Every year, tens of thousands of elderly people are admitted to long-term care facilities. The families of these individuals count on such facilities to provide compassionate, excellent care for their loved ones. Unfortunately, such facilities are not always run with efficiency in mind. There are several steps, including the implementation of medication management systems, that any long-term care facility administrator can undertake in order to provide more efficient service. The following four steps can help any long-term care facility administrator boost efficiency in his or her facility.
Choose a good system for managing medications
Medication management systems are designed to make sorting and delivering medicines to patients stress-free . Such systems make medication sorting more efficient, meaning that facilities will only need to dedicate one or two days a week to this important task.
Hire qualified, competent workers
Many long-term care facility administrators hire inexperienced or unqualified workers because they believe that this is a good cost-control measure. However, hiring unqualified workers is never a good choice. When you hire qualified workers, you can rest assured knowing that they’ll provide patients with excellent care. Competent workers are also familiar with care delivery and will help to ensure that your facility runs efficiently.
Train and educate your employees
If you’re facing tight budget restrictions, you may not be able to hire experienced employees. If you must hire employees with no experience in long-term care, you should train them. Put a good training program in place and provide regular training updates. Check to be sure that all employees understand the materials on which they have been trained. Do periodic check-ups to ensure that employees are following procedures and that your facility is running efficiently.
Have an assessment completed
If you have had continuous problems in your facility, and if you have the money to do so, you should have a professional assessment completed. After an assessment is completed, you’ll be provided with a plan for improvement. An upcoming assessment can also help boost the productivity and professionalism of your employees.
Long-term care facilities provide an essential service to elderly members of our society. Such facilities should be comfortable, safe places for elderly individuals. The best long-term care facilities are those that are run with efficiency and compassion in mind. If you are a long-term care facility administrator, review the preceding tips and take plenty of measures to ensure that your facility is the most efficient it can possibly be.
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For even more great information on how to make your long term care facility operate more efficiently, contact Jeana Olchowy. She can also be reached on Twitter @jolchowy25.