At the Jewish Home Family, we know that, at our core, we are about people caring for people. Yes, we have great services and facilities. We have all the latest treatment modalities, unique programs and outstanding outcomes. But the most important thing is having a staff of people who believe in what they do and who come to work with dedication and love for our elders.
Building a culture of caring and commitment does not just happen. It is the result of many efforts on the part of the organization to ensure that staff feel valued and supported. The Jewish Home Family has long made education and staff development a priority. Many people within the organization, at all levels, have been offered opportunities to grow and take on expanded roles. There are members of the team who began as nursing assistants and became LPNs and then RNs and now work as members of nursing administration. We have Dietary leadership that began as Dietary aides and have been helped to learn and grow. The list goes on and on.
One of the most important initiatives of the last two years has been the opening of the Almar School for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA’s). Nursing assistants provide a great deal of care, especially in the nursing home, and they are in short supply in our area, our State and across the country. Opening the Almar School, thanks to a generous donation from the Almar Foundation, has enabled us to offer this training to our staff as well as to the community, giving many people a chance to begin a healthcare career. The school is set up as an “earn and learn” model so students go to school 20 hours/week and work for the Jewish Home 20 hours/week, earning full time pay while they learn and practice their skills.
In addition to this professional education opportunity, the Jewish Home also offers ESL (English as a second language) classes for our team, paying them for the hours they are in class as well. Improving language skills helps the employee, our elders and the employee’s family. We call it a win/win/win!
Another great new project to support staff is Maggie’s Grocery Store. This is a special store, open four days each month and it was made possible by a generous gift from the Kaplen Foundation. Staff who earn at a defined dollar level, or below, are invited to come to the store twice each month (one day per two-day opening). They receive a large, reusable bag and they can fill it with whatever grocery items they need to feed themselves and their families. Each month, there will be a suggested menu and recipes, with all of the ingredients available in the store. That’s an opportunity for staff to try new things and learn some new healthy recipes. The store is set up near an entrance so that using it is discreet and confidential. It’s another way to show our staff just how much we care.
We celebrate our staff often and well, with special days honoring departments and specialties every month. Both campuses have Employee of the Month programs, and we have an annual service awards party that is both meaningful and great fun. We can’t say thank you often enough, but we definitely try hard to let our team know how much we appreciate them.
If we want our people to do a great job caring for people, we have to be sure that we care for them as well. After all, as we like to say, Family is the most important word in our name.
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