Set the Course

This book contains suggestions for Administrators, Department Directors, and supervisors in the long-term care industry, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and personal care homes, on how to lead employees, how to gain their respect, and how to maintain compliance with regulations and laws. The author shares real-life examples of successes and failures to illustrate what she has learned in her twenty years of working in the industry.

Using real-life experiences and examples, this book assists those in leadership roles in long-term care communities to understand the complexities of the Human Resources function. This type of information is necessary, since most organizations do not have formal training on such important information, and when it is learned it is generally by trial and error. Set The Course: Best HR Practices for Long-Term Care Leaders provides the reader with suggestions to improve employee morale and decrease turnover in an industry known for struggling to retain qualified individuals. The author presents her reasons why long-term healthcare staff are a special group of people, and how leaders can have a positive impact on their relationships with them. The book discusses recruiting, educating, and disciplining practices, as well as providing suggestions of best practices learned over the author's twenty years as a Human Resources Professional in the long-term care industry.

Lori L. Dierolf grew up in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and moved to Lancaster County in 1987 to study Psychology at Millersville University, where she earned her degree in 1991. Lori began working in the long-term care/retirement community setting in 1997 as a Human Resources Professional. In 2016, she became the owner of Open Door Training & Development, a company that provides engaging, enthusiastic educational opportunities for those who wish to develop their HR and leadership skills. Having been touched by the lives of many special residents over the years, Lori is very passionate about supporting those whose lives have been impacted by the effects of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. She offers individual and group educational sessions for those caring for loved ones, as well as more formal training and speaking engagements for professional caregivers and other community organizations.