8 Kinds of Feedback Every Community Needs to Improve the Senior Living Experience

Smart senior living leaders are always focused on continuous improvement. But the most successful transformations – big or small – aren’t crafted from thin air. They’re fueled by data, and lots of it: from residents, families, and staff.

But what kind of feedback matters most? At a high level, it helps to focus on gathering these eight types. In this piece: who to survey, what to ask about, and how to leverage each insight for excellent results.

From Residents: First Impressions, Post-Discharge Sentiments, and Experience Ratings

At the risk of stating the obvious, resident feedback is an absolute must for every senior living community. It’s crucial for helping residents feel listened to – and can help you understand whether their needs are being met.

Not sure what kind of feedback to gather? Start by conducting…

• First impressions surveys: Are new residents adjusting comfortably? Do they feel welcomed and supported? It’s important to gather this kind of feedback early on (ideally within 30 days of move-in). This can help you monitor how well your onboarding process aligns with residents’ expectations – and give you room to quickly address concerns if any arise.
• Post-discharge follow-ups: If you have on-site medical or rehab facilities, it’s important to learn how residents are transitioning back to regular life. Send follow-up surveys at 0, 15, and 30 days post discharge to stay on top of any challenges and ensure residents are on the right path to recovery.
• Experience pulse checks: Regular surveys (conducted quarterly, semi-annually, or annually) help gauge ongoing satisfaction. This allows you to monitor trends over time and respond proactively to emerging issues.

To measure residents’ overall satisfaction, ask them how they feel about…

• Care and wellness: How personalized are residents’ care plans? Do residents feel supported across all dimensions of wellness?
• Meals and dining: Do dining options have enough variety? Are residents’ dietary restrictions accommodated?
• Life enrichment activities: How do residents feel about the activities they’ve participated in? Do the opportunities feel balanced and support their personal goals?
• Staff communication: How easy is it to get in touch with staff? How do residents feel about the range of communication options (e.g., text, call, email, or Amazon Alexa)? Are residents’ concerns and preferences taken seriously?

Once you gather feedback, don’t just squirrel your data away. Instead, use it to continuously tailor your activities, services, and care model to better meet residents’ needs. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for positive testimonials you can use in marketing materials to attract new residents. (You might even follow up with specific individuals to get their insights on video.)

With a data-driven approach, you can leverage resident feedback to showcase your strengths and remain competitive.

From Staff: Post-Hire Satisfaction, Employee Experience Ratings, and Exit Survey Feedback

At first glance, the employee experience and resident experience don’t seem all that connected. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

When your team feels engaged and supported, they’ll provide better care and life enrichment to residents. The opposite is also true: a dissatisfied workforce is likely to provide a lackluster senior living experience. And residents will notice the shift.

That’s why it’s so important to keep tabs on the employee experience. We suggest conducting three types of surveys:

1. Post-hire check-ins: The first 90 days can make or break employees’ long-term satisfaction. To keep things on the up and up, we recommend checking in at 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days after hiring. This consistency will help you identify potential concerns before things start to fester.
2. Experience pulse checks: Conduct these brief surveys quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. They only need to be a handful of questions – just enough to proactively monitor the employee experience as it evolves.
3. Exit surveys: When staff members leave, exit surveys can uncover recurring issues (like workload concerns or gaps in management support) and give you the data you need to improve retention.

These surveys can give you a sense of employees’ ongoing engagement. To fill in the picture, make sure to ask about things like…

• Training satisfaction: How prepared do staff feel for their roles? Are there areas where additional training could improve their confidence or efficiency?
• Process efficiency: How well do workflows support employees’ daily tasks? Are there inefficiencies or bottlenecks that slow them down?
• Digital fluency: How comfortable are employees with the tech they’re expected to use? Are there any digital friction points that might be solved with more intuitive software?

Like resident feedback, you can use employee feedback to fuel continuous improvement (e.g., like tweaking your onboarding experience based on post-hire and exit survey data). What’s more, you can showcase positive feedback throughout your hiring and recruiting efforts to attract top talent and position yourself as an employer of choice.

Employees will value your willingness not just to listen, but to act on the feedback they provide. The result: a confident team that’s motivated to excel.

From Families: First Impressions and Regular Pulse Checks

Families often play a key role in evaluating senior living communities for their loved ones. In most cases, their involvement doesn’t stop after mom and dad move in: they want to make sure the experience continues to meet every expectation.

Their feedback can help you assess your progress on that front. You can gather it through…

• First impressions surveys: Families’ first impressions often set the tone for their ongoing relationship with your community. Check in early to learn where things stand and establish trust.
• Experience pulse checks: Regular check-ins help families feel heard and provide opportunities to proactively address concerns. As with other kinds of pulse checks, consider conducting these quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

As for the questions you ask, make sure to check in about matters such as…

• The perceived quality of care: Do family members think their loved ones are receiving the level of care they were promised? Have they been alerted to any gaps or noticed red flags while visiting?
• Staff communication: Are families kept informed about their loved one’s experience and care plans? Do they feel comfortable reaching out with questions?
• Event participation: Are families engaged with community events or activities? Do they feel welcomed and encouraged to participate?

Family feedback gives you a new angle on the senior living experience you’ve created. Just like resident feedback, you can spotlight positive testimonials on your website and on social media to wow prospective residents and families. Plus, each survey gives you new data points to better understand how you can improve communication, connection, and the overall experience.

The result: a positive feedback loop that can turn families into active champions for your community.

Gather Feedback with the Right Tech

By actively listening to residents, staff, and families, you can strengthen relationships and position your community as a leader in senior living innovation.

But in order to listen effectively, you’ll want tech that makes surveying simple. It should be easy to automate survey delivery across platforms, send occasional reminders, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data (no matter your team’s data literacy).That’s what we promise with our AI-powered Feedback 360 tool. And there’s a lot more under the hood. If you’re interested in learning more (about this product or others in our suite), reach out to book a demo. We’d love to chat!