Author: Antonia Norris

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Things to watch

Can you tell residents about a COVID-19 case in the village – check the Privacy Act

Can you tell residents about a COVID-19 case in the village – check the Privacy Act
A common question asked of us in recent days by Village Managers has been around whether or not operators are able to notify the resident population if a resident has:

notified them that they are self-isolating after a close contact
been directed to self-isolate by the public health system
or has been confirmed as having COVID-19 and directed to return to their home
My admired colleague Danielle Lim from Queensland base law firm DSL Law shared last week the importance of the Privacy Act implications that may be required to be considered by retirement living operators prior to making these decisions.

Danielle shared, “If the unfortunate situation of a confirmed COVID-19 case occurs within the community, there are some privacy implications involved in disclosing the identity of the infected resident”.

“The Privacy Act would normally require that consent is obtained from the infected resident before their identity is disclosed”.

“Although privacy guidance has been updated in response to COVID-19, the best response remains to take reasonable steps to obtain ‘consent’ prior to disclosing specific details about a resident’s situation and personal details”.

In my own experience to date, if you are able to contact the most local Public Health department to the village location, they too will assist you with your decision by providing information on the likely public health risk to the surrounding community.

However Danielle went on to say:

“Following a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 within a community, this news should be disclosed to residents and staff, without disclosing the infected person’s identity”.

“In a situation in which an infected person refuses to self-isolate, it is likely that exemptions within the Privacy Act would enable their identity to be disclosed to the community for the purpose of protecting people from exposure to the virus”.

We understand how challenging this situation is for you as the Village Manager balancing the risk to the wider community and the legal rights of each resident.

We have developed a simple guide in dealing with this situation from an operational view to help you at https://www.tearainstitute.co.nz/covid-19-village/.

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Covid-19

Testing for Covid-19

The Prime Minister has clarified the level of testing taking place in Australia, following media comments that we are falling behind.  This is what he said in a press conference yesterday:

PRIME MINISTER: “There is some important information I wanted to relay on testing. My morning brief this morning has Australia at 162,747 tests for Covid-19. Now, to put this in perspective, the tests by 100,000 population for Australia is five times, almost five times, 4.7 in fact, what it is in the United Kingdom, it is 25 times what it is in the United States. It is even higher now than in the Republic of Korea and puts Australia right at the top of that leaders board in terms of the amount of testing that we’re undertaking in Australia. This is a very important statistic because it shows that those testing resources we are securing and we are continuing to deploy”.The Health Minister, Greg Hunt reaffirmed that aged care workers are ‘at the forefront’ of people to be supported with testing and PPEs (personal protection equipment).

At the same time the Department of Health warns aged care providers of delays in receiving PPE due to increased demand – and only masks available.

The Department says it can only provide masks at this stage with other PPE to be provided “when available” – raising questions about the PPE stocks available to providers and aged care staff.
In an email to providers, the Department says it has introduced a new process for aged care providers to access PPE supplies – asking aged care services and staff not to approach the Primary Health Networks (PHNs) but instead email agedcarecovidppe@health.gov.au for all requests.

The Department says it will then triage the requests – with priority given to facilities, programs and workers where there has been a confirmed case of coronavirus.

“It is important to remember that if you do not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 within your facility, program or service you should expect delays in receiving your PPE due to the increase in demand,” it reads.

The letter also asks providers to list in their request the details of the suppliers they have attempted to source PPE stock from – and the types and quantities of PPE required, but adds: “please note, only masks are available at this stage and other PPE will be provided when available”.

The Government had assured the sector at the previous Friday’s aged care forum on the coronavirus in Canberra that it would make the availability of PPE to aged care services a priority.

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What the research tells us

It’s time for budgeting your ‘Person Assets’

Much time is spent during the annual budget review period on the physical assets of the village – quantity surveyor reports, valuations, building inspections – are all actioned diligently in accordance with legislation or company policy.

However so often the very important PERSON ASSETS of the village – the people who make up your team – get overlooked. 

This budget review phase is a great time to conduct Performance appraisals with Village team members.

You can be looking at any increase provisions, training or professional development actions, and that team entitlements are allocated effectively. 

A common mistake when conducting performance appraisals is to make the review one-way, top down, which sees the leader as the judge, jury and decision maker of the employee’s behaviours and achievements.

It is really important to ensure that the process is two-way, and if you really want to look at effective reviews then consider using the 360-degree system. It allows for a peer and stakeholder review as well as self-review.

There are many online solutions to conduct this review – SurveyMonkey even has a template you can use.

Another common mistake when conducting performance appraisals is that there is no investigation of what might be causing an employee not to reach their performance targets.

In my experience, people don’t under-perform for no reason.

Sometimes it can be a case of a simple misunderstanding, a lack of upfront or ongoing training, boredom, lack of support or regular two-way dialogue. Sound familiar?  

So often employees come away from performance appraisals going “so what?” “What a waste of time…” as there is no follow-up action put in place, no ‘What’s Next’! for the employee. 

It is vital if we want to keep people engaged in our sector and communities that we formalise the support we are prepared to provide and invest in their future careers.

For me keeping it simple is important – a simple action plan outlining 2-3 actions for the next quarter/half year, (a special project, a learning activity, increased responsibility) with a commitment of a regular follow up and support meetings is imperative to keep our team engaged and energised.

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Key things to help you everyday

Burn out or reach out

As a Village Manager you are likely to face daily challenges within your own community – death, illness, divorce, declining health, operational challenges, legislative changes, organisational pressures and resident demands, to name a few. 

Then add to this drought, flood, bushfires and now COVID-19 concerns. 

It is no wonder that this year I already have personally been approached by nearly half a dozen Village Managers feeling the challenges are just too much. 

This distressed me and I spoke to Samantha Young, Managing Director of Human Psychology.

She quickly highlighted the positives: these Village Managers are acknowledging how they are feeling and reaching out for support. 

Samantha was quick to provide me with a Top 10 list of actions that Village Managers can consider if they find themselves nearing leadership burnout.

Here they are:

  1. Know your early warning signs. Common burnout symptoms include poor sleep, loss of motivation, exhaustion, feeling every day at work is a bad day, increased irritability and engaging in escapist behaviours like excessive drinking. This is a time to take action.
  2. Empower your team and delegate more – share your vision and purpose and reduce micro-managing.
  3. Become more deliberate with your time. Use your leisure time wisely. Seek out positive people and sources of relaxation and achievement outside of work.
  4. Take a break, 20 minutes a day. No texting, no internet, just you and an introspective practice (like mindfulness). What you do during this time can vary. What matters most is that you’re away from your tasks. Unplug!
  5. Rewind, reflect, remember – take time to remember why you’re doing what you do. What is your purpose? Why is this work so important to you? What do you hope to achieve?
  6. Get the fundamentals right – diet, sleep and exercise.
  7. Honestly assess your situationand work toward solutions. Ask yourself the following questions: “Why am I doing what I am doing? What’s one thing can I change today? What action can I take to alter my situation? Can I allow myself to take a break from my current situation? How long would I need?”
  8. Mentally remove yourself from the job – step back and try to look at your job from an external objective point of view. Imagine how others might view your responsibilities and the expectations they would reasonably hold.
  9. Manage your energy, not your time. Work out when you are most productive and do important tasks then. Chart your energy and rank activities in terms of whether they energise you or drain you. Then do what you’re best at when you’re at your best. 
  10. Increase your self-efficacy – the belief in your own ability to accomplish and exercise control over personally meaningful goals and tasks. The most direct and effective way to enhance self-efficacy is through performance mastery experiences. Seek out coaching and professional development experiences to identify mastery experiences. 

The Village Manager’s role is crucial to the success of the village, including the happiness and wellbeing of village residents and staff. 

First and foremost, it is vital that you look after your own wellbeing to ensure you are able to continue to look after residents and staff.

If you find yourself getting close to the point where you feel like you need the oxygen mask, please consider a courageous conversation with a senior leader, contacting human resources, phoning your organisational Employee Assistance Program, visiting your GP or calling Lifeline 13 11 14.

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Things to watch

Where to get the correct information on coronavirus for your residents

Coronavirus is most dangerous to older people and particularly those over 80.

This group has a 14.8% death rate according to a large epidemiological study of 72,000 cases in China.

Now is the time to review your infectious diseases policy and procedure and consider whether a specific COVID-19 policy and procedure is required.

Here are some steps to start the process:

  1. Regularly review the advice of the Health Authority and check the advice for staff. A good place to start is with this Health Department web site and fact sheets for you and your staff.
  2. Develop a notification program to residents – which may change as the advice changes. It can include the most current advice from Health Agencies, personal hygiene standards within common areas, information on self-isolation requirements
  3. Develop a similar communication strategy, on the job training, and reinforcement activities for all staff. You may also consider a mandatory notification of symptoms/travel to a nominated senior executive.
  4. Review the requirement for visitors/contractors to the site, long and short term, and the need for them to acknowledge and adhere to the guidelines set out for residents and staff.

Here are other COVID-19 resources

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Things to watch

He’s back! Matt Church opens the Village Summit…

Matt Church is welcomed back to open the Village Summit 2020 on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th of August at the Sheraton Grand Hyde Park. 

Last year Matt opened our minds to new ways of thinking about the future skills needed in business.​

See a snippet HERE.

Matt is recognised by International Federation of Professional Speakers as one the top 21 most influential people in the leadership industry on the planet.

Matt is committed to helping people prepare for tomorrow by taking action today. His philosophy can be summed up in one word: NEXT! What is the best next thing you can do to future proof your business or career?

Believing powerfully in the idea that commercial success is best achieved by delivering value beyond expectations, Matt will investigate The Power of Leadership: How to inspire residents to live their best life, how to grow yourself and add value to your community.

Find out more about the Village Summit HERE.

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What the research tells us

The Budget Process from a Resident’s perspective

Recently I had the good fortune to catch up with my good comrade Michael Jones, Chair, Resident’s Finance Committee.

I was keen to talk to him, as an accountant, about what does good financial management look like for residents? And thankfully Michael was obliging to share with me his thoughts from a resident’s perspective….

There was no surprise that the top of his list was regular and transparent consultation with residents DURING the budgeting review process, including them as part of the journey in the development of the new budget.

Don’t just preach the outcome and expect it to be accepted.

He suggested that the Village Manager can play a vital role in supporting the Finance Committee to identify those people in the village with relevant experience or past financial acumen that could benefit the Committee. 

He also offered the following tips:

  1. That operators and Village Managers, together, should undertake sound consideration for both the long and short term requirements of the village and share this review with the Finance Committee so as to provide long-term peace of mind about future financial provisions.
  2. The operator should establish sound financial management systems – not just to meet compliance matters but to also work towards best practice finance processes and systems.
  3. The operator as part of their financial management system should consider regular update meetings with their Finance Committee, this could be a short monthly meeting (catch up on recent changes, raise issues as they arise etc) and then a more comprehensive meeting quarterly to go through the financial statements together.
  4. Providing transparent financial statements on a regular basis helps to build trust between residents and the operator and reduce the unproductive time that it can take to locate answers to questions the Village Manager is not aware of.  
  5. Finally, the operator, particularly those where decisions are mostly made remotely, must include the Village Manager in all decisions that may impact a resident’s finances or the assets of the village. It is also a great idea that from time to time the remote accounting support team are invited to attend a meeting with the Finance Committee to ensure that an open dialogue and mutual understanding is maintained.

Whilst these may seem logical tips and actions, the resident association representatives and regulators continue to share with me that the majority of concerns raised with them relate directly to inadequate financial transparency or poor financial management systems. 

With time on your side, start the process early and consider reviewing your current process to include some of Michael’s suggestions. 

Categories
Things to watch

Tapping into the WizeNomads in your community…

This week Sydney Startup WizeNomads launched a grassroots movement to connect age-friendly employers with experienced people. 

WizeNomads is an organisation based on inspiring experienced people to find work opportunities and connect with age friendly employers. They promote multi-generational workforces and are the conduit between businesses and people via growing generational connections.

WizeNomads connect with pre-screened age-friendly companies, offer learning and advice to inspire confidence and new skills and they are starting to build a multi-generational community and network.

Find out more HERE.

They believe there is a plethora of hidden skills, wisdom and that mature persons in the workplace can have a positive impact on the nature of business. 

When I came across this it resonated with my lived experience. That as Village Managers we should be identifying, engaging and consulting with residents within our Retirement Communities that too may have a plethora of hidden skills, wisdom, connections etc that could be tapped into for the benefit of the village. There is a certain Chairman in a village I managed about a decade ago that very graciously taught me this lesson, you will know who you are Mr Francis if you are reading this.  

One thing is for certain a Village Manager’s role is very busy so if there are residents in your community with a skill set or speciality then I can highly recommend tapping into those skills to help you with research or another point of view. Good communication and consultation is definitely the key to great decision making in my experience.

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Reporting Results

Village sales up!

Reports from the field by the likes of Stockland are telling us that retirement village enquiry, reservations and settlements are up, compared to this time last year, by 10 to 15%. Is this your experience?

Villages that have a clear ‘home care’ support offer are doing particularly well.

Omega Communities in Adelaide, which is two villages that offer ‘family care’ (like private aged care) is consistently running at 95% occupancy. LDK Seniors Living in Canberra, a new village, is selling two new homes a week at over $800,000 each. (They have close to 400 to sell by the way).

They call their offer the ‘One Move Promise’ – their home care support means you will never have to move to an aged care home.

Check their website out HERE.

For your village, having a clear relationship with your local home care providers will help your sales as well. It’s a good idea to have at least a folder of local services like physiotherapists and even cleaners that you can show potential residents. Simple but effective.

Strong sales lifts everyone’s spirits.

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Key things to help you everyday

DCMI announces inaugural International study tour for Village Managers

Sunset at Auckland Harbour Festival 2006. Viaduct Basin. Auckland. New Zealand

 DCM Institute is excited to bring to its members an International study tour to New Zealand in July 2020.​

New Zealand retirement village operators are internationally-recognised as being world leaders in this sector. Delegates on the Inaugural DCM Institute study program will visit a mix of NZ’s retirement villages and co-located care facilities in Auckland and Tauranga. Hosted by DCMI’s Director Judy Martin and NZRVA CEO John Collyns the program is open to DCMI Village Manager Professional Development program members.

Information on the study tour program can be found HERE.

Register your expression of interest HERE.

For information pls contact Judy Martin
E: judym@dcmmedia.com.au or M: 0437 649 672