"Running on Empty"
The 70's classic, Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty," could have been written for today's long term care staff!
Care staff are among the hardest workers. But there’s a limit to what any one person can accomplish on a single shift. Especially when there are so many curve balls — an unexpected call-out resulting in extra work for everyone on the floor, a new resident needing extra attention. Not to mention the full load of caregiving at home that many staff deal with in their personal lives.
Rose Villa Senior Living
So much is demanded of care staff, it’s no wonder they get stuck in firefighting mode. And when they go into fight mode, cortisol surges, adrenaline kicks in, and they push through. But we now know that this mode can’t last. Chronic stress raises the risk of heart disease, anxiety, depression, memory loss, and a weakened immune system.
Imagine if you could have just a little bit of peace of mind. If you could get all staff on the same page at the beginning of each shift, so they knew what was happening, who to look out for, and how they were doing on falls, med errors, and staff callouts. Administrators would have fewer repeat questions from staff wondering what’s going on, and staff would know right away what to focus on during the shift.
We created the Huddle as a super simple way to do that.
Make it stand out
The way it works: Gather floor staff shortly after shift change. One person leads the team through a set of questions from the Huddle Guide (pictured here). 8-10 minutes total.
The Huddle is not a regular “stand up” or a regular team meeting. It is a very short gathering every single shift that uses this script to quickly surface any issues that could affect your team.
When teams use the Huddle every shift, there are fewer falls, fewer med errors, and fewer close calls. The truth is that peace of mind comes from having practices that deliver higher safety and quality. Think about that.
