Communication Strategies for Senior Living Leaders During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Health officials warn that the novel coronavirus poses the biggest threat to older adults and those with underlying health conditions.  While senior living residents, staff, and executives are working diligently to prevent the virus from entering their communities, one of the most important things they can do at this time is deliver clear and consistent information. 

Caremerge resident and family engagement tools are helping to effectively maintain real-time updates and push information to staff, residents, and family members.  A strong communication strategy will help operations continue to run smoothly and, most importantly, keep your residents and their loved ones at ease.

Maintain Conversations with Family Members Continuously

The daily news about the global coronavirus outbreak is dismaying. Family members feel anxious about the safety of their loved ones even if their community has had no exposure. It’s important to communicate frequent status updates and control the messaging.  Caremerge’s Family App can deliver time-sensitive messages to groups and individuals.

Notifying all family members at once with Family Announcements is a quick and simple way to get publish critical updates. You can segment these critical messages by family members of residents in specific buildings or care settings. Our partners are directing family members to check Caremerge for all Coronavirus news and updates. 

“Caremerge has been a great method for communication with family members during this Coronavirus outbreak.  We’ve shared out several documents and announcements about measures we are taking as more developments occur.  Family members are really appreciating all the contact!” 

Kim Mead, Director of Engagement at Gardant Management Solutions

Keeping some conversations private is important and in some situations, leaders should make a special effort to communicate with that person’s family individually.  With Caremerge’s HIPAA Compliant Family Engagement solution, designated staff members are messaging POAs or even a group of family members in a safe environment. 

Notify All Parties of Updates in Real-Time 

In the uncertain times of an outbreak, no news can be more worrying than bad news.  Communities use Caremerge’s Broadcast to send these reassuring notifications through email, text alerts, or even automated voicemails.  Instead of trying to communicate urgent messages to individual family members by phone, community leaders are using these platforms to send the same community-wide updates with a few clicks.  

Educate Your Community About Prevention Measures You’ve Already Taken 

Residents and staff are going to want to know how they can protect themselves. While there’s still a lot we don’t know about coronavirus, the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations hold true for any contagious disease.  Communicate to them through Announcements on what your community is doing to prepare and what they can do individually as well.  Having the option to include attachments is perfect for sharing updated processes, handwashing guides, fact sheets and more. 

Digital Display is another great way to present up to date information for every person in the community.  Teams are reiterating best practices frequently with built-in content creation and automation tools. With our TV and Premium solutions, community members can see the latest national and international news headlines, real-time updates from social media, custom announcements and digital posters, live video streaming of community events, and more. Providing essential announcements and on-demand knowledge is key to reassuring all parties. 

Communities are taking proactive measures to reduce the risk of spreading disease by reducing the size of events or canceling them altogether. With Calendar Central, staff are updating events in real-time with the mobile Staff App. Residents can get notifications on their smartphones about changes.

In the Face of a Health Crisis in Senior Living, Communication is Essential

In senior living, where most residents are members of the vulnerable population most at risk for COVID-19, it’s easy to panic.  Clear and frequent communications can help senior living leaders bring their staff, residents and families peace of mind. Reach out to a representative today to see how communities like yours are communicating through Caremerge.  We are here for you.