What is Crisis Management in Senior Living and Long-Term Care? 

Crisis management in the senior living and long-term care industry involves responding to and recovering from emergencies that can impact the health, safety, and well-being of residents, staff and the community. 

The senior living / long-term care sector is particularly sensitive due to the vulnerable nature of its population of elderly individuals who require a high quality of care along with those having health conditions that require consistent care. 

Key elements of crisis management in senior living and long-term care include: 

Health & Safety Preparedness

Pandemic & Disease Outbreaks 

As we recently witnessed, senior living communities are at high risk for infectious disease outbreaks. The pandemic was a brutal reminder of the importance of health protocols, infectious control measures, infection preventionists, quarantine strategies, and an adequate inventory of PPE and other medical supplies. 

Medical Emergencies 

A quick response is often needed for individuals with a medical emergency. You must ensure that your staff is trained in handling emergency care and has established partnerships with local healthcare providers and emergency services. 

Disaster Preparedness

Natural Disasters 

Severe weather events such as the recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton can be devastating to a senior living community when evacuation is the only option. Moving the elderly out of harm’s way is a huge undertaking. Other natural disasters including wildfires, mudslides, earthquakes, etc. can also force evacuations. Senior living and LTC facilities need plans for immediate evacuation or shelter in place protocols plus contingency plans for continuous care. 

Power Outages 

Communities are dependent on medical equipment and controlled environments and therefore require backup generators and a plan for maintaining critical services. 

Staffing Shortages

A significant crisis in our industry is the staffing shortages we’re experiencing. This can compromise the quality of resident care. For that reason, it’s imperative to cross-train your staff and have emergency staffing plans in place including partnering with a reputable senior living recruiting or executive search firm specializing in our industry. These senior care search firms offer staffing solutions that include both permanent and interim placements.   

Resident & Family Communication

Timely communication along with transparency are crucial especially in emergency situations. Families need reassurance that their loved one is safe and being cared for. Crisis planning should include strategies for keeping residents, families and staff informed through various channels of communication including email, phone, text, website updates, etc. 

Reputation Management

Communities must manage their good reputation through a crisis by providing constant updates and handling PR correctly or you risk the loss of trust, lawsuits, and regulatory scrutiny. 

Compliance & Legal Consideration

Our industry is highly regulated, and your crisis management plans must comply with local, state and federal regulations. 

Senior Living & Long-Term Care Communities must have strong leaders to pivot and respond to turmoil. The following are behaviors you should expect from your top-level leaders: 

Self-Mastery

Calm heads prevail! Maintaining composure and self-discipline is crucial for a leader dealing with a crisis. Leaders must consciously cultivate a calm mindset which in turn will calm staff and caregivers. How your leadership responds to crises will directly impact the health, safety and well-being of residents. 

Clear & Quick Decision Making 

High pressure situations often require making quick and difficult decisions. Leaders need to make those decisions based on logic and not emotion. 

Crisis Communication

Effective communication is key to calming fears and keeping your staff, residents and their families informed. 

Adaptability

Crisis situations demand adaptability. Leaders must adapt quickly to changing circumstances. They need to stay focused on the mission and bounce back from any setbacks. 

Leading with Confidence 

When faced with a crisis, people will turn to their leaders for guidance. They serve as their compass. A leader who is panicked or fearful will inspire the same in their team.

Empathy & Compassion  

Confident leaders with high emotional intelligence can offer genuine empathy and compassion while still managing difficult situations. 

Building Trust

In times of crisis, staff, residents and families need to know they are in capable hands. Effective leadership fosters trust and when leaders exhibit competence, they reassure others that the situation is under control. 

Crisis management is a collaborative responsibility that often involves several key leaders who oversee various aspects of care, operations and communications. The following titles play a significant role in managing crises:

–C-Suite, VP & Regional Leadership
–Executive Director
–Nursing Home Administrator
–Director of Nursing
–Operations Director
–Wellness Director / Director of Resident Services
–Infection Control Coordinator
–Clinical or Medical Director

Resilient, human-centric leadership will help your organization to navigate challenges ahead to the best possible outcome. It is recommended that your community invest in training programs that focus on building skills necessary for crisis management. It’s worth noting that mentorships remain one of the most effective methods of raising the next generation of crisis-ready leaders.

Today, we’re in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world and the ability to navigate a crisis is not just a valuable skill; it’s a strategic imperative for leaders and communities alike. 

FAQ’s About Crisis Management

What is Crisis Management? 

Crisis Management involves the processes and strategies for identifying and responding to events of critical importance that could harm the organization or its people. 

What are the 5 P’s of Crisis Management? 

The 5 P’s are Predict, Prevent, Prepare, Perform and Post-Action.

Is Crisis Management an actual professional occupation? 

Yes, Crisis Management is an actual career. There are external crisis managers who work for agencies or consultancies that provide crisis management services to multiple clients across different industries.

What’s the biggest crisis that senior living and long-term care are currently facing? 

There are actually two crises that our industry is currently facing: A talent shortage as well as a housing shortage. As the population ages, demand for senior living professionals and adequate facilities are on the rise. We currently don’t have the proper infrastructure to solve these challenges. 

For more information regarding how executive search firms in senior living can be of service to your community, contact MedBest at 727-526-1294 / www.medbest.com/client/

ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI

Julie Rupenski is the Founder & CEO of MedBest Recruiting. Since opening its doors in 2001, Julie has grown MedBest into an award winning, multimillion-dollar national firm, garnering impressive awards including Top 20 Executive Search Firm 2024, Top Interim Services Provider 2023, INC 5000 2021 and Tampa Bay Fast 50 2021!  In addition, Julie was named as one of the “Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa 2022″ by Women We Admire.

MedBest has gained national recognition due to Julie’s industry expertise and high level of success. Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the senior living / long term care industry.  She previously worked in operations for both senior housing and senior living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie and her industry-savvy team of recruiters make it their mission to place exceptional industry executives in senior living positions where they have the greatest impact. Contact Julie at jkrupenski@medbest.com.

ABOUT MEDBEST
MedBest is an award-winning national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living / Long Term Care Industry. For more than two decades, we have connected senior living / long term care organizations with exceptional senior living executive talent for both permanent and interim roles. MedBest was named as a Top 10 Interim Services Provider 2023! In addition, we were one of American’s top companies by Inc.5000 and a Tampa Fast 50 Company in 2021! MedBest is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), National Investment Center for Senior House (NIC), and American Staffing Association (ASA). Contact MedBest at 727-526-1294.