Evolving Expectations: Meet the New LTC Family

Jul 30 | Varsha Chaugai

The family dynamic in long-term care (LTC) has changed. Today's families are more informed, more involved, and more demanding—in the best way possible. They want answers. They want access. And they want assurance that their loved ones are receiving the best possible care.

This shift isn't a challenge; it's an opportunity. It's a chance for LTC homes to modernize communication, improve satisfaction, and elevate the standard of care by embracing the evolving expectations of the “new LTC family”.

Gone are the days when families were satisfied with monthly updates or returned phone calls. Today's families expect real-time access to their loved ones' health information—medications, appointments, care plans, and changes in condition. They don't want to rely on voicemails or wait for callbacks; they expect transparency and immediacy.

This growing demand can overwhelm nursing staff, leading to burnout and missed communications. Tools like Engage⁺, a family and resident portal integrated with PointClickCare, shift LTC facilities from reactive to proactive communication. Families get 24/7 access to updates, while staff reclaim valuable time (up to 4 hours per week per team member) previously spent fielding calls and emails.

Millennials and Gen Xers are increasingly the decision-makers for aging parents. These generations are digitally native, expect streamlined user experiences, and value digital self-service. They book their healthcare appointments online, track their fitness data on apps, and now expect the same seamless experience when engaging with LTC providers.

Ignoring this reality risks eroding trust. Embracing it opens the door to stronger relationships and greater family satisfaction. Engage⁺ meets this need with a simple, secure portal that doesn't require training, offers automatic onboarding, and integrates directly with PointClickCare, ensuring accuracy and ease.

The new LTC family isn't trying to micromanage care; they just want to be informed partners. When information flows easily, questions shift from “How is mom doing?” to “How can we support her dietary needs?” This collaboration improves outcomes and reduces complaints, creating a culture of partnership instead of pressure.

Facilities that provide structured, secure communication platforms like Engage+ see a measurable drop in complaints and a rise in positive feedback. That's not a coincidence—it's the result of clarity, consistency, and care.

COVID-19 permanently changed expectations around visibility and accountability in healthcare. Families who were cut off from their loved ones now expect transparency as standard. The post-pandemic LTC family wants proof, not promises.

Engage⁺ supports this trust by offering secure messaging, automated updates, and full audit trails that help LTC homes stay compliant with regulations like the 21st Century Cures Act in the U.S. and the FLTCA in Ontario. Trust isn't just about clinical care. It's about communication.

Ask yourself:

• Can families access real-time updates without calling your nurses?
• Do your staff spend more time on calls than with residents?
• Are your current tools built for today's digital-first expectations?

If the answer to any of these is “no,” it's time to re-evaluate your communication strategy. With workforce shortages and increasing demands from regulators and families, the status quo is no longer sustainable.

Modern families aren't just visitors; they're advocates, allies, and essential partners in care. Engage⁺ helps you meet their expectations while protecting your most valuable resource: your staff's time.

Let’s build a more transparent, efficient, and compassionate LTC experience together.

👉 Learn more at www.evokehealth.ca