The Impact of Purposeful Engagement on Satisfaction, Falls & Staff Retention
In senior living communities, each day offers opportunities—not just for care, but for connection, meaning, and impact. When residents are engaged with purpose and staff feel empowered in meaningful roles, the results are measurable and transformative. Let’s explore how purposeful engagement influences three critical areas:
1. Boosting Customer Satisfaction Survey Scores
Evidence across multiple settings shows strong links between staff engagement and satisfaction:
● Higher staff engagement = better resident satisfaction. Studies in nursing homes across Korea, the U.S., and China found that facilities with highly engaged staff earned significantly higher resident satisfaction scores. Engaged employees were also more committed and likely to stay (Park & Jeon, 2022; Life in LTC, 2023).
● Staff happiness drives customer happiness. Across industries, happier employees lead to better customer outcomes. In senior living, a 1% increase in employee satisfaction can result in a 17% boost in resident and family satisfaction (The Australian, 2022; HIT Consultant, 2022).
2. Reducing Falls Through Purpose & Presence
Falls remain one of the most serious risks for older adults. Purposeful engagement makes a real difference:
● Evidence-based programming cuts fall rates. Communities that incorporated engagement, such as meaningful daily activities and purposeful rounding, saw up to a 19% reduction in falls alongside increased employee satisfaction (HIT Consultant, 2022; Dempsey et al., 2019).
● Engagement doesn’t always reduce falls immediately. A hospital study found high nurse engagement paired with purposeful rounds could actually reveal more fall incidents, likely due to increased reporting and awareness (Dempsey et al., 2019). The take‑away? Visibility matters, but purposeful engagement paired with targeted prevention strategies leads to safer outcomes.
3. Strengthening Staff Retention & Morale
High turnover disrupts continuity of care - and it’s expensive:
● Retention is directly tied to engagement. Annual turnover in senior living is often between 50–85%, compared to ~17% in other sectors. Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave (Qualtrics, 2024; Wikipedia, 2024).
● Every 1% increase in staff satisfaction yields major gains. That same 1% bump correlates with a 19% drop in falls and a 17% rise in resident satisfaction (HIT Consultant, 2022).
● Key drivers of engagement and retention include: clear career paths and training, recognition and empowerment, reduced admin burden, and warm, structured onboarding (Aline, 2024; McKnight’s, 2024).
What This Means for Our Communities
Purposeful Engagement = Win-Win
Communities that invest in purposeful engagement - both for residents and staff, see better survey scores, fewer falls, and lower turnover. And these improvements compound over time.
It’s Not Just Programs; It’s Culture
Embedding purposeful roles, intentional interactions, and meaningful routines into daily experience is essential. It’s not about adding events—it’s about redefining everyday life.
A Strategic, Evidence-Based Approach
To truly move the needle:
1. Measure baseline staff engagement and satisfaction.
2. Design resident routines that offer choice, contribution, and community.
3. Support staff with training, recognition, and career pathways.
4. Monitor outcomes in surveys, incident reports, and turnover.
5. Iterate based on data and feedback.
Join the Movement: Care Reimagined
At Juventus Therapy & Consulting, we partner with senior living leaders to:
-Elevate staff engagement through proven frameworks
-Design purposeful resident programming grounded in evidence
-Track key outcomes and foster continuous culture growth
📧 Email me at lorenjade@juventustherapy.com
🌐 Visit www.juventustherapy.com
Let’s build communities where engagement is the foundation for happier residents, safer environments, and empowered teams.
References
Aline. (2024). How to improve employee retention in senior living. https://alineops.com/blog/how-to-improve-employee-retention-in-senior-living
Dempsey, C., et al. (2019). The impact of nurse engagement on fall rates. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31651612
HIT Consultant. (2022). Strategies to improve employee retention in senior living. https://hitconsultant.net/2022/11/22/strategies-employee-retention-senior-living
Life in LTC. (2023). The role of employee engagement in nursing home resident satisfaction. https://lifeinltc.com
McKnight’s. (2024). Rethinking onboarding to improve caregiver engagement and retention. https://www.mcknights.com
Park, M., & Jeon, S. H. (2022). Impact of staff engagement on nursing home satisfaction. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11129-022-09253-6
Qualtrics. (2024). Employee engagement and retention. https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/employee-engagement-retention
The Australian. (2022). Happier staff bring greater profits. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-deal-magazine/happier-staff-bring-greater-profits
Wikipedia. (2024). Employee engagement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_engagement
