2018 Balancing Act: Budgets and Improved Care

By Greg Snoddy, Vice President, Healthcare Sales - Senior Living
January 2018

In the long-term care industry, priority is always set on resident care; Every senior living facility has the goal of making sure their residents are safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, with increasing competitiveness and decreasing census, many facilities are continuously challenged with finding balance between lowering operating expenditures and increasing quality care for residents.

The growing pressure to control costs without negatively affecting resident care necessitates a reduction of operating expenditures for all care teams in the facility. This requires identifying opportunities to explore and introduce new resident care solutions. The best products and solutions to consider implementing are those that maximize efficiency, present unrivaled durability, offer a favorable return on investment (ROI) and could even elevate resident care.

There are multiple product solutions to choose from. Here are three suggestions that may help your administrative leadership team cut costs and increase product investment ROI without putting resident satisfaction at risk:

1. Simplify your linen system and laundry process.

Laundry processing is an important and necessary task in your facility. Still, many senior living facilities struggle to uncover ways to reduce waste and improve cost savings during the institutional laundering process.

Introducing a no fold linen system that does not require color sorting would cut costs by saving time for both the caregiving staff who assemble resident beds and the laundry services crew who process the linens. Durable, stain- and lint-resistant products could last 18-24 months, a life expectancy higher than traditional linens, creating an unmatched ROI.

Your residents will appreciate experiencing the difference quality sheets will have on their sleep. Choose synthetic, high-performance linens that provide residents with the soft, cool feel of cotton while protecting their skin from moisture-related conditions and they’ll be sure to rest comfortably all through the night.

2. Upgrade your cleaning system for optimal efficiency and effectiveness.

Another essential component to providing top-quality resident care is maintaining a safe and clean environment for residents and workers throughout your entire facility. Environmental hygiene is the first line of defense in any infection prevention program targeted at limiting the risk for residents to develop healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). HAIs can be costly for both the residents and your senior living facility so prevention is key.

The most effective cleaning systems include high-quality antimicrobial products that penetrate invisible crevices on surfaces to cut out dirt and grime then trap and remove infection-causing contaminants. Cleaning systems that are dynamic enough to handle any cleaning need, effective enough to be paired with any cleaning solution (or even just water) and durable enough to withstand commercial cleaning using chlorine bleach to kill any microbes picked up will have the highest ROI and the longest useful life.

3. Ensure a fresh scent throughout your facility without compromising air quality.

Effectively managing odor-related air quality can be quite taxing in senior living facilities but properly preserving or even enhancing indoor air quality has a big pay off. Controlling malodors not only keeps residents comfortable, it also creates a welcoming and memorable internal atmosphere for visitors and prospective future residents.

One safe, simple and cost-effective solution is to use an odor-eliminating air care management system. Choose a low maintenance system that uses natural oils and scents (or unscented) to avoid adding allergens, harmful chemicals or dangerous propellants into the environment.

Your residents and visitors will appreciate the light, pleasant scent that greets the each time they enter your facility. More importantly, they will associate the quality care they experience with the scent you choose to represent your facility’s brand. That brand association will keep you top-of-mind for those prospective residents, helping you fill more beds.

Let Encompass Group LLC supply you with the the solutions you need to keep your residents safe and comfortable. Call 1-800-245-4636 or message me on LinkedIn to discover which comfort and safety products will provide you with the best ROI.