Five benefits of highly engaged residents for aged care providers

Resident engagement is a crucial aspect of providing quality care in residential aged care environments. Here are five benefits of high levels of resident engagement and how Swift could assist providers in achieving these benefits.

Better quality of life: According to the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), high levels of resident engagement can lead to a better quality of life for residents ¹. Many residential aged care facilities offer a variety of activities and events for residents. However, awareness or accessibility can mean these resources don’t deliver their full return on investment (ROI) potential.

Making information available to everyone across a medium familiar to the aged care demographic is a simple yet highly effective way to improve your ROI in the activities and staff dedicated to implementing the activities and events you offer.

In addition to making information available, we should consider physical location-based accessibility. Swift’s live-streaming can assist in making events and activities taking place within the residential community accessible to everyone via their in-room TVs, even if they can’t physically attend.  

Improved relationships: The AHRQ study also stated that there was a positive relationship between levels of resident engagement and improved relationships and trust among staff, residents, and families¹. These findings align with the broader understanding of the benefits of creating inclusive communities. Over time, inclusive communities start to develop deeper relationships built on shared experiences, and through those experiences, we get to know each other better; this organically leads to better relationships and trust amongst all community members.

Swift’s engagement package offers many opportunities to create shared experiences. It can be as simple as getting everyone together to participate in an event or join in a chair yoga or sit dance class delivered via the common room TV. And then sharing the memories of an event by sending photos and videos to the TVs across a community. The families and friends can also access content through Swift’s My Family My Community app, helping to reassure resident’s families and friends that their loved ones are actively engaging and enjoying life in the community.

More attention to individual needs: High levels of resident engagement can lead to more attention to individual preferences and needs, such as what activities are offered and residents’ preferences¹.

Access to data, such as viewing figures and engagement rates, from Swift’s products is a valuable source of information on resident’s preferences. Providers can access information about what content a resident prefers, including facility management communications, such as, what’s on the menu, events, and activities, as well as entertainment content like movies, TV shows, radio stations and more. Providers can also access information about when residents are likely to engage with different types of information. In the not-so-distant future, Swift will also be able to offer residents a personalised home screen based on their individual preferences, i.e., waking up to pictures of their family front and centre, their breakfast menu, and their activities for the day. Each resident’s view is tailored to them.

Greater staff satisfaction: Staff members may experience greater job satisfaction when engaging with residents on a deeper level ¹. This is because they can form meaningful connections with residents and see their work’s positive impact on their lives ¹. This can lead to a more positive work environment conducive to growth and development.

Better care: High levels of resident engagement can lead to better care for residents, including more personalised care plans and greater attention to their physical and mental health needs ¹. By engaging with residents on a deeper level, staff members are better equipped to identify potential health issues early on and provide appropriate care.

While many factors contribute to delivering exceptional levels of care within a Residential Aged Care environment when it comes to resident engagement, Swift can provide an easy-to-use solution for improving external and internal communications, improves accessibility to participation, and provides a wide range of content that nurtures the mind and body, as well as entertains. Access to real data based on individual residents and the broader community can potentially deliver valuable insights into preferences and behaviours. All factors help to build better resident engagement and in delivering the benefits of a highly engaged community.

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References

^{1: AHRQ. (n.d.). Resident and Family Engagement: What is it? What are the benefits? Retrieved November 3, 2023, from https://www.ahrq.gov/hai/quality/tools/cauti-ltc/modules/resources/tools/engage/brochure.html}