UPA Yeoval - Gaining A Competitive Advantage by Increasing Resident Satisfaction

UPA Yeoval aged care is a 28 bed residential facility in Central West NSW. According to the 2011 census Yeoval has a population of 292 people making it the prime example of a small rural community with all the stereotypical challenges. Given the significant challenges associated with residential aged care in a small rural community, maintaining a high resident satisfaction can be quite difficult. Despite the issues, UPA Yeoval aged care has seen an overall increase of 7% over 12 months, bringing us to 97% resident satisfaction. I believe this significant increase is due to many influencing factors, and circumstances surrounding last year’s results should not be ignored.

The timing of last year’s resident surveys coincided with the near completion of major internal renovations. The disruption to residents when building works are undertaken cannot be understated. In our case some rooms were demolished to make way for new rooms, two separate buildings were joined and a dining room was completely redone. After months of noise, makeshift communal areas and moving out of, and back into, rooms it is not surprising a drop in resident satisfaction was recorded. However, the gains on resident satisfaction over the last 12 months have not come purely from the cessation of building works. One major influence on resident experience is recruitment and retention of quality staff.

Being such a small rural community attracting quality and appropriately qualified staff is one of those stereotypical challenges we face. Although it is a challenge, staffing is one area UPA Yeoval does not compromise on. I honestly believe if you have competent, well trained staff everything else effecting the day to day operations will run much more smoothly and the residents will respond positively. From a management perspective it is important to respond to the needs of staff quickly and confidently, and communicate effectively to build an element of trust and respect. This in turn flows through the whole facility and residents reap the benefits. The residents have confidence that their needs will be met in a professional manner. It is also important the majority of staff are sourced from the local community as a sense of community is what makes Yeoval unique amongst our competitors.

Residents enjoying the outdoors and exercise

The staff at UPA Yeoval are extremely conscious to ensure the feeling and ‘essence’ of the wider Yeoval community is captured within the facility. We achieve this by ensuring access to the community is maintained through formal programs including walk groups, attendance at church and school events and outings to the local cafés and clubs. This ensures residents maintain the feeling of attachment to the community and breaks down ageist attitudes. The community is also invited into the facility with regular performances from school students, community information sessions on relevant health topics, opportunities to participate in facility activities and a strong volunteer program.

Volunteers are a vital link to the community, and just like staff, need to be actively appreciated and in turn resident’s satisfaction levels increase. Isolation and disconnection will affect satisfaction levels and volunteers are often the best way to combat these. For this year’s resident surveys volunteers were recruited to assist residents complete the surveys, which directly led to an increase in survey completion while maintaining independent responses. This assistance was driven by resident need. It was identified those with vision impairments, and those unable or lack confidence to write were at a disadvantage, and the solution was impartial assistance. We were able to receive feedback on programs that were also driven by resident need over the last 12 months.

Valuing quality staff is an important element in satisfaction

A program of significance that was introduced was a weekly pain clinic. It was identified residents were experiencing pain and a specific area was set up for the purpose of alternative pain relief activities. Although the benefits of alternative pain relief are obvious, the social aspect has been just as important to resident experience. Residents and staff are able to interact in an environment that is outside of the normal carer/resident relationship. The creation of a relaxed atmosphere, coupled with hands on therapy such as massage has expanded some wonderful friendships and created relationships between residents and staff that would otherwise be missed. Along with pain the other major focus of resident satisfaction tends to be the food.

UPA Yeoval like most facilities cooks all food onsite with rotating menus depending on seasonal availability and approved recipes. What UPA Yeoval attempts to do differently however is create an occasion the resident enjoys and make meal times an extension of what they would have experienced in their own home where meals were not just about food, but about conversing, planning and sharing. Family and friends are invited to meals and community members are regular visitors to the dining room for lunch.

Looking forward these results are an obvious selling point for UPA Yeoval. Although chronic health and palliative care is the major focus, residential aged care is quickly becoming a competitive marketplace more aligned with the real estate industry, selling experience rather than just a bed with access to nursing staff. The experiences of existing residents can certainly be used to attract new residents or tip the scales in our favour for those still undecided or looking for that unique home style environment. It is reassuring knowing our team at UPA Yeoval are working hard to give our residents the best quality of life possible.

Danny Oakenfull, Care Manager