Creating an Effective Cell Phone Policy for Assisted Living Facilities
Sep 13, 2024
Managing staff cell phone use is crucial for ensuring the quality of care at your assisted living facility. In today's digital age, cell phones are commonplace, functioning as both a tool and a distraction. While they might be useful for communication, unregulated use during work hours can result in lapses of focus, compromising resident safety and quality of care. As a facility owner or manager, you must set clear boundaries and guidelines for cell phone use to keep your team engaged and residents receiving the best possible care.
This blog will guide you through the process of developing and implementing an effective cell phone policy tailored to the specific needs of an assisted living home. We'll examine important parts of a strong policy, such as permitted use parameters, emergency exceptions, and monitoring mechanisms. Setting clear expectations and consistently enforcing these principles will help you build a professional environment in which caregivers appreciate the necessity of reducing distractions.
It is very important that your caregivers remain attentive and focused on their responsibilities. A well-crafted cell phone policy promotes resident safety and well-being, increasing staff productivity and job satisfaction. Join us as we discuss best practices and practical advice for developing a policy that combines cell phone needs with the crucial requirement for attentive, high-quality care in your assisted living facility.
Check out the video, too:
Why a Cell Phone Policy is Essential
In assisted living facilities, a caregiver's undivided attention is crucial. Excessive cell phone use might result in missing medicine doses, improper documentation, and a lower quality of treatment overall. A clear cell phone policy allows staff to do their tasks without distraction, assuring resident safety and well-being.
Key Components of an Effective Cell Phone Policy
Please remember the following guidelines:
1. Clear Usage Guidelines
When and where cell phones can be used should be specified. For instance, cell phone use may be allowed only during scheduled breaks or in designated areas away from residents.
2. Rules for Personal Use
Rules regarding personal phone calls, text messages, and social media use while on duty should be defined. Personal use should be limited to emergencies or specified break times.
3. Emergency Procedures
Procedures for emergency situations where cell phone use is necessary should be outlined. Staff should be trained on how to handle emergencies involving residents or personal matters.
4. Consequences for Violations
The consequences of violating the policy should be clearly stated, ranging from verbal warnings to written reprimands and potential termination. Staff should understand the importance of policy adherence.
Steps to Implement and Enforce the Policy
1. Communicate the Policy
Hold a staff meeting to introduce the policy. Discuss the reasons for the policy, focusing on resident safety and care quality. Provide a clear, written document for staff reference.
2. Regular Reminders
Consistently remind and educate staff about the policy through various channels such as memos, informative posters, and frequent mentions in regular meetings. These reminders are essential to reinforce the importance of compliance and to ensure that the policy remains at the forefront of staff members' minds.
3. Individual Conversations
When a staff member is struggling with compliance, it's important to address the issue through a private one-on-one meeting. This approach helps maintain the individual's dignity and avoid singling them out in front of their peers while allowing for a focused discussion on areas of improvement.
4. Documentation and Signatures
Implementation of a documentation and signature process is essential. Each staff member should sign a form acknowledging their understanding and agreement with the policy. This ensures that everyone is aware of the policy and protected in case disciplinary action becomes necessary in the future.
5. Training and Continuous Monitoring
Conduct regular and comprehensive training sessions to reinforce the policy. It's important to consistently monitor staff behavior and promptly address any issues that arise. Implementing positive reinforcement, such as small rewards or recognition, can significantly contribute to encouraging compliance and creating a positive work environment.
Balancing Compassion and Compliance
While it is crucial to maintain strict adherence to company policies, finding a balance between compassion and enforcement is essential for fostering a positive and supportive work environment. It is important to recognize and be understanding of personal emergencies that may arise, and to offer empathetic support to staff members who may face difficulties in complying with the policy. Providing coaching, guidance, and resources as needed can help employees navigate the policy effectively while feeling supported by their workplace.
Final Thoughts
It is crucial to have a well-defined cell phone policy in place at your assisted living facility in order to uphold the highest standard of care and guarantee the safety of residents. Clearly outlined guidelines, open communication, and striking a balance between empathy and adherence to the rules are all vital in fostering a focused and efficient work environment.
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Show full transcript 👇
Transcript
00:00:00
hey friend it's Brandon Gustafson and welcome back to the channel in today's video we're going to be getting into the topic of how to create and enforce a cell phone policy for your staff at a an assisted living facility if you have struggled with this or need some help with it make sure you stick around for today's video hey friend I'm Brandon guson I own and operate two assisted living facilities and I created this channel to help people just like you to learn the ins and outs of investing in assisted
00:00:34
living welcome to Assisted Living investing before we get into the topic of how to create and enforce a policy for cell phone use at your facility for your staff make sure you get down to the link below in the description going to Assisted Living investing. netal to get access to your free underwriting calculator to help you on your journey to reaching your investment goals in assisted living facility let's get into the topic again we're talking talking about how to create and enforce a cell
00:01:02
phone policy for your staff at your assisted living facility is this something I was scouring um some Facebook groups and things trying to figure out content that's going to be helpful to you and I kept seeing this as a recurring problem where your staff at your assisted living facilities are on their phones all the time and it's actually an issue that I've dealt with at my facility as well and it's it's frustrating um because you need the your caregivers to be be alert and aware of
00:01:32
what's going on with your residents and providing the care that they need so that you know they they have what they need uh there there are times let's be honest there are times at the facility where you have downtime and and you've got um your residents are taking naps or they're playing games and they don't need a lot of attention and in those instances you know it might be okay for a staff member to to jump on their phone as a rule for us though we like to say that it needs to be only in emergencies
00:02:07
um or uh familial situation that's when they can be on their phone and they absolutely cannot happen when they should be making meals or passing meds absolutely not with passing meds uh you need your people to be alert and aware of exactly what is going on when they are doing Hands-On things with the residents there is no exception there there can be a it really needs to be a no tolerance policy um when this is happening because it can have such a negative impact on what you are doing as you're running your assisted living
00:02:41
facility so with all of that kind of context out there uh I just want to make sure that that's clear that when you're doing this you need to be clear and clearly communicate this to your staff that this is your policy and I'm going to touch again really quick on the the meds um the reason why this is a problem is they could be giving meds to the wrong residents which is a huge error you should not be doing that they could also be MISD documenting meds that that go to the residents as
00:03:12
well and so they Absolut this is such an important piece of of this and running an assisted living facility you have to make sure that this piece is buttoned down it is so crucial because you are dealing with medications that are can be highly addictive with narcotics and and things of that nature nature um and you just have to be so so careful with how you're handling those medications so the solution that that we're going to talk about here is is uh kind of verbally communicating them and telling them hey
00:03:45
you know I I think you should be having a at least a monthly staff meeting if not more frequently but in that staff meeting you need to be going in and talking with them hey we've seen that there's been an issue here with cell phone policy um if you have a specific staff member that is doing this you might want to have a one-off conversation with that person um and then you're going to also kind of broadly share this with the rest of the team so it doesn't feel like they're getting singled out I would never single
00:04:11
out a specific staff member in a staff meeting though make sure that this is a oneon-one conversation you're talking with them and communicating to them about the issue the severity of it and and why it is so important that they are off their phones especially at those key parts of the day where they need to be engaged with the residents and engage in the task that they are doing so communicating that is absolutely key number one thing number two is I would create a policy for this uh your policy
00:04:39
doesn't need to be anything extravagant or anything like that but it needs to be clear and you clearly communicate exactly what that policy is around cell phone use can they use them in the facility can they not if they can when is it is it only in time of emergencies can they do it um you know for different reasons you should not be allow you should not be having your res or your staff members um going and doing Tik toks with the residents or things like that unless that's the field that you
00:05:06
have at your facility and you have proper um permissions in place you shouldn't be doing that you you should be um you should be off the phones and carrying and and engaging with the residents oneon-one and you need to have a policy that outlines everything there and then kind of in addition to that you what I like to do is I create memos that summarize that policy so the policy goes in the policy book then I have a memo that is distributed out to my staff or residents sometimes if I'm doing that
00:05:34
but in the in this situation where I'm working on on a cell phone policy this is a memo that is specific to the staff that states these are this is the new policy um this is what you can and cannot do with a cell phone and these are the consequences of it and make sure it is communicated extremely clearly it's going to protect you um in case somebody comes back and says well I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be on my phone and that's why um I had that Med Med passing error it's a stupid
00:06:00
thing but U you also just kind of need to to back yourself up have those policies have those meals communicate it out and make sure everybody is aware that this is the that this is what's going on that's the solution for you um the the quick and dirty the high level solution you need those three things good communication a policy and a memo all around that all of those things kind of fall into that communication piece but it's extremely important for you to have that in place now let's talk
00:06:29
about what are some of the key components that make an effective policy around cell phone usage for your your staff at your assisted living facility so what are the components of an effective cell phone uh policy that you have at your facility number one is specific guidelines on when and where cell phones can be used during working hours are there spots where they can use it where they can't use it you be explicit in that with your with your policy next is rules regarding personal phone calls text messages and social
00:07:01
media use while on duty can they have that can they not um are there certain times when it's okay or not you need to be explicit on that and put it in there uh what what is explicit you want to make sure you're communicating that to your people as well as you go through the process um so they they know what the boundaries are and and they know where it's at people like to push boundaries as well so um I would maybe even um restrict your boundary a little bit more in the policy uh to to give you
00:07:30
some added protection and then know that they're going to go up against um that that boundary and and and maybe try to cross it a little bit and that gives you kind of a little bit of a buffer room there as as you go through that process you want to have Pro procedures as well for emergency situations where cell phone use is necessary this could be an emergency at the facility maybe there's a fire or an evacuation that needs to happen or it could be an emergency with your staff memb family um and they need
00:07:57
to go and pick up a child from school or or something along those lines you want to make sure there are some a few different ways to to indicate what it when it's okay um in an emergency situation to be on your phone because you want to make sure that they are accessible to those that are in need when an emergency situation comes up you don't want to be a hindrance there um and and just make sure that things are are covered correctly that way and the next is going to be outlining the consequences of policy violations so
00:08:26
this could range from verbal warnings to written reprimands uh so you want to make sure that it's clear to your staff if you break this rule this is what's going to happen and you could have something like hey this is a written um a written warning and then you have three um extra strikes and then you're out and then you are are let go from the facility um you want to make sure that it is very clear and explicit what are the consequences of breaking these rules so that they know what's
00:08:54
going to happen to them and then stick to it you have to stick to those uh have to stick to it but those are are the four components the four key components i' put into a policy as you're creating that want make sure you have all that in there now let's talk about enforcing the cell phone policy um so when you do this you want to create and distribute a memo as I talked about previously there's been a new policy Creator around this and now it's enforced um and you need to follow these rules and and make your
00:09:20
memo sound a little bit friendly um so that especially if you're doing something like a cell phone policy you don't want to come off as as something as hard and cold um you know have have a good positive attitude around it but still communicate the thing that needs to be communicated so that people can um know what's what's going on and and that it's clear next is to provide a cell phone policy um form for your staff to sign just standing that they understand and agree to the cell phone policy and
00:09:52
they're not going to break the rules and that that's going to give you some protection in the event that you let a staff member go in the event that they are not um in compliance with that policy that you have created I would also suggest that you do some kind of training or a staff meeting where you're talking about this and you might need to do this on a regular basis um monthly quarterly you want to make sure you're getting in front of your people and and communicating to them that this is the
00:10:14
policy you need to follow it and follow the rules or else there will be consequences if you if you choose not to follow them so in addition to those staff meetings you also are going to want to provide regular quick reminders to people hey just want to remind you we have that new cell phone policy make sure you're doing uh the right thing or you see somebody on their phone um you know give them a little bit of a buffer especially in the beginning of creating that policy um hey just want to quickly remind you um make sure you're
00:10:42
not doing that if you have a specific staff member that's a problem um you might want to have some extra conversations and things with them as well um in addition to that you're going to want to create some kind of a a way for people to report these types of incidents this could be a a comment box you could create an anonymous um Google survey for people for your staff to go in and and do things um if you want to know who it kind of handle how handle that how you want that to to be handled
00:11:08
but uh you want to make sure that it's clear to them what um how how to communicate issues like that so that you can then investigate and address them as as needed you also don't want to just assume that just because a staff member told you that another staff member was on their phone that they actually were you want to investigate that and kind of dive deep into it and make sure that it's not creating a bad culture and just show that you are you trust them and and that you are going through a process um
00:11:39
with every single person nobody's getting special treatment or anything like that you're kind of helping them out through that process and you have got to be consistent as you do this as you implement this this process uh implement this policy um and apply uh punishments and things like that you have to be consistent with all staff there's no special treatment for anybody you have to to be consistent with everything that you're doing otherwise it just is going to go downhill you
00:12:05
absolutely just have to be consistent and um and not play favorites with anybody next is we're going to talk a little bit about balancing compassion and compliance so um in situations where it's an emergency situation you need to just kind of be aware of that um and if it's somebody that just like really struggles with it um and has for a long time and and they're the reason you're creating this policy you want to um kind of give them a little bit of Le way and and work with them and and help kind of
00:12:31
Coach them up through the process and and make some improvements um you have to be compassionate but you also still have to to make sure that there is compliance especially if they're doing this during Med passes or meal times or things like that when they should not absolutely should not be on the phone um you you've got to make sure that those things are enforced that you're that people are following the rules but also show a little bit compassion and and it will go a long way towards helping them
00:12:56
see that you are a real person and that you're there and you want them to succeed Ed and that you're there to help them um do that and then as you go through that you want to just have some continuous monitoring um of the process how our staff doing if they're doing well then throw a pizza party or or give them gift cards or reward them in some way and if it's not going well then you need to have deeper conversations and deeper training and make sure things are in line um if you're seeing that your
00:13:20
policy just isn't cutting it and people aren't following the rules um you need to do that and just make sure you're regularly um hitting on these things I would say cell phone issues are a problem in your facility touching on it on a quarterly basis even if it's just a quick reminder of the policy rather than a deep dive that's fine uh you just want to make sure that you're doing the things that that are required for uh for you to be for you and your staff to be successful in following this let's recap
00:13:46
what we've been talking about here in this video we've been talking a lot about uh creating a policy creating an enforcing a policy specifically around uh cell phone usage with uh your with your staff this is a problem I see all the time with people so you make sure that you're kind of getting deep into this we talked about the key components here of doing this how to communicate it out to your staff we talked also about balancing compassion and compliance enforcing that that policy um the
00:14:12
different components of the policy and then just continuous monitoring as you go through that process if you found this helpful or you need more assistance in implementing this type of a policy comment that down below I'd love to see what I can do to help you out through the process and and help you run a successful assisted living facility if you found this to be helpful make sure you like the video subscribe and ring the bell so you get notified every time we put this type of content up here on
00:14:35
the channel I'm here to help you invest but also run a successful assisted living facility that's what we have here on the channel excited to help you out through that process and if you need some help and and want to start your own assisted living facility get over to assisted living investing. and you can get access to the free underwriting calculator that we have it's also linked Down Below in the description does residential Assisted Living sound interesting to you but you don't know
00:15:00
how to get started at Assisted Living investing we're here to help you through the process start to finish thanks for watching and have a great day
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