Get the Budget: 3 Key Talking Points for More Engaged, Happier Residents

October 15, 2018

It’s budget season and we know your community is determining the best way to invest its resources to make residents happier and more engaged, create higher satisfaction in their family members,  improve staff satisfaction and retention, and attract new residents. What if you could invest in one solution that would help you succeed in all of these areas and differentiate your community in the market?

Whether you’re new to considering iN2L, or you’re already using our engagement technology and want to scale the program, we know getting that budget allocation can be a challenge. To that end, here are three key talking points – supported by data and testimonials – that you can take to the table to justify a strategic investment in iN2L and secure the budget you need:

1.)  iN2L will make our residents happier and more engaged. iN2L engages seniors at all levels of ability with meaningful content so they feel connected and mentally stimulated. A study conducted by the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing found that after five months of using iN2L, residents’ overall mood between pre- and post-sessions improved by 65%. Another study from LeadingAge CAST Western Home Communities found that iN2L use led to 50% fewer residents requiring PRN antipsychotics and a 20% decrease in the total doses of PRN antipsychotics given to residents with prescriptions.

“We are excited to be using iN2L . . . The results we found in reducing the use of anti-psychotics and psychotropics has exceeded our expectations.”

— Kris Hansen, CEO Western Home Communities, Cedar Falls, IA

2.)  iN2L will increase sociability and strengthen residents’ relationships with each other, their families, and staff. The content and functionality iN2L provides becomes a platform for shared activities and experiences, and a way to facilitate meaningful communication. After nine months of using iN2L,[1] residents’ participation in social activities increased by 78% and families’ visits with their loved ones improved in quality by 78%. Furthermore, the relationship between residents and staff members improved by 43%, and the relationship between the residents’ families and staff members improved by 144%. Improving the quality of family visits is critical because it impacts occupancy – when families are happy with the care their loved ones are receiving, they share their experiences via word of mouth in the community.

“iN2L Focus has promoted social connectedness, as well as cognitive activity, among all of our residents, enhancing the way we deliver meaningful care.”

— Davis Park, director of the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing.

3.)  iN2L will help us retain staff by giving them the tools to do their job confidently and with less stress. The senior living industry has an annual staff turnover of 40-75% per year,[2] at a cost of $3,500-$5,000 per person[3]. But with easy-to-use engagement tools, staff are equipped to be more capable, more quickly, and can successfully intervene in behavioral episodes, decreasing caregiver stress and resulting in less staff turnover. Increasing staff engagement is a critical retention strategy that leads to 25% less turnover[4] and 26% more in annual revenue,[5] and assisted living communities with higher staff satisfaction overall achieve higher resident and family satisfaction.[6]

“Just today, my staff said to me, “We are much more confident with caring for residents because we can connect (feel close) with them on a level that was not available before.”

— Sally Plank, Executive Director Sunny View Retirement Community, Cupertino, CA 

iN2L’s unique engagement technology can be a strategic investment in resident growth and market differentiation, giving you an edge over the competition. When all of these factors come together – happy and engaged residents, staff who enjoy their jobs, and families who feel closer to their loves ones, your community becomes  the  place  that  is  known  for  something  very  special,  that  the  consumer  is  looking  for,  but  can’t  find  elsewhere.

References

1. [1] Final Program Evaluation for It’s Never 2 Late and THE GREEN HOUSE® Project
2. [2] OnShift Blog. Introducing Our Cost Of Employee Turnover Calculator.
3. [3] OnShift Cost Of Employee Turnover Calculator. Page 2.
4. [4] State of the American Workplace, Gallup, 2013.
5. [5] Employee Engagement: Paving the Way to Happy Customers, Aberdeen Group, 2015.
6. [6] Empowering Customer-Centric Healthcare for Post-Acute Providers, National Research Corp., 2013