Workforce issues are top of mind for nearly any senior living provider.

By Jane Kincaid

Workforce issues are top of mind for nearly any senior living provider. Recruitment and retention issues affect many aspects of operations, with quality care and resident satisfaction being most important. According to recent schools of thought regarding retention of qualified staff members is the notion of effective staff engagement.  

It’s Baked Into the Platform

Recognizing this challenge, Senior Housing Forum partner LifeShare Technologies decided to build a staff engagement element into its popular CommunityShare platform. Designed specifically to boost staff engagement, the CommunityShare application offers users the option to display announcements, activities, employee recognition, photos, onboarding videos, music, inspirational quotes, and much more.

According to Miles McCollum, LifeShare account executive, users can select where they want the TV devices to be located, such as in the front lobby, activity room, nurses station, or employee break room. And for each of these devices, the client gets a checkbox in their LifeShare administration package so they can be specific about which TVs they want to display the information.

Delivering Multiple Messages

“Many of our clients want to tap into this aspect of CommunityShare as a way to enhance employee engagement with a breakroom or staff lounge amenity,” says McCollum.

For example, he notes that if the client wants to disseminate notice of a mandatory staff meeting, they can choose for it to appear only on the employee breakroom TV. 

The advantages of CommunityShare go beyond the TV since LifeShare offers an app specifically for employees. For instance, if a team member sees a notice for the staff meeting, they can also review the app for other information, such as an employee of the month, team member photos, staff events, transportation schedules, and staff birthdays. The app helps keep staff in the know while at work or on the go.

Keep Staff Up to Date

“Having the app is a great way to keep staff up to date with information that is relevant to their jobs and meets the demands of clients who are concerned about keeping their workers informed about pertinent and sometimes pressing information,” McCollum says.

In addition, CommunityShare is web-based, so the facility’s administrator can pull out their phone, make an announcement, and it will be sent to the Staff CommunityShare and also populated in the app. ‬

Real-time notifications can also be transmitted through a text message and phone call. When an important reminder such as, “State Inspector will be in the building tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.,” is issued, it can be delivered as a text or phone call to ensure all employees receive the message. What’s more, the system can schedule these messages ahead of time for future delivery.

Since many providers have communities that are spread across geographic areas, the Staff CommunityShare can be managed from a campus level, as well as a corporate level. For example, if a LifeShare client has 30 locations, and each location has a Staff CommunityShare application, the home office can create and deliver an announcement, or add a slide, and send it to all 30 locations or just a select few. In addition, it will appear on both the TVs and in the app.

According to McCollum, the application’s ease of use, it’s affordability, and its user-friendly features make it a win-win for operator-level execs and direct care staff alike. “Our system is literally a plug and play set up,” he says, “and it does so much for a community, whether it’s the standard three-hallway nursing homes or an elegant independent living set up.”


To learn more about LifeShare Technologies, call (317) 825-0320 or click on the logo button below to visit their website:

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