How can an adult family home owner keep good caregivers?
Start by understanding what makes their work hard. Ask specific questions, such as which part of the shift is hardest or what happens when they raise a concern. Listen for specifics, choose an action, explain what can and can't change, and check back. Recognize the good care they already give.
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If you want caregivers to stay, start by understanding what makes their work difficult.
Instead of only asking, “Are you happy here?” try:
“Which part of your shift is hardest to manage?”
“When you raise a concern, what happens next?”
“What support would make the biggest difference?”
Listen for specifics: an unclear support plan, an unsafe workload, pay concerns, or a concern that keeps being dismissed.
Then choose an action, explain what can and cannot change, and check back.
Recognize the thoughtful care staff already provide.
Clearer documentation can inform those conversations.
Staff also need fair treatment, adequate support, and leaders who follow through.
Divinity’s philosophy connects better understanding with better support.
Ask better questions
"Are you happy here?" is easy to answer with "yes" and hard to act on. Try questions that point to something specific:
- "Which part of your shift is hardest to manage?"
- "When you raise a concern, what happens next?"
- "What support would make the biggest difference?"
Listen for specifics
The answers are most useful when they're concrete. Listen for things like:
- a support plan that's unclear
- a workload that feels unsafe
- concerns about pay
- a concern that keeps being raised and dismissed
Each of these points to a different fix. You may not be able to solve all of them at once, but you can't solve any of them until you know which one you're dealing with.
Act, explain, and check back
Once you know what's hard, choose an action. Be honest about what can and cannot change. Then check back, so staff can see the conversation led somewhere.
And recognize the thoughtful care your staff already provide. It's easy to overlook when everyone is busy.
Where documentation fits
Clearer documentation can inform these conversations. When notes show what actually happens on a shift, it's easier to see where a support plan is unclear or where staff need more support.
But documentation is only one part of it. Staff also need fair treatment, adequate support, and leaders who follow through. No form or tool replaces those.
How Divinity approaches this
Divinity's philosophy connects better understanding with better support: understand what your staff see and do, so you can support them better.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask caregivers instead of "Are you happy here?"
Ask which part of their shift is hardest to manage, what happens when they raise a concern, and what support would make the biggest difference.
Can better documentation help keep staff?
It can inform the conversation by showing where staff need support. Staff also need fair treatment, adequate support, and leaders who follow through.
See whether Divinity fits your home
A short call, specific to your home and your staff. Or start on your own with a free trial. Prefer to look first? Watch the 90-second tour.