The Empathy Exchange: Are your narratives creating friction between staff and families?

One of the contributors to friction between families and staff in seniors’ care are the narratives (aka limiting beliefs, assumptions, and stories) that both bring to the relationship. In today’s episode, I spill the beans on these narratives that I’ve heard from both families and
care team members, how they can create the problems we’d most like to avoid – friction, frustration and conflict.

I share how curiosity can be an antidote to judgment and ways for staff and families to communicate more effectively and play a role in rewriting these narratives, to create a more empowering and supportive connection.

Resources:

• Lori Gottlieb TED talk “How changing your story can change your life”
  LINK: https://www.ted.com/talks/lori_gottlieb_how_changing_your_story_can_change_your_life?language=en
  
  

Questions shared on this episode to help rewrite these narratives:

Internal questions with your team

• What do you want your families to know and believe about your home and staff?
• What’s the narrative you want to move away from? What’s the narrative you’re moving
  toward? (eg Us versus Them to Us with Them)
• What are the positive narratives that families have about your home and team? Howcan you share those stories more broadly to help shape new family perceptions andexperiences?
  
  

Staff can ask families:

• Would love to better understand your understanding and familiarity with seniors’ care. Can you tell me a bit about what you know or have experienced already with seniors’ care?
• What perceptions do you have about the seniors care?
• What are you looking forward to?
• What are you most worried about?
• What’s most important to you?
• What do you need to feel like you’ve made the best decision moving your loved one here?
• How are YOU feeling about this big change in your life right now?
• How can we support you as a family member, going through a stressful and challenging time?
  
  

Families can be proactive and share with staff:

• "I want to share a few things about where we’re at with moving our loved one into your home – to help us get started right from the start"
• What your hopes are with moving your loved one here
• What are you most worried about (what’s keeping you up at night)
• What’s most important to you
• What would be most helpful to you, as a family member new to this community
• You can also share: "here are some of the narratives I have about seniors’ care – think it’s helpful to share and would love your perspective"
• This is how I’M feeling about this big life change
  
  

You can find out more about me and the work I do at DeborahBakti.com or email me at [e-mail].
I’d love to hear from you.

What is The Relational Approach: In Seniors' Care?

Let’s face it – Senior's Care is a complex business that provides a much-needed service to residents and families during a tough chapter in their lives. The beginning of this key relationship can be filled with anxiety, stress and worry and yet, there is a better way to bring residents, families and staff together.

Staff and leadership of Senior Care Facilities need an incredible amount of support when it comes to managing residents/seniors and their family relationships. This podcast will provide a framework and open up discussions around The Relational Approach™.

The Relational Approach™ System is a practical and easy-to-use framework for leaders and staff in Senior Care Homes to build stronger connections with families. It’s based on three guiding principles that focus on trust, respect, and working together as partners in care. The system also helps raise awareness of six common relational roadblocks that can cause tension. Once these roadblocks are identified, simple strategies can be used to close the gaps.

This process guides staff from learning and understanding to fully integrating and transforming their relationships with families. As a result, it reduces friction, frustration, and stress, allowing teams to avoid problems before they escalate. The goal is to move away from a transactional approach and create a more relational, empathetic, and human connection between staff and families.

Join host Deborah Bakti – a former executive in seniors care for 11 years, and a family member three times over, with her dad, mom, and husband all having lived as residents. She’s seen what it’s like on both sides.

In each episode, we'll explore both the family and staff perspectives, shedding light on the emotions, expectations, and sometimes the disappointments that arise from the friction in these relationships. Through heartfelt conversations, personal anecdotes, and expert insights, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives that shape senior care environments.

Tune in to gain valuable insights, and cultivate a better approach. Together, let's create a community where understanding thrives and where the journey of aging is met with compassion and empathy.