Loss of power. A malfunctioning phone system. A security breach in the communications portal. While these business interruptions and inconveniences may not last long, each requires thoughtful communication to impacted audiences – be it residents, family members and loved ones, staff, board members or others. In the heat of the moment, it can be challenging to step back, achieve clarity and execute with assurance that everyone has been appropriately informed. This is where having a strategic crisis communications plan comes into play.
Does my senior living community need a crisis communications plan?
Yes. Are we sure? Yes. A thoughtfully developed crisis communications plan provides senior living communities with a ready-to-go roadmap for responding to an unwelcome event. It provides a series of actionable processes and protocols that activate a chain of communication, while ensuring messaging is consistent, comprehensive and controlled.
Crisis communications plans are designed to:
- Control the flow of information, internally and externally
- Prioritize accuracy of information
- Ensure consistency of communication regardless of which team member(s) activate and implement the plan
- Help prevent the spread of misinformation
Now that we’ve talked about why, let’s discuss where to start.
Become familiar with your risks
All crises are not created equal. They range from small, isolated events with minimal impact to large-scale, prolonged incidents with life-changing outcomes. With that said, a well-built crisis communications plan will not only look at which events are most likely to occur at your senior living community, but also which stand to have the most significant impact.
With the likelihood and impact of each possible incident ranked and recorded, you can start to build foundational messaging around each and a process that can be activated when crises strike. You can then layer on situation-specific messaging when the actual crisis occurs.
Put guardrails in place
Crisis can not only pose risks to residents and staff; they can also hurt a brand’s reputation. This can be particularly challenging for senior living communities, where values like health and safety are vitally important.
One of the core elements of your community’s crisis communications plan should be a clearly defined chain of communication. Who is the spokesperson? Who should family and friends contact for additional information? Who is the central point of contact for media? What methods and mediums will be used to inform stakeholders? Ensuring you reach all key audiences with a clear message in a timely manner is key. And, the same can be said for taking steps to control the flow of information both inside and outside the organization.
Plan through a broad lens
Building a strong crisis communications plan requires looking beyond your own organization. Considering how crises impacting vendors, partners, suppliers and affiliated providers could trickle down to impact your own organization is an important part of the process.
For example, what happens if there is an outbreak of contagious illness at a nursing home in your network of brands and patients have been transferred between that facility and your assisted living community? How will you message that information – to whom, when and where? If a vendor accidentally damages the sprinkler system when delivering a large piece of equipment, (how) will you collaborate on messaging? What happens if an independent transport provider is involved in an accident with your residents on board?
While merely illustrations, incidents like these point to the need to plan for a wide range of potential crises. They also emphasize the importance of having a strategy for collaborating with outside partners, when appropriate, to deliver a cohesive message.
Review often
Reviewing the crisis communications plan falls into two main buckets – an annual review (at a minimum) to make maintenance update and reviewing the plan/protocol with new team members who may be involved in rolling it out when a crisis strikes. The latter should include staff as well as any consultants or board members who may become involved under certain circumstances.
The review process will help to ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities among those involved in the rollout, and that the plan is current. Organizations evolve, as do the scenarios they may find themselves in. The opportune time to discover there isn’t a communications plan in place for a crisis impacting the newest wing of your facility is not in the heat of the moment.
A carefully crafted crisis communications plan can rank among a senior living community’s most valuable communications assets. With foundational messaging, clearly defined communication roles/responsibilities, and a method for assessing shortfalls post-incident in place, senior living communities can maintain transparent and thoughtful communications during challenging times.
