✨✨General Discussions

Oh, I make sure management knows who I am and what I think. At Lavida Llena, about half of our residents engages management regularly. It we don’t get what we want, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been heard. Sometimes management explains. But It helps to directly talk to staff - they can solve problems and often have interesting background information.

Anonymity is difficult to maintain in any close-knit community. Close contact over times creates an unspoken group knowledge of individual residents issues and concerns. Those who tend to be vocal, have special interests, or have tried to advocate in the past, can frequently be identified by the group.

This all too human dynamic creates an internal tension to be quiet, not speak up, fit it and not rock the boat. This unconscious process operate to maintains the status quo. Nothing gets done, nothing is spoken about. Problems continue out of sight, but everything appears peaceful on the surface. That is why speaking up takes courage. Thank you for trying.

Try getting and artificial intelligence site to write your comments for you which it does well. AI tends to neutralize language and frame ideas collectively.

Maura

Friendship Village uses a U. S. News and World Report survey for rating resident satisfaction. In addition to the U.S. News and World Report survey questions the community has the option of adding five questions to the survey that are not included in the U. S. News and World Report results. The five additional questions allow for written comments that provides feedback to management. Management uses the results from the five questions to identify areas of opportunity and works to make improvements in the areas identified by residents as needing improvement. Since using this approach, improvements have been made in the areas of Food and Beverage, Environmental Services/Housekeeping, and Maintenance to name a few. Responses are anonymous.

My community is just rolling out a non-anonymous survey in three groups based on move-in months. We have not yet received any results of the first group's submission. I was part of the second group and just submitted. It will be interesting to see how the info is reported and I would appreciate hearing from any other residents who would let me know how their community is assessing resident satisfaction.

I have a comment about Holleran. A few years ago Holleran put together a Zoom focus group due to the cancellation of a LeadingAge annual convention during Covid. Had the convention been held, it probably would have been an in-person discussion group. The purpose: Holleran was thinking about rolling out an additional product -- as I recall, for serious prospects "shopping" for their CCRC. But that's not what I'm writing about here.

In that Zoom meeting, I took advantage of asking Holleran about how they handled the written-in comments in a "community's Resident Satisfaction Survey --- did they keep the added comments "together," per each "anonymous responder's survey? Or, did they "batch" under special categories .... in other words, did they give management lists of "Here are all the comments made pertaining to Dining;" "Here are all the comments pertaining to Housekeeping;" etc. Their answer at the time: we keep each survey's comments together -- of course, we don't have the author of the comment's name, so anonymity is maintained.

I beg to differ.

When I heard that answer above, I stated that I was disappointed to hear that ..... that in some cases of more "vocal" residents, their issues and/or choice of words could easily make their comments identifiable to management. Is that the best way to handle written-in comments in an "anonymous" survey, when "batching" might achieve a bit more anonymity?

A couple of weeks ago I tried to contact Holleran via their website to ask for someone to respond by contacting me -- identifying myself as a resident who had been in their Zoom forum during Covid. I explained that I'd like an update of a question I asked in that Zoom gathering. (I thought I'd then post what I learned here in NaCCRA., feeling confident of learning their current practices. No response. I'll try again, and if there's been a change I'll post the update here.

Bottom Line: I think Holleran's way of handling written-in comments (unless it's changed) does NOT optimize anonymity.

The independent living residents in CCRCs are living in the non-regulated part of the industry so process-improvement/satisfaction surveys are not mandated except in a few states. Legislation was required in those that do. Below is an example of such a survey as a part of resident's rights.

Resident Satisfaction Surveys (Connecticut)

"The CCRC must conduct a resident satisfaction survey at each community it operates in Connecticut on or before January 1, 2016 and at least every two years after that date. The Act requires that the CCRC make the survey results available to the residents council (or to the residents if there is no residents council) and also must post the survey results in a conspicuous location at the community."

Satisfaction feedback forms are used in most service oriented industries, airlines, healthcare, hotels, and many more, but not when services are provided to seniors paying for these services. Does that make sense? Of course these surveys should be well crafted research documents that are confidential and provide useful information to management seeking process improvement. Ageism is a real part of life for older people worldwide and it is demonstrated here.

Maura Conry

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Monitor

At Panorama in Washington State, a resident satisfaction survey was done as part of CARF accreditation in 2017. When the accreditation expired in 2022, management decided not to renew it "because we don't need it anymore since we have a very long waitlist." At that time no other mention of a survey.

Sometime later it was first announced that there would be a survey, then that was retracted "so we can make sure we get useful information"

We've just had our first non-anonymous survey of Independent Living residents (Assisted Living and Convalescent/Rehab residents have routinely been surveyed). It was presented as "to establish a baseline" and will be done every six months. It was deemed necessary to know who responded so that management can follow up with individuals. When asked if results would be shared with residents, the response was wishy-washy. Maybe, maybe not.

Recently we had our annual "state of the community" meeting. 66% of independent living residents responded to the survey. The only result announced was that of the response to the security question. Panorama's resident response was a few points below whatever average it was compared to, and management commented that 'we need to do better' and would be working on a plan.

When I asked other residents if they'd responded and what they thought of the survey, there was not much excitement or confidence that it will change anything. Most were reluctant to be completely honest. To me the questions seemed as much to look for compliments as to really suss out challenges. Maybe the questions will be different going forward. I personally have not been contacted regarding my survey responses which were measured but not glowing.

Attached is a copy of the questions our management chose to ask.

Do you have any experience with "NON-ANONYMOUS" surveys permitting the administration to see your responses and to be able to know how you answered all of the questions (as opposed to Holleran which is anonymous).