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Challenges Faced by Care Facility Staff in Shopping Assistance

In a recent study conducted by Plus Corporation, a significant 79.8% of employees at care facilities reported encountering difficulties while providing shopping assistance to residents. This survey involved 104 employees with prior experience in shopping on behalf of residents. Notably, 30.8% reported they often face considerable challenges, while 49.0% mentioned they experience some level of difficulty.

Reasons for Hardships in Shopping Assistance

The primary challenges highlighted included:
1. Items Requested Not Available (53.0%): A common frustration where staff go shopping but cannot find the items requested by residents.
2. Lack of Time for Shopping (42.2%): Many employees struggle to fit shopping into their busy schedules.
3. Shopping Outside Working Hours (38.6%): Employees noted they sometimes have to shop beyond their allocated work hours.
4. Heavy Loads (37.3%): The sheer volume of items can make it exhausting to transport them back to the facility.
5. Complicated Receipt Management (24.1%): Handling receipts adds another layer of complexity.

These issues shed light on how shopping assistance can impact the efficiency of caregiving activities.

Interest in New Shopping Services

Moreover, an encouraging 61.6% of employees expressed interest in shopping assistance services that integrate with institutional supply purchases. Many see an advantage in utilizing the same platform for both resident shopping and facility supplies, simplifying logistics.

Most interest revolves around same-day delivery of fresh foods, with 62.5% prioritizing this service. The capability to reduce the load on staff and streamline workflows emerges as a priority not only for care efficiency but also for enhancing resident satisfaction.

Product Categories Most Requested by Residents

The survey indicated that residents frequently request certain categories of products:

• - Snacks, Nutritional Supplements, Beverages (55.8%)
• - Fresh Foods, such as Bananas, Milk, and Sweets (52.9%)

These needs reflect both the dietary preferences and immediate necessities of residents in care facilities.

Quality of Care and Time Efficiency

Approximately 69.2% of employees believe that reducing the time spent on shopping tasks could improve the quality of care provided. Many cited that they could allocate more time to direct interaction and caregiving, enhancing the overall resident experience. The study highlights that staff face multiple pressures, with shopping assistance workload representing a significant aspect of their daily responsibilities. This work dominates their schedules, reducing the time available for vital resident interactions.

To illustrate, one respondent noted, 'Having more time would allow me to develop deeper relationships with residentswhile improving their care.' This perspective emphasizes how operational efficiency can be directly linked to care quality.

Navigating Fresh Food Requests

Interestingly, 76.9% of respondents indicated that residents request fresh food items regularly. Staff identified critical obstacles, including:

• - Instant Availability (51.2%): Respondents often cannot respond quickly to fresh food requests.
• - Expiration Management (46.2%): Keeping track of freshness adds a layer of complexity to care.

Both findings underscore the need for improved systems in place to ensure both timely and adequate responses to resident needs.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The added pressures on care staff highlight the necessity for innovative solutions that simplify the shopping and delivery process. Interest in efficient service delivery, especially in responsiveness to resident needs, suggests that an overhaul in these systems could create significant benefits for care facilities.

Plus Corporation has taken steps to remedy these challenges through services like COREIL and COREIL Fresh, which aim to integrate shopping needs systematically into care operations. By facilitating easy ordering and same-day delivery of essential items, these services promise not only to lighten the workload for staff but to enhance the overall resident experience.

To learn more about COREIL or COREIL Fresh, visit Smart Kaigo.

As the demand for quality care continues to rise, addressing these operational inefficiencies will become paramount. Care facilities stand at a crossroads, and investing in better shopping assistance solutions could be the key to unlocking a higher standard of care for residents.