We all know that communication is paramount in operating Retirement Living communities. 

With COVID-19 I am confident the communications from operators to residents have been many, but so too am I confident the communications from residents to operators have been plentiful as well.

Normally our preferred communication style is face to face, but that is not ‘socially isolating’.

We have less opportunity to walk around the village, and less likely to be able to be present to minimise rumours (which is no doubt heightened).

For complaints in the past we may have visited in person and resolved a complaint in person, or at the very least relied on visual cues and personal relationships to verify the differences between someone venting Vs a complaint/dispute to be managed.

So it is a time where written, emailed or text information prevails, but these can so often be taken the wrong way or misinterpreted; and the information to hand suggests this is the way we will be operating for some many months.

I suggest it may be beneficial to revisit how complaints and disputes can be managed.  If you're not sure where to start with a review, then perhaps using the Retirement Living Code of Conduct guidelines as a tool is a good place to start.

If you are a DCM Institute participant, we have put together some best practice guides for complaint and dispute management that will be shared during this month’s topic.

If you are not a current member and would like us to share with you some of these tools please contact Judy Martin at
judym@dcmmedia.com.au and we would be only too happy to share them with you too.