Ep. 64: Why Self-Care Needs to Be a Part of Your Home Care Culture

Miriam Allred (00:08):

I’m really excited to be joined by Patty and Sheila, the Co-Founders of LifePath Learners to get us started. Patty, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and about your organization?

Patty Burgess (00:20):

Sure. I’m Patty Burgess and actually Sheila and I came together as LifePath Learners. We were both doing some things separately together. I had started out in end of life training working with, and still do working with hospices across the country, providing that training which is Medicare mandated, mandated by Medicare for volunteers for staff. We also came together Sheila I for advanced care planning training, and decided that the things that we were doing separately together made sense to bring under one umbrella and I’ll leave the rest of that information as far as the other pieces of that to Sheila. But it’s been a wonderful opportunity to take the things that we’re passionate about. And I guess you could say in terms of life path learners, we really help people prepare cope, adapt, and thrive from midlife to end of life, with a variety of training programs and offerings that we that we have in place. So if you want to find out more about us, you can take a [email protected] and we’re just so thrilled to be here because we think home care pulse is such an innovator in this community and thrilled to be with you guys. So thank you.

Miriam Allred (01:39):

Thanks Patty Sheila, anything that you’d add?

Sheila Schultz (01:41):

Sure. Just a few things. Patty mentioned advanced care planning and we do have a certification course for those looking to be educators, and that has just come up in the last year or so, but how do you and I both have a lot of background in end of life and in hospice particularly for me, was working with families in stress management. So when you look at life path learners, you’re going to see kind of three components that we’ve put together. And that is a stress management and resilience doula training end of life, doula training, and then that advanced care planning, educator training. So that’s my my identity come to patties method.

Miriam Allred (02:24):

Okay, perfect. Well, thank you both for being here and thanks for the introductions. Let’s dive in here and start kind of high level talking about some of the pain points that training can solve. We talked a lot about this on the summit, but it sounds like some of you were there, some of you weren’t, so let’s start more high level and talking about what problems training can solve for agency owners today in petty. Why don’t, why don’t we start with you there?

Patty Burgess (02:50):

We’ve all got this huge to do list, and we know that we’re just accosted every day with all the things that we’ve to get handled. And one of the things that I know it’s important in my business is just to really remember, to try to put what’s important in front of what’s urgent. And since we kind of have a soft spot for training, we really feel that that applies very much so to, to training in terms of time savings in terms of money savings, in terms of being able to let’s say instill confidence in your caregivers training really in, in our also a market differentiator, it really kind of hits all parts of an agency from HR to finance, to marketing and can provide quite a return. And just briefly, I want to share like an example of that so that you can kind of put together or connect the dots of what I, what I’m sharing here on that’s.

Patty Burgess (03:56):

For example, maybe it’s most this whole what I would call a training paradox where we’re putting this focus effort into training, but we’re really getting a return. So hopefully it’s a one-to-one kind of ratio most noticeable probably in the area of time. And perhaps we’ll get into it a little bit later about training programs and you know, how would the why and how to set that up. But for example, if let’s say you’re doing training now in person, and we’ve probably seen how a pandemic can, can change all that, is there a way to automate some repetitive parts of training and create an online experience so that it frees you up to do more of the things that probably you might even gotten into business in the first place, which is supporting and mentoring and really helping to grow a thriving company when that’s in place, the savings for money already starts to happen.

Patty Burgess (05:01):

It’s almost like a one feeds into the other because if there’s less things that are broken, if there’s more streamlined processes than less things to fix that saves money and time. And then I guess the last two things I would I would share is when it comes to training and instilling confidence, we certainly learned from you all that training is the number one. And from the training summit is the number one concern that had caregivers leaving within the first, what is it, 30 to 90 or so days. Exactly. And in terms of instilling confidence, when, when caregivers are well-trained, that really relates to how confident they feel and then your clients feel well taken care of. And then finally, I would say that training can be such a marketing differentiator for you. I think folks out there know what agencies over time and word spreads as to who makes that kind of investment. And so we really think it’s something to explore, to address a lot of those pain points that you mentioned Marianne. So hopefully that wasn’t too long of an answer to your question.

Miriam Allred (06:16):

No, that was great. We want to start high level, like, like you’re speaking to an all I’ll reiterate that point that you’re bringing up at home care polls. For those of you who know we, we survey clients and caregivers for a number of agencies across the country. And from January one of this year, we had over 50,000 caregiver surveys and we aggregated and analyze that data and found that training was the number one caregiver complaint since January one of this year. That’s the first time in years that we have seen training ranked number one, it’s, it’s typically been office staff support, communication pay scheduling. We’ve seen it vary over the years, but this was the first year that training was at the top of the list. So that’s why we’re putting this enhanced focus on, you know, getting into the nitty-gritty of training and making the best possible experience for your caregivers. So that ultimately they’re staying with your agency, you know, we’re addressing those complaints or those pain points. So with that being said, I want to transition kind of still saying high level around some of the pillars of delivering a training that resonates with your caregivers. You talked to the, this on the summit and I love some of the points that you’ve made. So let’s talk about how to deliver a training that, you know, caregivers really resonate with. Right,

Sheila Schultz (07:31):

Right, right. Well, I think one of the first things you need to do is, is ask, ask what matters to people, ask where they feel. Maybe they’re, they’re less confident Patty and I kind of look at training with a capital T. So we look at it more than just educational learning for the compliance issues for regulatory reasons. We are much more of sort of lifelong learners. We, and we embrace that and we feel like so much of training is a cultural thing. So we, we really do see training as more like learning and growth and expansion and change. So we really think you have to walk the walk. And when you were putting together programs, it’s sort of formal training. And then it’s also, how are we acting as a culture? How are we acting in the, in the company, in the agency itself?

Sheila Schultz (08:33):

So are we open? Are we being transparent? Are we being vulnerable and letting letting people know that, you know, we’re all in this together. So it’s about being honest and open and, and also taking the time. I think now, especially we really need to start slowing down and taking a deep breath and assessing where we are assessing what we can do. And sometimes it really is about engaging with the people who work with you to get some of their ideas and incorporate those. That’s such a big thing for people to feel like they’re a part of something. So it really becomes more of a work family. And I was talking about that in the summit. It, it’s just a different way than we’ve looked at things in the past, I think, and now more than ever with everybody, so isolated, and then we’re finally coming back together. It’s so important to create that sense of culture, that a sense of belonging, and that’s going to keep people trusting you and keeping them loyal and understanding that you have the same kinds of human needs and connections that they do. So that’s kind of what I think in, in training.

Miriam Allred (09:47):

I love what you said initially about training is part of your culture. We’re talking a lot about culture inside of our agencies, and it’s easy to get into this mindset of culture looks like recognition or rewards or incentives, but culture is bigger than that. And training is a piece of your culture. Do you, as executives talk about training on a regular basis and the importance that it has in your agency, or is it just a checking the box on compliance? You know, there’s, there’s so many layers to training, but I love that it really should be part of your culture. Let’s talk more about the strategic portion of trainings, Sheila, you were kind of talking about this mindset about training, how it needs to change and how we need to see it as something that we need to solve and start implementing more of in our businesses. Patty, maybe you could talk a little bit about that, you know, why and how does training need to become more of a strategic plan versus just a check check on the box?

Patty Burgess (10:53):

I think when we think about the, the must haves or the must do’s in, in many instances and it’s understandable training, it’s not that it’s an afterthought, but as you mentioned, Sheila training to compliance versus training past that. But if we can incorporate training and look at it and it really is kind of a mindset shift to an investment, not a cost. And I know sometimes that’s sort of like a, a buzzwordy thing, but again, I want to give you kind of, I guess, an example of one small example of like a return on investment, which can really affect the bottom line. Like, so for example return on investment, doesn’t always have to be time or money that you’re getting back or money that you’re saving. It could be something as simple as a reduction in turnover because as we, if that’s the number one reason for caregivers leaving that’s turnover and that’s costly.

Patty Burgess (12:02):

So if we can keep people longer, because we have a dedicated program that we see as really impacting other parts of our business, then that workforce can mature. And when that workforce matures, that brings certain opportunities. So in other words, I’m back to training again, training, doesn’t only have to look like you sharing information when a workforce matures, and you’ve got some good folks that are on that workforce, they can be trainers or mentors, kind of like a buddy system. It frees you up to do some of the other things that is having those bigger visions, where sometimes we don’t get that time in our business. And it makes those individuals who you’ve offered that responsibility to, and of course that may come with maybe some extra bonus or extra something, depending upon what your agency can afford to do or wants to do doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary, but you know, it, it frees you up.

Patty Burgess (13:07):

It offers somebody else, a place of leadership within your organization. And somebody else is taking that mission. It’s sort of cloning you and your mission, your vision along with getting other people on board with that, that mission trained. And hopefully that cycle repeats where that person but shores. So it can come back in so many ways. If we look at it as an investment and all of this can really be, you know, measured and checked in on to make sure that you’re adjusting along the way, kind of like I don’t sell much, but I understand you have to kind of go with the wins. There’s going to always be sort of, you know, where you’ve got attack back and forth. There’s going to always be new things that come in and blindside us. But if we can make that as a commitment, as an investment, all of those other that becomes a pillar or attendant of our tenant of our company, what it attracts really gives back. So I think that’s one of the things that I wanted to say about an investment and give one small example, and I’m sure we could come up with lots more, but hopefully that makes sense. Yeah.

Miriam Allred (14:22):

Thanks for sharing all that. Thanks for sharing that example. It definitely resonates one more kind of big picture question. Do you usually, and then I want to get to some of these pre-submitted questions that get a little bit more granular. We’ve talked about this already a little bit, but sometimes there needs to be a mindset shift about training. What are some of your thoughts around changing the mentality or the culture around training within an organization? Yes, definitely. We need a mindset change. I think

Sheila Schultz (14:52):

The pandemic has sort of forced it and it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of that. I think one of the most important things we can do as leaders and, and owners of businesses is to learn how to embrace change. I really think that resilience is a sign of greatness, a sign of, of leadership. And it’s about rolling with the punches and trying new things and not being afraid to move forward with something. If you have an idea and try it out. And if it doesn’t work fine, move on to the next thing. I think that one of the things that training may not have been looked at as a business opportunity in the past, and we really need to start looking at it as a business opportunity, as Patty mentioned earlier about a market differentiator. So not only are you going to attract caregivers who are more interested in training since it seems like most people are with that 50,000 members survey that you did Merriam.

Sheila Schultz (15:58):

But also clients, you know, clients are going to feel that everything trickles down. So the caregiver feels confident. They’re feeling well-prepared, the client is happier. So it’s, it’s a circular thing. I also think as I mentioned earlier, it is an extension of culture. And if you, as an owner are looking to grow and learn that that sort of cultural feeling is going to be also transmitted. So it’s not only, you know, handing your caregiver something, it’s a, you need to learn this. But as I said earlier, walk the walk and show that you’re, you’re also growing and learning. What are you investing time into, improve on areas that, that you need to improve? And I think the last thing is a quote that we brought up in the summit and it was from best human capital. It was an advisory group. And they said that the single most important thing that an organization can do to improve engagement is to invest and implement training for its people. So I think that that covers just about everything as far as changing the way we think about changing your mindset about training.

Miriam Allred (17:10):

I love it. I love it. So let’s, let’s get a little bit more granular. Shelly, I see your comment in here about you’ve been in healthcare for 25 years, but now you’re transitioning into home care. If I could put you on the spot, what have you seen or learned about training in your previous experience and how that’s transferring over to home care at this point? Yeah.

Shelley (17:33):

I totally agree with that culture, you know, training should be a part of your culture. My current boss was also my previous boss at, when I was working for group homes and she is spot on when it comes our culture and what we want our business to be. So our training is a lot more of the mindset where I’m not just training the girls, how to do this, this, this, and this, because her cares require that I’m also training them on that. The why’s and the why nots. And, you know, where’s the reason we are doing this. And I actually now go into the homes and have my new staff watch me do the, you know, do the task. And they learn from me the proper way or the way that our clients want things done.

Miriam Allred (18:29):

It was like, you’re, you guys are doing it right. I’m so glad to hear that you, you have that mindset already in, in your business about training is part of our culture. And it’s not just the what and the how, but it’s the why behind it. I think sometimes that’s the piece that’s, that’s missing and you guys have identified.

Shelley (18:48):

Yes. I do find that a lot of staff will be more willing to help go the extra mile, be more dedicated if they understand the reasons why we’re asking them to do what we’re doing.

Miriam Allred (19:01):

Yeah, absolutely. I want to ask a question. That’s come in. This is actually from Iona. I see that you’re on here with us all. I’ll ask what you’ve pre submitted and then you can see if there’s any follow-up questions. She’s asked about what recommendations do you have on further training, beyond compliance? What are some topics that agencies should focus on that go above and beyond compliance Patty or Sheila? Do you want to take that?

Patty Burgess (19:30):

Well, this might sound self-serving, but we feel very connected to you know, end of life and palliative care training, just because from what we understand, we would gather that there may be some folks that you’re caring for, who are facing the end of life. And maybe specifically having questions about hospice or not comfortable electing hospice, that kind of thing. And so there’s kind of in our culture, like in the culture today, there’s a collective sort of aversion to talking about end of life. And lots of people, your caregivers could be uncomfortable, could be scared or nervous or feel like they’re not prepared enough. And certainly if that’s a need that one of your clients has to be able to meet that we feel that that’s really you know, one, one good place, but there’s so many other so many other pieces of training too. I mean dementia care, I’m sure you’re seeing more of that or that’s on an increase. And Sheila, we were talking earlier what were some of the other things that you had mentioned as far as

Miriam Allred (20:45):

Something else close to my heart is a self

Sheila Schultz (20:47):

Care and wellbeing and stress management. And, and those are things that you can, I mean, it’s, it goes so far to let your caregivers know that you really care about them, them and, and how they take care of themselves. And just the simple, simple tips about how to start your day before they get into the, into the work of the day can go a long way. And it lets them know that you support them in their, in their whole lives, not just their work life.

Miriam Allred (21:16):

There’s a lot of options out there for specialty training. But I think similar to what you had mentioned before, Sheila’s asking your staff, you know, what more do they want to learn about? There’s so many topics in so many directions, but asking them, you know, where, where do you want to take your education? Where do you want to learn more? And then finding that training available to then be able to offer them what they’re interested in, in learning about

Shelley (21:40):

We’re training our staff on because it’s home care. I’m not sure what you guys are out. I’m assuming we’re out home care. But we’re training our staff on even activities and how to provide engaging things to our clients. You know, we’re trying to put life back into living here. We want them to be home, but we have, we want them to engage in things that they might enjoy. We’re also training them on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s because these are the clients that we’re facing more and more every day. We’ve had some people die, unfortunately. Thank goodness. It hasn’t happened with any of our staff in the home, but that’s another thing to look at is, you know, the dying process and how comfortable are they with it?

Patty Burgess (22:28):

I was going to say too, I don’t know whether it’s appropriate, not but along Sheila’s line of ask, you know, I would expect that you all do some surveying to some degree of your clients as well. And you can probably get a lot of information from your clients as to what they would see or what they think is important to be able to offer or to take into consideration for going forward as well, with, with training specialty training.

Miriam Allred (22:56):

Glad you mentioned that

Karen (22:58):

The question I’ll just kind of contribute to what you know, Shelley mentioned hospice and, and Sheila and Patty, you know, the areas where training is needed. I, I’m the owner of a private duty home care and I’m in my seventh year of business. And interestingly enough, hospices made up over a third of my business every year. And by that, I mean, partnering with the hospice providers to provide the private duty care and, you know, I’ve never taken for granted that I think what’s so important when you look at your, your staff is that end of life is not for all of them and that there should be absolutely a comfort level with it. And if it’s not a comfort level, it’s not a judgment against them. They don’t get demerit points. Right. but I’ve been fortunate enough to have, you know, very experienced caregivers come to me and they’ve done hospice for more years than, you know, you’d want to think.

Karen (23:56):

And the, that part of life, I mean, being a caregiver, obviously it is incredibly valuable, but being one at end of life and being ineffective, one is, goes above and beyond for families and, you know, the feedback that we get from families, you know wanting them to come to the funeral, you know, that they have become an integral part of that journey. So you know, Pat’s off, there’s no caregivers probably here, but I will. The other thing I think people forget is that caregivers grieve and that they don’t lose one client and then want to be staffed to someone new the next day or even the next week that you have to honor that because they have become so engaged and dedicated that they need that, that downtime to process. So, but, but I do think that end of life training education is is a wonderful skill to have because let’s just look at our population, right. And the direction that it’s going not to be totally depressing, but that’s the reality, right? That we, I mean, look in my last seven years, how much I’ve had of end of life. And if that’s any example of what we may be heading it’s very rewarding part of the business,

Patty Burgess (25:16):

The wording and the a hundred percent fatal w we’re all going through it. So

Karen (25:20):

We’ll all be there. That’s exactly right. Yeah. That’s right.

Patty Burgess (25:23):

I want to acknowledge you for that and understanding what caregivers need as well. I mean the, the grief, the grief training or a sensibility at least.

Karen (25:33):

Yeah. Can I tell something funny and it’ll only take a minute. When I was new in the business you know my caregivers are, are the large percentage of them are not from this country and they have their own expressions. Like we have our expressions. And when I lost ahead one of my first clients and he was hospice and caregiver called and very thick accent and said something. And I said, I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you. And you had to say it three times it is done. It is done. And I felt so stupid, but you know what I mean? I never would have turned, but I think about that all the time. And now it’s just second nature, how they term it, right. Was his way of saying he has passed.

Patty Burgess (26:24):

There’s a loveliness to that. There

Karen (26:25):

Really is. There is. Yeah.

Miriam Allred (26:27):

Yeah. Thanks. Thanks for sharing Karen. I maybe want to kick it over to you, Sheila, you are passionate about self care. And I think the pandemic has helped us all realize that we all need self care and we need to prioritize self for our employees. And I know that’s a passion topic of your Sheila, what are maybe some ideas or ways that we could talk about, you know, what are some best practices and how can we help ensure that our employees are getting time for self care?

Sheila Schultz (26:58):

Right. Well, I think unfortunately, sometimes we think of, of self care, we put it in a box and we think, well, you know, maybe they just need a massage or a Manny petty or, you know, or else people go to extremes and say, well, I need to learn to meditate eight hours a day. So, you know, self care really is simple. And to me, one of the best easiest ways to get started is to find ways to get away from technology. Get outside, have some quiet time alone. I mean, I think every single one, every single person should have 15 minutes of quiet time in the morning and do whatever you want with it. However you want to call that. But to me that is something that you can talk to your caregivers about the importance of that. And, and we talk a lot about that and end of life, too, with our doulas, you know, before, before they go in a room with a patient or a client, you know, he kind of have to be in the, in the right frame of mind, you know, so if we’re not filling our own cups with you know, with that, with that presence and that peace of mind, how can we possibly expect to have others emulate us or others feel at ease?

Sheila Schultz (28:15):

So I guess if I had to say two things that I say a lot, which is slow down and stay here, meaning, you know, calm down a little bit, get get a little quiet time alone and learn how to stay in the present moment. And I think everything, everything works better when you do that.

Shelley (28:35):

My favorite sayings are don’t sweat the small stuff and just breathe, just breathe or laugh.

Patty Burgess (28:47):

And the end of life, world that breath can sometimes be optional too. But no, those are that’s great advice.

Sheila Schultz (28:57):

Lovely.

Miriam Allred (28:57):

And it’s easier said than done, but it’s gotta be prioritize. It’s gotta be top of mind for providers to, to always be checking in with our staff, making sure that they feel okay that they’re equipped and prepared for the next shift. Like you said, Karen, you know, sometimes we’re just sending them out and there’s so much to be done all the time, but we’re not giving them time to breathe between shifts and giving them the personal time that they need. And that’s so important.

Karen (29:26):

I’m sorry to interrupt, but I want to echo something that you just said that I think we’re all guilty of. You know, I do, when I hear self self care, what does that mean? Does it mean an hour yoga class? Does it mean? And the first thing that comes to mind for my caregivers is they don’t have any time for self care. I mean, I know that’s not true, but right. That’s my reaction because I know I’m not alone here. These caregivers are working 60, 80 hours a week. Right.

Sheila Schultz (29:52):

So I love what you’re saying about it’s those, those precious moments, 15 minutes, even five minutes before they’re going into their shift to harnesses. The other thing is, as far as shifting that training and using it a part of your culture,

Karen (30:08):

More of a mindset

Sheila Schultz (30:10):

Learning to recognize when someone’s a little bit off and, and really taking just 30 seconds and saying, you know what, something’s off, let’s sit for a minute. Let’s both take a deep breath. Shelly, let’s both take a deep breath because that just little inserting those little things every day, there’s so much more than just what it sounds like. It actually changes your brain. So this self care, as you said, Karen can be inserted into the day and little snippets and that’s all you need to get started. And then it’s easier for people to go out for 10 minutes if they’ve been practicing 30 seconds at a time, four or five times a day.

Shelley (30:52):

Well, last week I just called one of my staff as a matter of fact, because she’s usually not quiet. She texts me or calls me, you know, we have a little bit of a relationship outside of work because I’ve known her, but she was real quiet last week. So I just texted her and, you know, are you okay this week? You just seem off. And that’s all it took. And she just kind of bent it a little bit about things that have been going on and, and we fixed it, you know? So yeah. Watch your staff get to know how they react and how they normally are. And you can tell him they’re all

Sheila Schultz (31:26):

Absolutely wonderful.

Miriam Allred (31:29):

I just want to reiterate that this is all parts of retention. You know, we’re not talking much about recruitment right now and the shortages and just how hard it is right now. But what we’re talking about is the keys to retention. We need to do everything in our power to hold on to the staff, the high quality staff that we have, and it starts here. It starts with training. It starts with self care. It starts with, you know, mentorship programs. It starts with all of these fundamentals that make them feel like this is a place that they enjoy being in. And it’s a work that’s fulfilling them. And they’re surrounded by office staff and executives that care about their personal wellbeing. And so I just want to kind of bring it back to how important retention is and everything that we’re talking about plays into, you know, the essentials behind keeping our staff. We’ll close with this. Maybe just parting thoughts, Patty and Sheila around advice that you can give it’s, it’s tough right now. It is really tough, but any words of encouragement, I love, you know, this, this call where we can get together to share advice and motivate each other to keep going. And I know you both are really good doing that. So Patty, why don’t we start with you, but any words of advice leaving the meeting today?

Patty Burgess (32:46):

You know, we hear a lot about being authentic, again, another buzz word, but I think all of this starts to really gel and get a lot easier when we are showing up as our whole selves. I mean, we talked, touched a little bit about that with all of our vulnerabilities, obviously appropriate for the situation, but those places where people get to see maybe even the little cracks or the little fissures in us where we can acknowledge back and let, let people know that you’re human. I, I think, you know, whether it was growing up or, or any superiors that I had in work, I always felt more drawn and connected to those people who were incredibly real and open. And sometimes we feel, I think as business owners that we’ve got to put some armor on just to get our own selves through the day. And I think sometimes it’s easier when we can share some vulnerabilities and let people know that we’re human too, and that we want to care for our whole selves so that we can care for their, their whole selves as well.

Miriam Allred (34:02):

I love that. Thanks for sharing petty, Sheila, what would you add?

Sheila Schultz (34:06):

I think, well, first of all, I agree. And then I think that I just encourage you to keep going, you know, small steps, little incremental steps every day toward trying to, trying to get to resolutions with your problems or get to the root of some of the issues. I really do believe the human component is such a big deal right now to stay connected and find ways to make that connection with people. We’re all humans. And I think, especially in this business that we’re in, right in, in the business of caring, we really need to model how much, how much our caregivers mean to us. So, and, and that just comes out. And then once, once they get a sense that they’re feeling supported, it’s easy for them to pass that on. And then as I said earlier, and in the summit, it’s a circular thing when we have this attitude of gratitude and it just, it circles all the way around. I just feel like it’s, it’s the only way to run a successful business where people feel like they mean something that they’re contributing and they’re doing their best.

Miriam Allred (35:18):

Thank you, Sheila. I appreciate that. Well, thank you all for joining us today. I know we’re, we’re already been here for 40 minutes, but I just want to say thank you for joining us and making the time. I hope that everyone’s taken something from this conversation that they can begin implementing in their business evidence. None else, you know, just some motivation and renewed energy to take back to our businesses. We will call it a wrap, but I just want to say thanks again to Patty and Sheila for joining us live today!