Even within smaller group homes for seniors, operators have had to make significant changes in staffing, vendor contracts and visitation to preserve resident safety amid the pandemic, according to one Dallas area senior living operator.
Adam Lampert, CEO of senior living operator Manchester Care Homes, said he’s had to change staff shifts from eight to 12 hours in an effort to limit the number of staff members who are in contact with the facility’s residents on any given day. Further, managers who usually floated between Manchester’s four homes were assigned to just one, Lambert told D Magazine.
The firm also restricted employees from working at other companies, increasing their salaries to compensate for the restrictions.
“They may be giving up a job, so this was battle pay and loyalty pay,” Lampert told the media outlet.
Manchester banned all outside caregivers and vendors from the homes for a period of time, and staff members were monitored closely to make sure that they and their families weren’t ill. The precautions have paid off, as the firm has remained at zero positives among residents and staff members, Lampert said.
Although some restrictions have begun to be lifted, accommodations such as increased telecommunication in the homes, increased sanitation and personal protective equipment are likely to remain in place.
“We grapple with a lot of the same things big guys do,” Lampert said. “It is challenging to come up with guidelines to fit all circumstances, but we do our best to work within those parameters,” he said.
