ANNUAL CONFERENCE RECAP | 2018
Why Are You in the Field of Aging Services ?
Denise Boudreau-Scott started her lively plenary session by asking the audience why they are in the field . Why are they doing their job each day ? What has been their path to the place they are today ? Her long career in aging services began as a dietary aide and nursing assistant . Today , she is the president of Drive , an organization that provides education and training to help “ Improve Your Resident & Staff Experience .”
Denise Boudreau-Scott
Throughout her presentation , Ms . Boudreau-Scott focused on how to create an engaging workplace that keeps people motivated . Key is showing new staff the possibilities for a career in the field and then engaging them in ongoing efforts to help them get to their end game .
Ms . Boudreau-Scott offered the audience a treasure map of ideas to discover the “ money tree in the backyard ,” where her proven strategies can increase staff engagement and productivity , improve profitability and reduce safety incidents . She told attendees where to find the top performers to join their organizations and how to successfully keep them happy , engaged and retained .
Denise talked about change and the substance of change using the analogy of a taco – pretty at first and then it falls apart at the first bite . If you are going to make changes , make them substantial and durable . She reminded everyone that knowing how your staff feel and what inspires them is critical . As she illustrated , the costs of not knowing are staggering .
Denise shared the deeply personal experience of her beloved grandmother ’ s last years in a nursing home . How each person who interacted with her grandmother did so with enthusiasm and active engagement and how those interactions gave her grandmother a rich and fulfilling life experience until she passed away , leaving Denise and her family with fond memories of what was certainly a difficult time . Her story clearly demonstrated that an engaged workforce can have a profound effect on the outcomes for people and the quality of care provided .
Everyone who attended the session received special access to her website where they could download 12 statements and probing questions for team members as well as a four-step process everyone should use when they implement change .
19 Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2018