Every time a community staff member engages with a resident, it’s important that it’s meaningful and productive. Seniors over the age of 65, however, naturally process information at a slower rate. Response and reaction times also increase significantly. Much of this cognitive decline goes hand-in-hand with hearing impairment. In order to process all the information within a single conversation, residents need to properly hear what’s being said or explained. That’s where Eversound comes in to improve communication between staff and residents.
Leveraging innovative technology is one way senior living communities can provide exceptional care for residents. The Eversound system is a valuable asset for individualized care planning and delivery between residents and their care team. By using the Eversound headphones, residents become active participants in their care. Care team members also report a 77% increase in understanding as they become better communicators without the need to repeat, shout, or be interrupted. Eversound’s wireless headphone systems foster a healthy social environment between residents and the staff in every department.
Let’s look at three uses across the community where Eversound improves communication, satisfaction, and engagement between staff and residents:
1. Resident council meetings
Resident Council meetings empower residents to voice their concerns, exercise their rights, and play an active part in the decision-making process within their own home. These meetings give value to residents’ ideas and requests and puts them in the driver’s seat of their care. Those residents suffering from hearing loss tend to participate less in these meetings because of the struggle to hear and understand the conversation. Too often, those residents may choose not to come to the meeting at all.
By wearing the Eversound headphones, residents can clearly hear the meeting, resulting in a better grasp of the points being discussed. This comprehension leads to feeling more confident participating, articulating their concerns, and having more dialogue in general, which increases engagement and trust between staff and residents.
Related: Download a free Resident Council meeting template to get your planning underway!
2. One-on-one care planning meetings
Care plan meetings allow staff, the residents, and their loved ones to talk about life in the community. That can be anything from meals, activities, therapies, nursing care, or health and wellness needs. It’s a time when residents and families can ask questions, get clarification, express concerns or offer information to help staff provide care.
It’s important to involve the resident in the care planning as much as possible, but don’t always assume the resident understands the full scope of the conversation, especially if they have dementia. The first step in understanding is being able to hear what is said. With Eversound, there’s confidence knowing that the headphones help them correctly hear what is being said, which in turn helps them better communicate and remain engaged without feeling frustrated.
This applies to all members of the care team partaking in the session, including the ED, Residents Service Director, and physical and occupational therapists.
The first step in understanding is being able to hear what is even being said. With Eversound, there’s confidence knowing that the headphones help them correctly hear the conversation, which helps them better communicate and remain engaged without feeling frustrated.
3. During PT/OT sessions
Physical therapy (PT) is centered around improving resident movement, mobility, and function. Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on helping residents improve daily tasks and fine and gross motor skills that may have been impacted by conditions or illnesses. The occupational therapist will also focus on making your home or school environment more optimal for your everyday life.
The Eversound system works as a critical element to a rehabilitation strategy, helping residents partake and understand their path to recovery in PT and OT. With Eversound, residents have clearer conversations with their therapist and can fully participate in exercises, and stretches, as well as cognitive rehabilitation like coping with memory loss. When the headphones are on, these sessions become more effective. Residents are more in control of their treatment, making the clinical staff member’s job more rewarding since they don’t have to yell or repeat themselves.
4. Activity Programming
Ensuring accessibility and bolstering participation is key to activity program success. With tools like Eversound’s listening system, residents can personalize the volume of their headphones to their individual hearing needs, helping to make sure everyone in the group can hear the activity director, guest speaker, or tour guide in order to fully comprehend and engage in the activities, whether on-site or on an outing.
With Eversound, resident engagement goes well past bingo and movie night, and provides real stimulation, connectedness, and meaning for residents.
Improve communication across the community with Eversound
Building trust and improving communication is what the relationship between staff and residents is all about. Even using the technology for staff meetings without resident involvement helps them understand the resident experience more and improve their communication with residents because they see first hand how powerful it is.
Eversound offers advanced listening technology that enables staff at senior living communities to partake in all types of meaningful conversations with residents, resulting in better engagement within the community, more productive outcomes, and an improved quality of life.
To see how you can strengthen the relationship between residents and your staff, let’s connect!
