INTEGRACARE CORPORATION
People Category
IntegraCare Corporation manages Assisted and Independent Living Communities, four offer Alzheimer’s care, in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Staff turnover is a major obstacle in their business - industry averages range between 70% and 120%. The community they have managed the longest had a turnover rate of 66% in 2007, better than industry standards. Providing personal care services to seniors is physically and mentally challenging, especially for their employees who work in the Alzheimer’s care programs. Their line staff must be kind, caring and patient in order to provide care to the residents. The challenge IntegraCare faces is not necessarily in the job itself, but in getting employees to the door because of the myths associated with working at a personal care home.
To support the mission of seeking to improve the quality of lives for their employees and residents, they have initiated several formal employee programs in the past year. To help attract quality employees, they have several reward programs including a referral program (for employees and vendors). They also developed a Recruitment Resources Guide to assist managers in attracting and evaluating applicants as well as a recruitment video and brochure to assist with attracting employees. The most notable of these programs is the on-boarding program known as “Personal Touch for Employees.” As part of the program, new employees are greeted by their Mentor, a member of the management team, not their direct supervisor, who shows them the basics like how to purchase lunch, where the time clock is located, and ensures that they receive a uniform. The Mentor continues to touch base until the employee is feeling comfortable. Managers document the contact on a tracking form and utilize the information to improve our retention techniques.
As suggested by a staff member, they developed the Above & Beyond the Call of Duty program (ABCD). This isn’t an employee of the month program. Instead, it gives all employees a chance to be recognized for individual contributions when they display behaviors that the company values including integrity, enthusiasm, reliability, generosity and flexibility. Other initiatives aimed to reward and retain employees include the Fun Committee, Recruitment and Retention Committee, workplace safety contests, holiday parties, recognizing service at milestones, and a confidential care line for all staff to voice concerns.
Annually, they review the benefits offered and have at least one improvement to offer each year. For example, in 2005, they began to give all employees their birthday off paid and in 2008, they put an Employee Assistance Program in place that employees can use from day one on the job. Through satisfaction surveys, it is apparent that the line staff appreciate the programs that have been put into place
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