A silver lining

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for everyone, but especially for caregivers, home health workers and senior living facilities. While no industry remains unscathed, the pandemic is hitting senior living and post-acute care providers particularly hard. However, they continue adapting to challenges, demonstrating remarkable resilience and dedication.

All senior living communities have a major role to play in the senior care continuum — even those that don’t provide dedicated clinical care. That’s because wellness has been shown to improve health outcomes among older adults, including increased independence, mobility and mental health. Psychological well-being has been tied to stronger immune responses.

Employee turnover remains an ongoing challenge, with rates exceeding 33% in senior care, according to Argentum’s 2020 Report. We’ve seen turnover rates exceeding 70% among caregiving staff in many skilled nursing facilities. The pandemic further drives the staffing shortage as caregivers struggle to manage competing priorities, from caring for children and family members to juggling demanding work schedules and striving to protect their health.

Meanwhile, longer lifespans are increasing the demand for care. In the US, nearly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. Research estimates that many of the 67 million people over age 60 need or will need care. In the next 20 years, another 65 million more Americans will turn 65 while experts predict the number of seniors who need long-term care will increase to 15 million in the next 30 years. By 2034, the population aged 65-and-older is expected to, for the first time in American history, outnumber the 18-and-under population.

According to the US Census Bureau, between 1960 and 2015, the average life expectancy increased from 67.7 years to 79.4 years. By 2040, life expectancy in the US is likely to be 85 years or higher. According to AARP, the number of caregivers to senior ratio is also changing dramatically. In 2010, there were seven potential caregivers for every senior in need of care or support. By 2030, the ratio is expected to be 4:1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that by 2026, there will be 7.8 million direct care job openings due to a shortage of workers.

As the senior population grows exponentially, so do the business opportunities available to long-term care operators to meet tomorrow’s needs. Boomers in particular — children of most senior living residents and potential senior living inhabitants themselves — often have issues with the way the $250 billion senior living industry is run and what it offers.

Amid rising turnover and rapidly expanding care needs, many operators face an unprecedented staffing crisis. Skilled nursing and assisted living facilities that were short-staffed before the pandemic are finding hiring and retaining nurses even harder now. They know quality of care is intrinsically linked to staffing but struggle to overcome this shortage.

Digital transformation through workforce management will be key to solving the pressing issues facing senior living and post-acute care facilities, from meeting staffing challenges and reducing overhead costs to safeguarding residents and staff to achieving operational efficiencies. Many communities are already integrating telehealth into their service offerings, providing much-needed care within the comforts of the home.

If your loved one must be in a senior care community, you will need to be their advocate and investigate the facility carefully and diligently. Look over the caregiving records, and make sure everyone has the correct protective gear while caring for the residents. Ask questions, set up meetings and explore their practices and protocols to protect employees, clients, and residents under normal circumstances and during times of crisis.

TMP’s role

TMP provides a dedicated team of specially trained senior living community counselors to manage and nurture online referrals. The counselors follow a robust workflow of learning the family story, building a relationship, conducting an in-depth needs assessment, providing recommendations and solutions, offering financial assistance and matching the family needs to a local community. Once matched to the community, the counselor sets up a tour of the facility.

Our extensive knowledge of the senior living referral industry is our greatest strength and we understand the domain. The average counselor tenure is 7 years, and the annual attrition rate is less than 15% (while the industry average is 40%). We look for empathy, strong listening skills, motivation to help, strong work ethics and value system besides caregiving passion in our counselors.

We take into consideration the type of housing needed, medical requirements and dietary concerns and provide information on services, amenities, community features, FAQs, pricing, floor plans, special events, menus, and photos. We understand that this is a difficult decision for caregivers, but you can rest assured that your loved ones are in good hands. After all, we are professionals!