A Year of Advocacy: Resolutions for Better Resident Care

Group of friends celebrating the new year 2026 together with sparklers

New Year’s resolutions are usually personal. In long-term care and senior living, they can be collective…and far more impactful.

For the multidisciplinary team, the new year offers an opportunity to resolve to advocate for the issues that quietly shape resident outcomes every day. When planned in advance, monthly themes can spark collaboration, energize staff, and create meaningful touchpoints across disciplines, from nursing and pharmacy to therapy, activities, and administration.

We’re kicking off 2026 with the first in a four-part series of quarterly resolutions designed to fill the calendar with intention and inspire collaboration across care teams. Together, let’s turn awareness into action and keep resident advocacy front and center all year long.

January: Vision, Mood, and Gratitude

Vision changes can affect safety, independence, and confidence, yet can be easy to miss. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and it offers a reminder to ensure residents have annual eye exams scheduled. In addition, it’s a natural time to observe and evaluate care staff on their eye drop administration technique and provide reeducation if needed.

Shorter winter days mean less sunlight and changes in routine that can affect mood and engagement. January is a good time to stay alert for signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, which is estimated to impact up to 20% of older adults during winter months. Because some medications can also contribute to fatigue or depressed mood, a comprehensive medication regimen review by a pharmacist can help determine whether medications may be playing a role.

January also includes National Pharmacist Day, which provides an opportunity to highlight the impact pharmacists have on resident care. Pharmacist-led interventions related to medication safety, adherence, and risk reduction often occur behind the scenes, yet they meaningfully influence outcomes every day. Sharing these insights with residents, families, and care staff through Clinical Intervention reports or case examples can help make that impact visible and reinforce a collaborative tone for the year ahead.

February: Hearts, Caregivers, and Cognition

American Heart Month is a good time to rally the clinical team around matters of the heart. For instance, teams can review cardiovascular therapies or provide staff reeducation on blood pressure technique, signs and symptoms of stroke, and risks associated with anticoagulation. It also creates an opportunity to engage residents and families in conversations about the importance of medication adherence for long-term heart health.

February also includes National Caregivers Day and Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Education Week, observances that pair well. Dementia care extends well beyond memory support. It requires ongoing education, shared language, and alignment across disciplines. Short education sessions or team discussions can reinforce dementia-friendly approaches, medication considerations, and practical strategies that support both residents and caregivers. This is also a moment to recognize and thank caregivers whose consistency and compassion support safe, person-centered care every day.

March: Safety Starts with the Senses

March brings several observances focused on resident safety and proactive risk reduction. World Hearing Day highlights the role hearing plays in communication, engagement, and fall prevention. Hearing loss is often overlooked, yet it can contribute to social withdrawal, confusion, and increased risk of injury. Assessing hearing and ensuring assistive devices are functioning properly supports both resident safety and quality of life.

March also includes Patient Safety Awareness Week, creating a timely opportunity to refocus on risk reduction in areas such as falls, hypoglycemia, orthostatic hypotension, and other adverse events that can lead to resident harm or hospitalization. Partnering with the pharmacist for a falls-risk assessment, for instance, can help identify medication-related contributors to instability, dizziness, or sedation before they lead to harm.

Many commonly used therapies in older adults require dose adjustments based on kidney function. National Kidney Month reinforces the importance of having current lab values and sharing that information with the pharmacist so renal function can be incorporated into clinical reviews.

Looking Ahead

Advocacy is most effective when it is planned, visible, and reinforced over time. Using monthly observances as touchpoints for collaboration, education, and clinical review helps multidisciplinary teams shift from reactive problem-solving to more proactive resident support.

The year ahead offers continued opportunities to engage residents and care teams, deepen partnerships with pharmacists, and build systems that support safe, consistent care.

Happy New Year from all of us at Guardian Pharmacy.

Next quarter’s focus will turn to brain health, mental well-being, immunizations, and disaster preparedness.