Change Management in LTC

In this episode of the LTC Heroes podcast, Annette Greely, President and CEO at Jones-Harrison Residence, shares her experience of improving LTC facilities through effective change management.

She says that although some LTC facilities look good on paper, you need to enter those facilities with “eyes wide open,” taking an honest look at what needs to be improved. She shares how she addresses change with leaders that are stuck in their ways by finding a balance between pushing them in the right direction and respecting where they’re at.

Improving Culture at LTC Facilities

Annette describes the importance of involving all parties affected by the change from the beginning and supporting them to stay accountable so that the changes can last.

She notes that cultural change happens when there’s buy-in from management, and even more importantly, when lower-level staff truly understand the “why” of making certain culture changes.

Annette also shares why change management leaders need to be transparent with their decisions so that all organization members understand why the changes are necessary. She closes the episode by discussing how having flexibility as a leader leads to more effective outcomes for those you are leading.

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Rapid Fire Q/A:

What kind of valuable and actionable advice do you expect we’ll cover in today’s episode?
Annette: I think what we’re going to talk about is change management. I don’t think we ever really use the language in our industry, but that is an essence of what we are doing when we’re always managing and looking at system changes.

What is one lesser-known resource, book, or newsletter that you go to when you want to be up to date on LTC info?
Annette: I really read everything. And I think that’s the way to do it. I like reading things, even outside of our industry, that might be talking about our industry to give us a different perspective.

Who is one mentor who has influenced the way that you do care in our industry?
Annette: I don’t really pick just one person. I feel like people come and go through our careers and I pick the best parts of multiple people. 

If you were going to start over in LTC with the knowledge you have today, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Annette: Don’t be afraid to make decisions that people might not like. Because if you’re going to be a leader, you’re going to be in that position, you’re going to make decisions people don’t like and families don’t like and as long as you’re doing it for the right reason, hold your ground.

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