AAHSA Quality First: Know It, Show It
Stop by the Quality First booth at the AAHSA Future of Aging Services Conference next week in Washington, D.C. There, you'll find valuable resources to help you on your Quality First journey.

Learn more about involving your staff on your Quality First initiative at the "Achieving Excellence with Quality First: It's Not Just the CEO's Job" session on Monday, March 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. The speakers will examine ways to enhance the involvement of your board and staff in your organization's ongoing quality improvement efforts.

Quality First Question of the Quarter
Answers to the Quality First Question of the Quarter enhance our work to help you along your Quality First journey. This quarter's Quality First question focuses on staff needs. Click here to share your perspective.

Visit the Quality First Blog
The Quality First blog is full of insights and ideas about putting quality first in your work. Visit aahsaqualityfirst.
wordpress.com now to join our blog community and start contributing to this important conversation today.

For more information about AAHSA Quality First, please contact Bruce Rosenthal, Vice President of AAHSA Quality First at (202) 508-9499.

Mar. 27, 2008

It's no secret. Staffing is the best proxy for quality we have in our field. That's why, an aging-services organization's employees must be committed to AAHSA Quality First and see it as a program that is helping their organization become a provider, and employer, of choice.

This Quality First newsletter features insights and ideas about enhancing your Quality First program through staff involvement.

Developing Trust with Your Employees
Quality First is an easy way to let your employees know that their work is invaluable to your organization. Use this sample letter to explain the program and its important role in achieving excellence in your organization's work.

There are many more resources available on the Quality First Web site to help your organization earn your employees' trust.
Click here to view them all.

New Glarus Home Uses Quality First as a Staff Incentive
The New Glarus Home in Monroe, Wis., uses holiday programs to highlight Quality First and encourage staff, residents and family members to have some fun together.

Their Halloween program flyer reads: "Quality relationships can be built between staff, residents & family members during this project. A resident, family member and/or staff can tag team together to do these fun projects!!" Each team worked together on Halloween themed projects. A similar project was launched for Valentine's Day. Click here to see the informational flyers for these campaigns.

The staff at the New Glarus Home in their Quality First T-shirts.

These campaigns encourage interaction between residents and staff members while teaching them about the community's Quality First initiative. According to Roger Goepfert, the organization's executive director, "we are always pursuing new ways to enhance quality on behalf of the people we serve and their families."

Find Out More About Creating a Quality Staff
The Quality First Resources section includes Human Resources information on everything from benefits and compensation to volunteer support. Here's a sampling of what you can find there:

A Human Resources Review - This resource will help you find out if your human resources policies are up-to-date.

Workforce Excellence: Effective Tools to Recruit and Retain Staff - This AAHSA publication features testimonials from aging-services human resources experts on best practices for developing and maintaining an excellent workforce in your organization.

The Importance of Good Employee Orientation - The first few days on the job have a significant impact on the employee's retention. Find out what you can do to help new employees thrive in your organization.

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback - Feedback is essential, but "feedforward" overcomes a few of the weaknesses of feedback.

Wages, Benefits and Flexibility Matter - Researchers at Connecticut College explored what incentives, including job training and health insurance, kept direct care workers on the job at several aging-services organizations. Read this report to learn about their findings.

Is Prohibiting Body Art Religious Discrimination in the Nonprofit Workplace? - This paper discusses the legal implication of dress codes.

Cultivating Emerging Leaders in Aging Services… - Leadership AAHSA offers a challenging and engaging year-long learning experience, designed to help aging services professionals accelerate their leadership development so they are better equipped to serve our field and bring this knowledge back to their sponsoring organizations. Apply today to be a part of the class of 2009.

AAHSA's Workforce Cabinet Seek Solutions to Workforce Crisis
The AAHSA Workforce Cabinet is charged with developing a plan for helping the long-term care field meet the needs of workers and residents/clients through the development of a quality long-term care workforce. The Cabinet was formed this quarter and is comprised of AAHSA members, policymakers, thought leaders, educators, researchers, workforce development staff, representatives from state government and consumer. Audrey Weiner, an AAHSA Board member and President/CEO, of the Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System in New York serves as the Cabinet's Chair.

To learn more about the cabinet, contact AAHSA's Linda Barbarotta at (202) 508-1209.