Is Your Senior Living Community Poised for Growth – or Pitfalls?

A solid infrastructure, in any organization, is the backbone of success. Collectively, it is your physical and operational systems, staffing and delivery of goods and services supporting overall functionality and productivity. Key aspects of an infrastructure include:

• Human Resources – Policies and processes related to staff development, benefits, compensation, performance and engagement initiatives.
• Financials – Tracking and allocation of resources such as accounting, planning tools, payment processing, budgeting, developing and meeting KPIs and reporting.
• Communications – Internal and external, telephone systems, internet connectivity and channels critical for team member collaboration and information sharing.
• Emergency Preparedness – Systems and procedures put in place to handle unexpected events, including disaster recovery plans, backup power systems, data backup and emergency response protocols.

A well-honed infrastructure is crucial to be able to operate effectively, drive growth and meet residents’ needs, while supporting every department and all day-to-day operations, which enables maximizing cost savings and productivity.

Hiring The Wrong People Is a Costly Mistake

One of the most important decisions any organization will make is to hire the right employees. Employees are your most valuable assets – and alternatively largest expense. For senior living communities to be able to provide residents with consistent, quality service and create a sense of home, experienced leadership at the helm will be a direct reflection of resident satisfaction.

From a retention standpoint, gaps in staffing, whether temporary or long-term, impact those dedicated team members you currently have, putting them at severe risk for burnout. And to complicate things – as you try to build a solid team for your community, the shortage of staff in senior living has gone from a problem to a crisis.¹ Coreworks is a part of Compass Group, the fourth largest employer in the U.S., and eleventh largest in the world. We employ a team of top industry recruiters, allowing us to identify, and fill gaps when partnering with a community of any size.

The foundation of our proven staff acquisition is built on our recruiters posting to high traffic job boards, so we’re able to fill positions as quickly as possible, while effectively and properly onboarding and training new team members for their specialized role. We offer educational resources, free-training curriculum, and professional certifications to further their careers and provide high quality support. Coreworks performance management strategy begins with individual development plans within the first 30 days of their employment. These plans are designed around specific areas of personal and professional development, with a mentor assigned to new team members to monitor and support their progression throughout the development process.

Unfortunately, more third-party contractors and staffing agencies are being used to supplement workforces than ever as staff acquisition continues to be a challenge. However, this short-term solution will inevitably form cracks in every aspect of your community’s operations.

Infrastructure Is About Much More Than Staffing

While demographics from a consumer perspective remain strong for senior living with the influx of the baby boomer population, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed how the overall, working-age U.S. population will grow 0.7% by 2027. That contrasted with those turning 65 and older increasing 15.3%; 10.8% turning 75 and up and 8.2% over 85 and up by 2027.²

To prepare for these potential future residents, and retain your current residents, not only do you need the right team in place, but you should also be laser focused on your infrastructure as a whole – including IT, client and staff databases, operating systems, applications, and cybersecurity measures to protect your residents’ personal data and your operational data. Cyber breaches are frequently spotlighted in the media, paralyzing businesses, exposing private data for big and small organizations alike.   

It is also imperative to have experienced leadership teams in place to oversee all systems, with procedures and resources implemented ahead of unexpected events or a crisis that will likely disrupt operations. These plans involve disaster recovery, backup power systems, recovery measures, and emergency response protocols. This sounds ominous and it should – one system breakdown may drain your capital reserves and force you to cut corners in other areas, putting your residents, and staff, at avoidable risk.

Supply chain interruptions can also have a crippling effect. It’s time consuming and costly when a supplier is suddenly unable to deliver, not to mention it pulls you and your staff away from what they do best and care about most – your residents. Coreworks knows supply chain disruptions, and increasing costs pose significant challenges for senior living providers. Balancing these factors can result in tough decisions that impact operating budgets, resident experiences and community reputation in your already highly competitive market. We can support you through these challenges by identifying areas of opportunity to reduce operational costs and alleviate the burden of supply chain uncertainty.³

Coreworks can also source equipment backed by that same buying power and deploy experts that know which tools are needed and how to operate them in any situation. Our dedicated purchasing resources ensure a smoother and more consistent resident experience, and we can help steer you through uncertain waters while enhancing your community’s resiliency and success in the face of economic fluctuations.

Partnering With Coreworks

With an exclusive focus on environmental cleaning and support services, Coreworks’ purpose-driven mission aims to strengthen the health and viability of your teams and community.

Taking a holistic approach, the maintenance and management of your facility will be overseen by a team of experts, who are skilled in predicting, preventing, and resolving any issues that may arise that could negatively impact any and all corners of your infrastructure.

With strategic partnerships in more than 100 communities across the country and 16.4M square feet managed, Coreworks provides communities like yours with a full suite of support services including – housekeeping, laundry, plant operations, grounds keeping, maintenance, transportation and security. As part of one of the largest players in senior living hospitality, Coreworks’ size and relationships guarantee that suppliers prioritize our partners’ businesses.

And through our Smart Technology integration, CoreWorx Hub,⁴ we’re able to help you navigate one of the biggest challenges in managing senior living communities – dealing with the unexpected. Whether a city water main break or being short staffed due to a major snowstorm, Coreworks employs and implements CoreWorx Hub in all of our communities to help quickly solve for whatever situation may arise without compromising resident service and safety.

This comprehensive web-based solution allows us to manage all aspects of your community’s needs including:

• Instant Visibility – Dashboard interfaces convey exactly what’s going on in your community, from pending requests to incomplete work.
• Data Capture – Capture critical meter readings to ensure resident safety.
• Compliance – Remain compliant with safety and health regulations and track preparedness via survey audits.
• Reporting – View detailed graphs and reports to compare team member performance, identify training and determine overtime needs.
• Continuity – Template response procedures for infection control.
• Customized Services – Identify resident preferences to build customized housekeeping schedules.
• Time Tracking – Justify time spent and maintain accurate records with the built-in job timer.
• Scheduling – Instantly view staff availability with a user-friendly interface that sends reminders for overdue scheduled tasks.
• Remote Work – Get new work assignments immediately while in the field, look up work details, safety notes, completion details, upload photos, log time and mark tasks as completed.
• Resident Satisfaction – Receive resident feedback on department performance such as housekeeping, maintenance and transportation.
• Team Member Performance – Objectively evaluate employee performance by using checklists and pass-fail surveys.

With our integrated service models, Coreworks harnesses technological innovation, specialized products, and cutting-edge solutions to ensure your residents feel safe and secure, while fostering a sense of community connection.

The Coreworks team knows a well-established infrastructure is crucial for senior living operators to be able to manage their communities smoothly, drive growth and meet resident’s needs. Working with transparency, understanding mutual risk and reward, trust and hard work, Coreworks knows, ultimately your success is our success.