To some, a job is just that – somewhere to clock in, earn a paycheck, and clock out. To others, a job is somewhere to build a career, establish connections, and contribute to the well-being of others. However, we know that creating this kind of supportive workplace can seem like a lot — especially when you’re in charge of it.
You might be thinking, “Where do I even begin? What exactly do we need to do? And how do we keep it going?” You could worry about people not liking the changes, how much time and money it will take, and figuring out if it’s even making a difference.
But as the aging population continues to grow, finding and retaining staff who can demonstrate empathy with residents is more important than ever. Some research even shows that the number of older adults in the U.S. will double from now ~40 million to 80 million+ by 2040.
With this in mind, let’s talk about some ways that you can emphasize empathy when working to help dining staff improve their interactions with residents.
Why does empathy matter?
Before we dive into specific empathy-building strategies to use in your community, you need to understand why all this effort is worth it.
Empathy means being aware of and understanding other people’s feelings – not to be confused with sympathy, which means to feel sorry for someone. Having both empathy and sympathy equals compassion, which is central to person-centered care. When you establish a strong rapport and a compassionate connection with residents, they are more likely to feel heard, understood, and valued, they are more likely to experience increased satisfaction with their care.
A happy mind also equals a healthy guy, ultimately improving nutritional health. With many older adults needing assistance from some type of government resource or privatized care to maintain optimal dietary health, it’s likely that you might encounter residents who are struggling to meet the necessary nutrient requirements. If this is the case, having empathy is even more important because they could be struggling with other comorbidities like chronic illness or poor mental health.
However, bedside manner is something residents of long-term care communities and patients in more structured healthcare settings often report is lacking.
4 ways to start training with heart in your senior living community
Here are four ways we recommend to start training your staff on building empathy and striving for excellence.
1. Use technology to support training efforts.
The food service management industry is rapidly adopting technology to make ordering. If your dining program hasn’t started implementing new types of technology, you run the risk of missing out on new systems and services that could make your dining program more effective. For example, using mobile apps makes dining and nutrition care more accessible to residents.
Our blog on technology for senior living communities provides more strategies you can explore for your residents.
Integrating tech into training efforts is the first step toward building empathy with your staff. Whether you restructure your scheduling system and attendance policy to account for employees with families or digitize your employee handbook to make it more accessible, the
Australian researchers took technology to the next level by having acute care nurses undergo an aging simulation to better understand their patients’ experiences. Not only did participating in this educate the nurses on issues that elderly patients deal with but also helped them empathize with their patients on a deeper, more authentic level.
2. Prioritize person-centered care with your staff, too.
Person-centered care in senior living, which is where the needs and preferences of a resident are prioritized when planning their care, doesn’t only apply to residents. While you aren’t making treatment plans with your staff, you do have to implement empathy-focused policies and procedures.
When you take a person-centered approach to working with and training staff, they know they are valued and wanted in the workplace. Also, the deeper the amount of empathy you can show for them as a leader, the more likely they are to respect you and become long-time staff.
Prioritizing people is also a way to prevent burnout in the food service and healthcare industries, two sectors where employees are already overworked and stressed.
3. Keep changes simple, yet intentional.
Change doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. When you start small, your staff is less likely to get overwhelmed or discouraged while learning new concepts and implementing changes to menus, serving tactics, or other aspects of their work. Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on making small, gradual changes that are easy for your staff to adopt. For example, you could start by encouraging your staff to make eye contact and smile more often when interacting with residents. Or, you could have them ask residents about their day and listen attentively to their responses. These small changes can make a big difference in the way residents feel and can help your staff develop greater empathy over time.
Other ways to include empathy in your training and direction with staff:
- Role-playing scenarios where staff can practice responding to residents with empathy and respect
- Discussing the importance of active listening and how to show residents that they are being heard
- Encouraging staff to socialize with residents and learn about their lives and interests
- Brainstorming ways to make the dining experience more enjoyable and personalized for each resident as an entire staff, not just with a few employees
4. Partner with appropriate resources to help you accomplish your training goals.
Sometimes, it’s hard to get everything done on your own — especially when you’re changing integral parts of your training curriculum. Dining with dignity and serving with empathy are two core principles at Culinary Services Group, making us an excellent choice when you’re looking for support to develop an empathy-focused dining team.
Schedule a meeting with one of our sales team members today to learn more about how we can help you create person-centered, empathy-focused training policies and dining experiences.
