Are Your Employees Orange?

We have spoken earlier about the great research done by Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick in The Carrot Principle, a book about employee engagement and the effects of recognition in the workplace. The authors have done it again, this time in The Orange Revolution, which discusses teamwork. The book encompasses what makes a great team, and how an "orange" team, or one with a high sense of unity in a common goal, achieves breakthrough, positive results.

Teams exist in almost every organization, in every arena. The elder care industry is no exception, especially when you consider geriatric care management, and the team it takes to care for an elder in their home. Elton and Gostick found that once an initial level of basic competence is met, there are 5 key factors every team needs in order to achieve "orange" status and be effective:

• Goal Setting (knowing where the team is going)
• Communication (wise use of your voice and ears)
• Trust (believing in others and being trustworthy)
• Accountability (doing what you say you will do)
• Recognition (appreciating others' strengths and contributions)

A geriatric care manager and an organization that employs caregivers to the elderly has a key responsibility to ensure their employees are humming the same tune when it comes to those five factors. Supervisors who set clear goals, encourage and provide detailed communication, build trust, hold team members accountable, and recognize great work will undoubtedly have an engaged team environment built around the client.

Since October brings us lots of orange in pumpkins, Halloween, and harvest colors, I encourage you to survey your employees and client care teams to see if they are engaged and orange, too.

Good News for the Elder Care Industry

The first wave of the Baby Boomers turns 64 this year. It won't be long until they start the biggest retirement exodus this country has ever seen. It's time for companies to prepare, because the Boomers are being replaced by a much smaller generation of unskilled workers. With the unemployment rate close to 10%, it's hard to imagine, but in just 8 short years our country could have as many as four million more jobs than workers to fill them.

So what's the good news for us in the elder care industry? First, the idea of a traditional retirement is outdated. The 60-somethings want to continue to work, and make a difference. They want flexible, creative work that accommodates their lifestyle. I can think of a fabulous profession that meets all that criteria...professional caregiving! Additionally, many of the soon-to-be retirees already have experience, in caring for their aging parents.

As an HR professional, it is my duty to keep on top of up to four generations that are in the current workforce, and understand the needs and traits of each. In the elder care industry, however, the most common generation is the Boomers. Let's inform these new retirees of this growing, purposeful career and help reduce the gap between open jobs and skilled workers.

The Aging Caregiver Workforce

In the elder care industry, most focus on the clients, or the elders, and rightfully so. It is them for whom we care, center our business on, and assist in finding their purpose as they move through their elderhood. But what about the caregivers? At what place in their life journey are they?

Research shows that 22 percent of home care workers, or caregivers, are 55 or older. And that number is expected to grow to 30 percent over the next decade. Traditionally, most companies may be reluctant to hire and older worker for fear they aren't as productive, slower to catch on to new technologies, and could cost the company more in health benefits. Not so in the elder care industry.

Older workers are not only preferred, but sought out as caregivers. The typical older worker not only has experience caring for aging family members, but understands the stresses families are under, has respect for age, and doesn't see age as a disability. Most often, a good match can be found between an older caregiver and an elderly client, because of the greater chance for common interests and hobbies.

Additionally, the caregiving profession is often the perfect fit for an older worker. The flexible hours, the part time hours for those not needing health benefits, and most importantly, it creates a sense of purpose, caring for someone who values their help, something they enjoy doing, and do well.

We Have A Winner!

Elder Care Guides is proud to announce that one of our caregivers, Maricela Pulido, received the award for Outstanding Home Care Service from the California Association for Health Services At Home. The award is given to an individual who is "directly involved in day-to-day care and has consistently provided outstanding service to patients in their homes." Maricela was honored with this award at the CAHSAH National Conference luncheon in Sacramento, CA on May 6, 2010.

Maricela was nominated because she not only has worked for Elder Care Guides since 2004, but she has been a caregiver for the same family for over 12 years. Maricela has managed the changing medications, the bathing routine, the various outings, all while keeping in mind her clients strengths and giving him a sense of purpose during his elderhood. Maricela is punctual, dependable, and has been throughout her tenure with this client over the last decade. She has developed a trust with her client and his family that is beyond measure. In addition, Maricela has been a consistent, reliable caregiver, rarely taking time off and always being flexible with the changing needs of her client. For all these reasons and more, Maricela was nominated for, and won this prestigious award! Congratulations Maricela!

What Makes a Good Caregiver? - The Art of Thin-Slicing

Determining if a caregiver will be a valuable employee at the interview is no small feat. There are a multitude of factors to consider, including past experience, hands-on training, knowledge base, and personality. Of course we crave dependability and consistency in caregivers, but how can we tell at the initial meeting if a potential caregiver will be reliable? We can tell through the art of thin-slicing, says author Malcolm Gladwell, in his book "Blink."

Gladwell describes thin-slicing as the ability of or our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior, based on minimal "slices" of knowledge and experience. By using the thin-slicing technique, we find it is possible to gather enough necessary information to determine if a caregiver will be a valued employee for the long-term.

Therefore, instead of trying to consider all possible aspects of what makes a good caregiver, focusing on a few main essential traits and thin-slicing the potential employee is often more effective. Does the applicant have a calming personality? Are they sociable and helpful? Are they organized and have original ideas? Do you sense a strong desire to relate to and encourage an elderly individual? What are their emotions as they tell you a story of one of their past clients? Using this observational technique when conducting interviews takes practice, but will most likely bring your percentage of quality caregivers up dramatically. As Gladwell states in his book;

"...judging people's personalities is a really good example of how surprisingly effective thin-slicing can be."

All humans thin-slice. We do it when we meet a new person, or have to analyze a situation quickly, and we rely on our ability to thin-slice to keep ourselves out of danger. Paying attention to a few key personality details can tell you a lot about a person, which is especially important in finding a long-term, valued caregiver.