CALA News & Views | Issue 46 | Relationships

Fostering and Maintaining Positive Relationships

Cheryl Martin has been an executive director of assisted living communities for 18 years, with the last three years at Prairie City Landing in Folsom . In her role, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the community. “This is a multi-faceted job that encompasses regulatory compliance, staff training, resident, family and team member satisfaction, financial stewardship and so much more,” she explains. “I have eight department leaders and we have approximately 82 team members.” And, while many individuals could not succeed in this role, Martin loves the relationships she is able to build with the residents, families, and team members. “My entire career has been in different areas of senior care. I attribute my work ethic, values, and professionalism to the multitude of seniors with whom I have been blessed to know over the decades. And I try to pass those values onto our team members. We have an opportunity to positively impact the lives of our residents and if we are open-hearted they will positively impact our lives as well.” Tracy McLinn certainly understands this too. As the marketing director at Golden Pond Senior Living in Sacramento from 2014 to 2019, she returned as executive director in March 2022 after receiving a call from the previous executive director who had to leave to care for a family member. “My scope of responsibilities includes overseeing the well being, care, engagement, and safety of 100 to 135 residents, hiring and training qualified, caring staff, ensuring the physical plant is in great condition, and reporting to our owners and LPA,” she explains. McLinn says what she likes most about her job is working with seniors every day to ensure that they feel a sense of purpose, that they are well cared for, and that they are as active as they would like to be. “Working alongside my team—to not only teach them all of the things that I have learned in my 33 years of working in this field—but to learn from them as well. Every day (even on the tough ones) there is something rewarding that happens and just fills my heart with gratitude!” It is no surprise to those who choose a career in Assisted Living that they will face challenges. However, their love for what they do — helping and caring for older adults — often surpasses the challenges.

When asked for any practical tips on the best way to foster and maintain positive relationships with LPAs, neither Martin nor McLinn miss a beat. “The best way to foster positive relationships is to be honest with each other and communicate,” says Martin. “Many of us do not interact often with our LPA, unless we have a question, or are sending reports. We do not see each other unless there is a complaint or at our annual inspection so it is difficult to get to know each other. Honest and respectful communication is key.” Adds McLinn, “The best ways to foster and maintain positive relationships with our LPA is to be communicative, transparent, honest, knowledgeable about the situation at hand, and proactive.” She says if a situation arises in her community, her team approaches the situation with a “how can we ensure this does not happen again” attitude right away. “Our LPA appreciates the fact that we already have a plan of correction in place prior to their visit. Self-reporting and constant communication with our LPA have been very instrumental in having a trusting relationship with them.” Challenges and Finding Solutions McLinn’s advice to LPAs who encounter challenges is to remain supportive and focus on the good things that community staff are doing as well. She adds that her current LPA makes it a point to have conversations with her that are conducive to building a trusting relationship. “This makes it easier to reach out when I have a question or situation that requires his attention. He always leaves us feeling supported and that support is what gets us through the tougher times!” Martin says when challenges arise for LPAs, this is the time to ask clarifying questions. That is, give the community enough information for them to help you if you are investigating something. But knowing some complaints are confidential, it can be tough. She cites an example of this when she worked in the Bay Area and an LPA came in to investigate a complaint from a hospital. The LPA would not tell her what the complaint was or who it was about so it was difficult to help gather information. “If I could have received a clear answer, I could have given them information directly related to what they were looking

for and saved us both so much time.” Something no one has enough of.

Lisa Kopochinski is a freelance writer and editor working with associations and companies in the United States and Canada. She can be reached at Lisakop@sbcglobal.net .

CALA NEWS & VIEWS I ISSUE 46 | APRIL 2023

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