The Relational Approach: In Seniors' Care

Deborah Bakti

Let’s face it – Senior's Care is a complex business that provides a much-needed service to residents and families during a tough chapter in their lives. The beginning of this key relationship can be filled with anxiety, stress and worry and yet, there is a better way to bring residents, families and staff together. Staff and leadership of Senior Care Facilities need an incredible amount of support when it comes to managing residents/seniors and their family relationships. This podcast will provide a framework and open up discussions around The Relational Approach™. The Relational Approach™ System is a practical and easy-to-use framework for leaders and staff in Senior Care Homes to build stronger connections with families. It’s based on three guiding principles that focus on trust, respect, and working together as partners in care. The system also helps raise awareness of six common relational roadblocks that can cause tension. Once these roadblocks are identified, simple strategies can be used to close the gaps. This process guides staff from learning and understanding to fully integrating and transforming their relationships with families. As a result, it reduces friction, frustration, and stress, allowing teams to avoid problems before they escalate. The goal is to move away from a transactional approach and create a more relational, empathetic, and human connection between staff and families. Join host Deborah Bakti – a former executive in seniors care for 11 years, and a family member three times over, with her dad, mom, and husband all having lived as residents. She’s seen what it’s like on both sides. In each episode, we'll explore both the family and staff perspectives, shedding light on the emotions, expectations, and sometimes the disappointments that arise from the friction in these relationships. Through heartfelt conversations, personal anecdotes, and expert insights, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives that shape senior care environments. Tune in to gain valuable insights, and cultivate a better approach. Together, let's create a community where understanding thrives and where the journey of aging is met with compassion and empathy.

  1. What Fuels Creative Teams: A Relational Approach with Amy Climer

    07/08/2025

    What Fuels Creative Teams: A Relational Approach with Amy Climer

    What if creativity isn’t something a few people are born with but a skill that every team can learn and apply? In today's episode, Dr. Amy Climer invites us to rethink what it means to be creative, and how structured curiosity can transform how care teams collaborate, problem solve, and engage with their work. Drawing from her book, Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results, Amy shares practical ways leaders and staff can spark innovation without adding more to their plates. Through thoughtful stories and accessible frameworks, Amy shows how creativity thrives when trust, clarity, and curiosity come together. Whether it’s involving families in ideation or shifting a brainstorming session to be more inclusive, this episode is filled with practical tools to bring a more relational (and creative!) approach to your team culture. You’ll hear:  Why creativity is a learnable process, not just a talent The three essential elements every creative team needs How to use “How might we…?” questions to spark better solutions Why traditional brainstorming doesn’t work...and what to try insteadJoin us for a practical and energizing conversation about how care teams can build creative confidence, think more relationally, and find fresh ways forward - together. You can find the full show notes here About Amy: Dr. Amy Climer is a speaker, trainer, and coach who teaches teams how to innovate on demand. She is the author of Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results written to help leaders understand how to increase creativity in their teams. She hosts The Deliberate Creative™ podcast and she is the designer of Climer Cards, a creativity and teambuilding tool. Amy has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change. You can learn more about and connect with Amy here:  climerconsulting.comDeliberate Creative Teams Book: deliberatecreativeteams.com book listing on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WD4lMR  Climer Cards: climercards.comFacebook: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyclimer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyclimer/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/amyclimer.bsky.social X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyclimer

    31 min
  2. Residents Who Shape Culture: The Relational Approach with Rose Lamb and Lou Watson

    04/29/2025

    Residents Who Shape Culture: The Relational Approach with Rose Lamb and Lou Watson

    What if the most powerful voice in the hiring process isn’t the manager but the resident? In today’s episode, Rose Lamb and Lou Watson show us what it looks like when residents aren’t just living in a seniors’ community, they’re shaping it. As a 92-year-young resident at The Village of Taunton Mills, Lou brings wisdom, wit, and a clear voice to the hiring table - literally. Together with Rose, Senior VP at Schlegel Villages, they share how involving residents in the interview process strengthens culture, trust, and connection. This episode is a powerful reminder that when we see residents as contributors, not just recipients, we create more meaningful, human-centered care environments. From the "Wisdom of the Elder" program to the five pillars of Schlegel’s “Connect the Dots” philosophy, Rose and Lou walk us through what a relational approach really looks like in practice. You’ll hear: How involving residents in hiring decisions can strengthen culture and connectionWhat Lou looks for in a candidate (and why it’s not just about the resume)Why “value-added” is Lou’s north star when it comes to team fitHow Schlegel Villages builds their relational culture through “Connect the Dots”Why honoring grief, autonomy, and different personalities matters in resident engagementThis is a rich, honest conversation about leadership, legacy, and why wisdom belongs at the center of how we build culture in seniors’ care. You can learn more about Schlegel Villages here You can read Rose and Lou’s bio’s and access the full show notes here

    30 min

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Let’s face it – Senior's Care is a complex business that provides a much-needed service to residents and families during a tough chapter in their lives. The beginning of this key relationship can be filled with anxiety, stress and worry and yet, there is a better way to bring residents, families and staff together. Staff and leadership of Senior Care Facilities need an incredible amount of support when it comes to managing residents/seniors and their family relationships. This podcast will provide a framework and open up discussions around The Relational Approach™. The Relational Approach™ System is a practical and easy-to-use framework for leaders and staff in Senior Care Homes to build stronger connections with families. It’s based on three guiding principles that focus on trust, respect, and working together as partners in care. The system also helps raise awareness of six common relational roadblocks that can cause tension. Once these roadblocks are identified, simple strategies can be used to close the gaps. This process guides staff from learning and understanding to fully integrating and transforming their relationships with families. As a result, it reduces friction, frustration, and stress, allowing teams to avoid problems before they escalate. The goal is to move away from a transactional approach and create a more relational, empathetic, and human connection between staff and families. Join host Deborah Bakti – a former executive in seniors care for 11 years, and a family member three times over, with her dad, mom, and husband all having lived as residents. She’s seen what it’s like on both sides. In each episode, we'll explore both the family and staff perspectives, shedding light on the emotions, expectations, and sometimes the disappointments that arise from the friction in these relationships. Through heartfelt conversations, personal anecdotes, and expert insights, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives that shape senior care environments. Tune in to gain valuable insights, and cultivate a better approach. Together, let's create a community where understanding thrives and where the journey of aging is met with compassion and empathy.