How Nazareth Home Strengthens Culture and Amplifies Mission-Driven Care with Nectar

Challenges

Limited Visibility Into Recognition

“We were receiving a lot of great comments from the people we serve and from leadership thanking staff. But what was missing was really the staff thanking each other. We needed a way for employees to recognize one another unprompted by leadership to really have their voices heard.”

Difficulty Connecting Large, Multi-Shift Staff

“Our facility is really large, and we have staff working across different campuses, different units, and different shifts. Weekend staff don’t always get to know the Monday-through-Friday team. People were territorial about their units, and it was hard to foster that sense of unity across the organization.”

Trust and Transparency

“In long-term care, people struggle with trust because of what they hear about our industry. We need to bust that myth. We were looking for a way to really make it transparent. Our caring community.”

Top-Down Communication Only

“We didn’t want to be in a position where all of our communication was coming from leadership. We really needed to hear from the people doing that precious work and give them a way to interact and engage with each other. That’s what matters for us.”

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Solutions

Recognition That Makes Impact Visible

“Nectar has made recognition so much more accessible. I’m not always in the building, but when I hear about someone doing something special for a resident—maybe taking extra time to style their hair before their daughter visits—I can recognize them instantly. And when others see it and like it or comment, that’s like giving them a high five too. It’s made positive reinforcement readily available.”

Fun, Easy-to-Use Platform Everyone Adopted

“At first, I was skeptical because it’s on your phone and I’m not a computer person. But Nectar is the easiest system I’ve ever used. Now everyone is on it—people are showing off their new Nazareth hoodies and t-shirts from the swag store, asking ‘how many points do I have?’ It’s become part of our culture. People are like, ‘Can we tie Nectar points to this challenge?’ It’s really fun to watch that grow.”

Meaningful Communication and Connection

“The communication tool is very important because we can share information about food trucks, flu clinics, everything—and everybody sees it. It’s so much easier than our old system. With Nectar, it just shows right up on your page. For nurses on the floor working with patients all day who aren’t on computers, Nectar is a better way to reach them. They have their phone and automatically get messages from Nectar.”

Gamifying Desired Behaviors

“Setting up challenges is so easy—tops five minutes, even with a phone call in between. We have challenges for perfect attendance, training new hires, and attending safety fairs. People get creative with their proof—sometimes they’ll take a selfie with the person they trained. The people using Nectar are asking for more points to give out because they want to recognize more colleagues.”

Mission and Values Alignment

“What I find extremely validating is that folks are talking about the same things. We have our mission and values in Nectar, and people are recognizing those values and affirming them. We can see what values are being acknowledged, which gives us targets. Maybe we all have the same definition of respect and cooperation, but perhaps we need to talk more about excellence or spirituality. It helps me know what I need to be communicating more.”

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Impact

Staff Feel Seen and Valued

“Recognition from leadership puts little stars above your head. But it means even more when everyone can see it. Before Nectar, we didn’t really recognize people’s birthdays, years of service, or daily contributions the way we do now. Now people are recognizing each other across departments—nursing to housekeeping, dietary to activities. Everybody’s happy. Everybody looks forward to Nectar and their points.”

A Business Non-Negotiable

“If we lost Nectar, I would miss the communication with all staff. I think everyone would too, because everybody’s looking at Nectar. It would have a negative effect on our team. We use it for anniversaries, birthdays, and daily recognition. People would be asking, ‘What happened?’ For leadership, we’d lose visibility into what the team is doing behind the scenes when we can’t be everywhere. We’d lose visibility into the impact each individual’s work is having.”

Proof of Culture for Recruitment

“We’re filling positions, and I think the word of mouth we have in the community that we can define and acknowledge through Nectar is making a difference. Everyone wants to know what it’s like to work where they’re going to work. Now I can give them real examples. Just having Nectar is a powerful message that says: I want to hear from you, engagement is key to our culture, and we value our team.”

Breaking Down Silos and Building Unity

“I’ve noticed a lot more people pitching in and helping instead of being territorial about their units. When you see recognition for another unit, you realize it’s not as bad as you thought. People will just jump in and help now. We had nurses, environmental services, and others all jumping in to help serve dinner when the food service department was struggling, and seeing them thank each other on Nectar with cartoons and memes was wonderful.”

Tangible Rewards That Matter

“I cashed in my Nectar points for a gift card to take to Maryland to see my granddaughter. She loves prime rib! Other staff use their points for stocking stuffers during the holidays. One team member used points to buy a calculator for college. These rewards are real and meaningful—they help our staff financially while showing we appreciate them.”

Strengthened Sense of Belonging

“The shout outs have brought me a sense of belonging by knowing that I’m actually making a difference. Sometimes I forget that I’m useful, and then hearing a shout out or seeing that someone noticed makes me feel happy. It just makes me feel honored. When you’re recognized, it gives you that little bit extra to want to be here and do great work.”

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About Nazareth Home

Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Nazareth Home is a nonprofit senior care community in Louisville, Kentucky, dedicated to providing compassionate, person-centered care for older adults. The organization offers a full continuum of services, including personal care, long-term skilled nursing, memory care, rehabilitation, and home-based support for residents and their families.

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Industry: Health Care - Senior Care

Company Size: 300+

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