Palo Alto Commons conducts rigorous staff training on an ongoing basis. The high training standards provide our caring staff with the skills and knowledge to provide superior quality care and gracious hospitality to our residents.
- All new staff members undergo a minimum number of hours of direct, hands-on training in their respective positions, before assuming any job responsibilities.
- New employees also participate in a mandatory orientation, which covers a variety of topics related to assisted living, including: providing assistance with the activities of daily living; safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries; fall prevention; promoting resident dignity, independence, individuality, privacy, and choice; communication techniques for working with residents with hearing, visual, or cognitive impairment; common physical, psychological, social, and emotional conditions and how these conditions affect residents’ care; and many other topics
- Our licensed nurses, certified nurse aides, medication aides, and personal care attendants obtain ongoing in-service training and in-house continuing education, appropriate to their respective job responsibilities.
- All care staff members working in our dementia care program complete an additional 10+ hours of dementia-specific training annually.
- We conduct a monthly general staff meeting, offering a different in-service topic each month. Each department also holds a monthly staff meeting to discuss department-specific issues and topics.
- The experienced managers and supervisors provide ongoing supervision and hands-on training of staff on a daily basis. Direct oversight of staff allows us to offer recommendations on how to best serve our resident community.