Monthly Resident Council is too far out: Daily Community Meetings address concerns in Real Time

In recent articles I’ve highlighted federal regulation’s focus on community, community development and how the culture change practice of community meetings developed by the Live Oak Project, meet and surpass regulations. The last article highlighted that because administrators have the highest decision making authority of all team members, they can make things happen, they can decide on the spot and therefore they can make resident council meetings rock! People will come to meeting where decisions are made right now. No middle manager can do that. In this article, I bring community meetings and resident council together sharing how daily meetings as a community serves better than any meeting that takes place only monthly.

Parkview Care Center in Denver, CO is famous for vibrant daily community meetings more than one per day even, one in Spanish, one in English. People who live there are honored and included in decisions that take place in their home. As well, people who work there are also included in decision-making and problem-solving regarding the home in which they work.

When the home was once in trouble financially, people who both lived and worked there were included in some budget decisions. Then administrator Marie Stern explained, “We had no money and had to make tough decisions to cut a few positions. Options A, B and C were presented at a community meeting. A Parkview policy was that 50% of the community must be in attendance in order to make effective decisions. On that day 75% made sure they were there. Together it was decided that one position would go from full-time to part-time so that no one lost a job.”

Stern admitted, “It was very scary to give over that sense of control. It is a preconceived notion that you have all the control even though you don’t. We go in thinking we have all the answers, and we don’t.”

Another memorable issue brought by those who live – and eat – there, was poor dining service and not receiving needed assistance. Ideas were discussed and those who live there ended up asking managers to serve so that CNAs could assist those who need it. As a result, managers designed early and late days. An early day is 7:00 am to 3:30 pm; managers serve breakfast and lunch. A late day is 10:30 am to 7:00 pm; managers serve lunch and supper and lead an evening event. Because of this brilliant idea, stemming from a problem raised by the people who live there, a solution recommended by the people who live there, and the solution even requested by the people who live there, money was saved by no longer needing a fulltime evening activity team member, instead turning that into a parttime position.

Another decision-by-community involved fruit juice. Those who drink juice decided on a cheaper option and to serve juice only at breakfast to save on food costs.

The biggest breakthrough for the community meetings came when leadership showed follow-through. The community meeting agenda includes a review of any submitted complaint/concern/compliment forms. Once a form indicated that the coffee pot was never refilled and, like many of us, people wanted coffee 24/7. The very next week a vendor was brought in to show a coffee machine for coffee anytime. “That was the breakthrough; they learned it wasn’t just lip service, and we actually did something about the concern they had” shared Stern.

It is now commonplace for vendors to be not only invited but actually expected, to pitch their product to the community who decide together. Now, if a vendor comes in wanting to speak to a team manager about a new product, they are told to come back to the next community meeting where such decisions are made altogether.  Can you imagine that? The receptionist tells a vendor, “You’ll need to come back tomorrow to the community meeting to show and share your product.”

The benefit of holding a community meeting every day is that any issue going on is brought up right away. If dinner was late the night before or people didn’t like what was served you can “grab dining staff and the issue can be solved right then, not just at resident council only once a month.” After about a month of daily community meetings Parkview got rid of resident council since there was nothing to talk about. “You have to explain it to surveyors every single year,” Stern explained. Imagine a tall stack of community meeting minutes. The survey team is asked how many daily community meeting minutes they want to look at. Essentially resident council takes place every day and those who live there continue to serve as officers.

There is no federal requirement for resident council believe it or not. Instead, CMS Tag F565 gives the right to meet in a group and if there is a group, private space and the right to meet without staff present is to be offered.  Parkview’s practice was to ask once a month if it was still okay that team members attend the community meeting.

It is in state licensure regulations where usually monthly resident council is required. Thus, turning daily community meetings into resident council that meets daily actually “over meets” the requirement. Because community meetings are so successful and because everything is talked about in them, Parkview no longer had need for food or activity committees. Menus are reviewed by everyone when a new cycle comes out, giving the decision for menu items they do, or don’t, want and future events are planned altogether.

A famous Parkview story is when the resident council president once told a surveyor, “We run this place.” I’ll tell you what… having been a surveyor, THAT is the way to shine, to go above and beyond compliance, and for survey to go quicker.

At Parkview, thanks to daily community meetings, everyone knows what’s happening, friendships and relationships have blossomed, there are baby showers, wedding showers, and graduation parties. Another testament to the impact of these daily gatherings is that many people who moved or went back home, come back to be a part of community meetings. We don’t hear that about monthly resident council meetings much, do we? Bring it to your team. Consider this beautiful practice that blossoms into so many benefits including addressing concerns in real time. Nothing held only monthly can do that.

Carmen Bowman, MHS, Regulator turned Educator of Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Changing Institutional Culture is an activities/engagement/community life, regulatory compliance and culture change consultant.  She offers new or not-yet-qualified activity director consultation and personalized continuing education for professionals/teams/associations. All at www.edu-catering.com: The Be Encouraged Blog, the eResource GUARDIANS OF NORMAL LIFE: How Activity/ Recreation/ Engagement/Community Life Professionals can Save the World of LTC and the brand new eResource Individualizing Medication Administration using Regulations. At the Edu-Catering YouTube channel, see how turning rigid schedules into flexible ones creates all the outcomes everyone wants!