With many COVID-19- related deaths occurring in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, the pandemic has been challenging in the post-acute care setting.
On Nov. 16, leaders from post-acute care facilities across the U.S. gathered to discuss the lessons learned during the initial surges of COVID-19 this year and the best path forward at the Becker's Healthcare Post-Acute Virtual Forum. Click here to view the sessions on demand.
Here are four takeaways from the event.
1. Leaders of post-acute care facilities are growing concerned about workforce challenges brought by the pandemic. Especially in rural areas where wages are low, some employees prefer to accept unemployment benefits over working in a high-risk environment. Post-acute providers will need a contingency plan for recruitment and retainment.
2. The pandemic has brought lasting change in how some hospices recruit and communicate with employees. For example, completing as much onboarding as possible at home has increased flexibility for staff who may have competing responsibilities outside the workplace, such as at-home learning for their children. Leaders predict many of these new processes will remain once the pandemic subsides.
3. It's important for post-acute care providers to be relentless and disciplined about their communication strategy during the pandemic. Bringing together key leaders and communicating more frequently can help organizations make decisions quickly. This is especially important now that more employees are working remotely.
4. Post-acute care providers are using technology and telehealth in new ways during the pandemic. It has become important to prioritize virtually connecting patients and families regularly and allowing patients to self-report changes in their condition digitally. Providers expect new technology products to integrate with existing systems to make staff more productive instead of adding steps to processes.