continue to weigh down a large percentage of facilities as decreased funding, decreased staffing, increased expenses and increased burdensome reporting to name a few are at the front and center of daily operations concerns. The required attention and intensity of resources required to address these significant issues often cause other important operational areas in facilities to be neglected. For many facilities the result is seen in ineffectual reimbursement processes, unchecked compliance, inability to develop and implement processes and programs for improved safety, improved quality measures, and improved resident care. Healthcare technology advances are expanding at break neck speed proving to be very beneficial and absolutely necessary for senior care facilities. Yet, how do already taxed facilities with decreased resources ensure due diligence for the proper technology research needed for proper facility fit and cost? This is certainly not an area to roll the dice on as the wrong technology can cause significant issues for a facility. And, given the amount and significance of the post pandemic issues at hand this is certainly not a time for a DIY. The bilge pipe is no longer leaking. It’s gushing. Facilities are drowning as there’s simply too much important work to do in too many areas that need appropriate attention right now.

As leaders, facility owners and operators would do best to seek outside assistance to right the ship as it is business as unusual now. Continuing to wait and hope for a long term comprehensive federal government lifeline is not an effective strategy for sustainability. It’s time right now to take action, to take charge of your destiny by engaging in beneficial healthcare consulting partnerships that have the experience, the skills and the proven solutions to help position you for long term success. But in the end, it’s every facility’s choice whether to seek out help or not. Choosing notto seek help still means that you have made a choice. But, in all likelihood not a good one.