COVID-19 Best Practices for Senior Care Providers
We are living in uncertain times of global pandemic. COVID-19, which appears to severely affect elderly people and those with compromised immune systems, is rapidly spreading. Therefore, senior care providers are on high alert. They're doing everything they can to keep their residents and service users safe. Residential care homes are taking every precaution possible. For many, this looks like restricting visitor access, delivering meals to rooms, cancelling group activities and asking high-risk staff to self-isolate. Additionally, adult day care services across the country are temporarily closing.
StoriiCare is a powerful communication tool. Our software is equipped to ease the concerns of families and staff being kept at a distance for safety reasons. Here are 5 best practices to keep your community well-informed in a time of global crisis:
Create Digital Signage that Reflects Community Preparedness
The media in your Public Calendar album can be changed and updated live at a moment's notice. Upload images or graphics that remind residents and current or future visitors about best practices. For instance, best practices for handwashing, what the symptoms of COVID-19 are, how the virus spreads, or what action steps you are taking as a community. However, take into account that the fear and anxiety around coronavirus can negatively impact people's mental and emotional health. Consider still including community photos, comics or light hearted images, or acts of kindness that have been spotted.
Have a Communication Protocol in Place & Set Expectations
Work as a team to develop a communication protocol that all staff are aware of. Have a plan for what to communicate with family members and when. Make sure families know which communication channels are open. For example, due to high call volume are you going to request that they message via Storii? Make your communication strategy clear to families. Let them know when to expect updates from you and how frequently.
Start Promoting Storii if you Haven't Yet
Storii is the family-side of StoriiCare. The Storii Family App is available for free in the Google Play and Apple Store. A friend or family member simply needs to provide care staff with their email address to connect to their loved one's secure online profile. When friends and relatives become Connections and use Storii, it means you can easily communicate important updates with a large number of people at once. Furthermore, it means you can provide reassuring updates to them. You can do this by uploading photos, videos and tracking activity participation. Does your community want free resources and assistance with quickly getting families set up with Storii? Certainly, we'd love to help. Reach out to us at team@storii.com.
Use Community Announcements Regularly
One of the quickest and easiest ways to communicate with your family and friend Connections is through the Community Announcements feature. From here, you can send a message to all Connections at once. If they have notifications turned on for the Storii app, they will receive live updates on their smartphone.
Identify Staff Responsible for COVID-19 Communications
Identify the employees in your community that will oversee communications to staff, service users, and families regarding COVID-19. Those in charge of overseeing the communications strategy will address questions or concerns that anyone may have. However, make sure they have the correct permissions level in StoriiCare. You can change this from Business Settings. They will need to be able to message and post to Staff Noticeboard and Community Announcements.
Sure, its a cliche, but 'Communication is Key'! The more you communicate with staff and resident relatives, the better. Simply checking in to say hello or sharing some good news from the day will help build rapport and trust. Additionally, it will help curb concerns and keep panic at bay.
We're here to help. If you would like to walk through any of these best practices in more detail, reach out to us on Live Chat or email us at team@storii.com.
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