Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, is a guest columnist in McKnight’s Senior Living. The second article in this regular series notes that a defining characteristic of assisted living is the provision of person-centered services and policies promoting quality of life, privacy, choice, dignity, inclusion and independence, and asks why those core principles of person-centeredness are not consistently applied to the staff who work in this setting.
The article “Balancing the Equation: Person-Centered Employment Practices in Assisted Living,” provides recommendations to balance the respect due to professional caregivers and residents. These recommendations include employers providing individualized training and growth plans; flexible scheduling; fair compensation; and recognition and respect.
CEAL@UNC supports the implementation of person-centered employment practices because “just as professional caregivers are expected to demonstrate person-centered values in their interaction with residents, leaders and supervisors must exhibit respect, dignity and inclusivity in their interactions with employees. By modeling those principles throughout recruitment, onboarding and day-to-day work, leaders are responsible to create an environment that values the inherent worth of all who live and work in assisted living.”
Read the full column here:
