6 Tips to Get Your Facility Holiday Ready
The holiday season can be a busy time for care facilities and their leaders. Visitors, planning special events, and ensuring everyone are healthy and safe are constants. Use these six tips to get your community holiday ready and gain a little peace of mind to enjoy this special season.
1. Increase Sanitation Stations
One of the great things about the holidays is opening up your doors to new guests eager to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. With the increase in visitors, be sure to decrease the germs they’re bringing in by placing hand sanitation stations throughout the facility, suggesting frequent hand washing, and encouraging mask usage amongst visitors.
2. Health Check
Encourage pre-holiday health screenings to ensure guests are healthy and not bringing spreadable germs or viruses such as COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), or Influenza (Flu). This reassurance can help you prepare for the holiday season with confidence and peace of mind knowing everyone interacting is feeling their best.
3. Meal Planning
Planning a special meal for the holiday celebration? Now is a good time to meet with the Dining Manager to plan special meals or celebrations. With the intricacies of food delivery and availability, planning as far in advance as possible will ensure you deliver quality holiday meals and memorable dining experiences that residents and guests will be speaking about for months to come.
4. Incorporate Outdoor Spaces
Weather permitting, use outdoor spaces for larger holiday gatherings and celebrations. Not only does this allow for residents and guests to enjoy a setting that they may not typically get to experience but it will allow you to keep everyone spread out and comfortable also curbing the spread of any virus or illnesses.
5. Give Extra Attention to Residents
While some residents will receive multiple visitors through the holidays, it may be a lonely time for others. The holiday season is a great opportunity to incorporate the surrounding community (neighbors, schools, etc.) and solicit volunteers to meet, sit, and even enjoy a meal with those residents unable to have friends or family join them. The holidays should be a joyous time for all.
6. Celebrate Leadership & Staff
Remember to take time to celebrate dedicated staff for all of their work throughout the year. Celebrating the staff can come in multiple forms. From organizing a catered meal with the Dining Team to allow staff to relax and mingle to incorporating a special thank you message from residents or guests to share with staff, these sentiments demonstrate appreciation for their hard work.
Whether you are prepping for the holiday season or just want to increase the experience residents, staff and guests receive in your community, a reliable and experienced dining and environmental services partner can provide the peace of mind you need. Visit HCSG.com/Services to learn more about how Healthcare Services Group can help make your care community a better, safer place for residents and visitors alike.