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makes it a great fit for any community outreach efforts.
However you choose to use the presentation tools, we hope
that they give you a sense of pride and accomplishment. "I
think the results exceeded all of our expectations," Todd Shetter
says. "Now we have credible evidence to back up our first-
hand experiences and gut feelings about the impact of quality
residential services and care in a senior’s life."
Check the CALA website
(
) this
summer to access these great new tools. Thank you to all the
families and residents who participated in the study, and thank
you to the team members who serve them each day.
g
M
any providers organize open house events for families
as a way of keeping them informed about and engaged
in community happenings. "They are also really important to
gather families to share good news regarding the community,"
shared
Todd Shetter, COO of ActivCare Living
and that night's
presenter.
This particular family night event was a gesture of thanks to
"the family members of our communities that had graciously
participated in the survey by responding to our requests last
February," said Shetter. The results were compiled during
February 2016 from 8,312 California residents and family
members, representing 228 CALA-member communities
ranging in size from less than 50 units to more than 125 units.
For Memory Care-only communities, family members were the
sole participant.
The study, commissioned by CALA and conducted by
Promatura, was based on responses to questions that were
designed to determine whether residents felt a sense of
belonging, and whether or not they experienced a sense of
control over their lives, two main contributors to quality of life.
According Shetter, the results weren't exactly surprising to
the family members in the room; they had already seen how
their loved ones thrived. "I read the highlights of the Memory
Care community results. The families were very supportive
and in agreement with the high marks related to feeling
safe, staff being responsive to mom or dad’s needs, and staff
knowledge. They also nodded and were in agreement about
recommending the community to others who may have similar
needs."
The value of the survey results, say Shetter, is in their validation
of residents' lived experience. "As providers close to the families
and residents we serve, we are fortunate to see the end results
of bettering the lives of seniors by the environments and
hands-on care and services we provide." But, he adds, it is not
enough to tell people such as legislators and local leaders,
"We are really good." Rather, the field must be able to shore up
personal stories with objective, third-party data.
Now all CALA members can broadcast the results of the
Resident Quality of Life Survey with the help of the newest
Voice of Assisted Living
presentation. By downloading the
speech outline and Powerpoint presentation, you will have all
the tools you need to share the results of the survey.
If your residents and their family members participated in the
study, organizing a family night presentation is a great way to
say "Thanks." Or, share the results at the next staff meeting as a
way of acknowledging the outstanding work of your associates.
The speech outline could even make a great article for your
next newsletter.
In addition, the speech includes an intro that makes it suitable
for a broad audience, including family members of future or
potential residents. The information included is both data-
rich and able to be personalized to fit your community, which
C L I F O N I A A S S I S T E D L I V I N G A S S O C I A T I O N
