In the age of health consciousness and COVID-19, there’s a lot of pressure on care homes to provide excellent service. Residents want to feel cared for and safe, whilst their sons and daughters are always checking to make sure that they’re being well looked after. Failure to do this on behalf of the care homes can lead to all sorts of problems, from bad reviews to negative press—which you will naturally want to avoid.
If you are a care home owner or employee, here are some tips and tricks that will help you to improve everything—from top to bottom.
Stock Up on Your Medical Supplies
The first (and most important) step is to stock up on your medical supplies and other items. This will likely include:
- Mobility scooters and wheelchairs
- Bedding and linen
- Hand sanitizers
By having all the equipment that your residents need, you will be able to provide around-the-clock care to a much higher standard—which is all that matters at the end of the day.
Remember, you don’t want to get caught out by being short on equipment (such as blood monitors) when an emergency arises. This is why it’s always best to be prepared and organized by stocking up on all the supplies you could possibly need.
To do this properly, you will need to use a reliable medical supply company.
Create a Positive Atmosphere
The next tip is easy: create a positive atmosphere for your residents.
You can do this in various different ways, from regularly cleaning the furniture to spraying nice fragrances around the different rooms. Also, it’s a good idea to have relaxing music playing in any social areas that you have (plus, residents should be able to put in musical requests).
Make Guests Feel Welcome
Over the past couple of years, many care homes have experienced controversies when it comes to guest visits. Of course, this has all been related to COVID-19.
As a care home, it’s essential that you have an efficient guest-booking system. When guests arrive (such as friends and family members of the residents), they should be made to feel welcome and not like they’re being a hindrance—even though these are sensitive times in the world of healthcare.
Guests should be greeted with a smile, offered drinks and snacks, and escorted to exactly where they need to go.
Importantly, before guests arrive, make sure that they are informed about protocol and other guidance so that no rules or laws are being broken.
Provide a Relaxing Outdoor Social Space
Every care home should have a relaxing outdoor social space for residents to use.
A lot of care home residents—especially the older ones—often get frustrated due to a lack of fresh air and sunlight. This is why it’s important to provide them with an outdoor social space where they can go for strolls and sit during the day.
Hire Volunteers
There are thousands of volunteers out there who would love to help your care home out. Notably, college and university students are great for this, as they want to build their résumés.
From assisting nurses to cleaning the pots and pans, there are various different tasks that volunteers can do.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Lifestyle category
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