John Thompson, our FSD at Four Seasons Retirement Community in Columbus, Indiana, has been meeting with his residents every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 for an activity that he calls "John's Corner". It's an open invitiation to all residents who want to join him for an informal discussion about the dining program and just about anything else they want to share. The forum is very casual and participation is always high. Why would you schedule an open meeting each week with your residents? Well, those questions and more are answered below in an interview with John.How did the idea for Fireside Chats (a.k.a. John's Corner) originate?
We were trying to find a way to improve our overall communication with the residents in order to obtain more direct and immediate feedback. We also wanted to give them an outlet other than just a comment card, a monthly council meeting or a food committee. So, we figured that this format would be a great way engage the resident's in a discussion, show off our culinary talent with samples of new recipe ideas and to discuss the various upcoming promotions we have scheduled on our calendar.
What did you think the outcome of this type of meeting would be?
I thought it would be a great "get to know you kind of meeting". We tailored it to be a communication tool for us to talk "with" the residents. It's a dialog, instead of the monolog that we tend to have at a typical meeting.
Describe the first scheduled day of John's Corner.
I facilitated the meeting so that we could be productive and solution-oriented. About 25 residents attended and they shared their concerns, as well as positive feedback. However, we set the tone for all future meetings by making it fun and interactive.
How have the meetings evolved since the first one?
They have become much more informal and interesting. I don't facilitate all of the meetings now because my managers, supervisors, Chef, and dietitian have all become involved on different occasions. Our RD will discuss nutrition or wellness topics, the Chef may talk about his favorite ways of cooking something or we just have an open forum. We still have an average of about 25 various residents that come each week and the focus of the discussion has been significantly expanded upon. The rapport we have established throughout the community has been incredible. Recommendations for menu items flow freely and we are able to address concerns long before a resident council or food committee would be meeting. It's a great time for all who are involved!
I think that some managers may hesitate to implement this type of meeting due to a concern that it would only attract complaints and take a lot of time. Name some of the positive outcomes around these types of meetings.
Well, first of all, when residents complain, they're giving you a second chance. So use it! My belief is that resident satisfaction increases when the residents feel they have a voice and that someone is listening and responding to them. In this forum, we have truly gotten to know the residents. What we are doing simply cannot be duplicated by walking around the dining room during a meal service. It's much more personal and intimate. We have learned what they truly like, what they don't like, where they have been in their lives and what they have experienced. Through this process we have learned to see each others point of view because we share a connection. It's all about relationships! It's only 30 minutes a week and you can involve everyone on your team. Control the meeting, make it fun and light and always have a light refreshment, a taste of a new menu item and a plan to talk about all the new and exciting things you are doing. It has been a very enriching experience for me and my team.
If there was one thing that you could say to the skeptics out there that don't want to try this in their communities, what would it be?
In my account, these informal sessions are something that everyone - including my team - looks forward to. It is an entirely different focus than what we achieve with our "Rounding" program. With rounding, we are focused on what has already happened. On Thursday afternoons, we don't really talk about the past. Instead, our conversations tend to focus on what's going to happen next and we get those ideas by listening and responding to our residents.