As resident mental health and well-being top the list of challenges for affordable senior housing providers, one operator is sharing its playbook on a successful telewellness program.
Davis Park, vice president of the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing, shared the success of the organization’s technology-based behavioral health program on Wednesday during a LeadingAge membership call.
The turnover rate for long-term care nurses is far higher than the national average, but facilities can improve retention by adjusting human resources practices, a top workforce researcher said in a McKnight’s webcast Thursday.
While it is no secret that long-term care operators see high turnover rates, the hard numbers show just how serious the issue is, said Frederick Morgeson, Ph.D., of Michigan State University. The national turnover rate for all professions is about 4.5 years, while the rate for registered nurses in long-term care is about a year, according to Morgeson. Organizations with 150 nurses could face between $1.25 million to $2 million a year in the costs of losing nurses, he said.
Providers should consider the recruitment messages they are sending and how these can sow the seeds of future turnover, he said. For example, if a job posting promises opportunities for relocation or career advancement, this could effectively address nurses’ desire for professional growth — the lack of which they often cite as a source of dissatisfaction, according to Morgeson. However, if a provider cannot actually deliver on this promise, the company is likely to attract and hire an applicant who will go on to be unhappy and leave the job.
Reference
Tim Mullaney, Staff Writer,”Improved nurse retention begins with smart hiring practices“.
