Serenity Engage CEO Katherine Wells recently sat down with Paige Cerulli of I Advance Senior Care to discuss the challenges of caregiver staffing within senior care communities.
In the article, Katherine explains how Serenity helps to both increase staff efficiency and improve caregiver retention.
With Serenity, a 10-second post puts everyone on the same page. All staff and family members know what’s happening, and questions can be answered quickly with minimal back and forth. This builds strong, trusted relationships and helps retain top talent, all while saving 5+ hours per week per staff member that would have otherwise been spent trying to reach the families or answer questions.
Below is an excerpt from the article. Click here to read the full piece.
How Senior Care Communities Can Use Technology to Combat the Staffing Shortage
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, paired with widespread staff shortages, have contributed to staffing challenges in the senior care industry. In a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult, 19% of long-term care workers reported that they had quit their jobs since February 2020, while 69% reported that the national shortage of health care workers had affected them and their place of work.
In response to the staffing shortages, senior care facilities may turn to many outlets, including staffing agencies. But technology is also playing an important role in helping communities to better cope with this ongoing challenge.
Technology’s Response to the Staffing Shortage
Katherine Wells, CEO of the senior care app Serenity Engage, similarly developed her solution out of necessity. When Wells’ mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 10 years ago, Wells discovered firsthand the challenge of managing multiple providers for a loved one. For 10 years, Wells managed 37 different service providers, coordinating care for both her mother and father. Wells found that communication was a major challenge.
“The only people who are consistent across the entire senior care journey are the older adults and their families,” says Wells. “Providers come in and out through that process. While the people are heroic, the system they work in is very siloed, outdated, and fragile,” explains Wells.