The Importance Of Celebrating Senior Care Staff During A Crisis

The coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge for us all – but it’s particularly straining for long-term care and senior living communities that are working around the clock to keep residents and staff safe and in good spirits. For everything you have done and will continue to do in this fight, we thank you.

Many of you are certainly going above and beyond to support staff during this time – be it with more flexible scheduling, free meals, dress up days or ‘thank you’ letters for those that are bravely fighting for residents on the front lines.

Despite the chaos of the current situation, I hope you can find some time to celebrate national industry events like this month’s Careers In Aging Week. These national weeks are yearly events that many employees look forward to and doing so will boost morale and offer a much-needed sense of normalcy during these trying times.

AHCA has calendarized these observances to make it easier for you to keep track and plan ahead. Just click here to get your copy.

As I said, Careers In Aging Week will take place April 19-25. It was created to raise awareness about all of the incredible opportunities in long-term care and senior living, which feels timely given that many people were recently displaced from their jobs and looking for work. Visit The Gerontological Society of America website for a host of materials that you can use to make the most of the event, including social media images, academic materials, videos that highlight the faces of the industry and other resources to help you spread the word.

Then, next month, we will celebrate National Skilled Nursing Care Week – which runs May 10-16. AHCA recently issued a note, addressing the fact that many of the activities they had suggested can no longer take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Instead, participate in NSNCW (now and the week of!) by sharing uplifting messages of support to residents and staff, giving them a boost of love that they need now more than ever,” the note reads. Visit https://carenotcovid.com/ to send a message to seniors and use the #CareNotCOVID when you share your support on social media.

Hopefully, come June, things will have begun to calm down a bit and we’ll have the opportunity to fully celebrate all of our amazing nursing assistants during National Nursing Assistant Week, which begins the week of June 18. The National Network of Career Nursing Assistants website will share collateral and ideas for celebrating as we get closer to the event.

I hope this helps you plan ahead and I look forward to seeing and hearing about all the incredible things you do to celebrate – because if I know anything about this profession, it’s that we take incredible care of each other even when times are tough.