Making Nursing Home Visits Meaningful
Jennifer Campbell
It’s something we all know: “Everyone is your client”, but in reality we tend to forget and not act accordingly.
I have recently been asked to help a few friends and relatives in finding care for their family. Needless to say, I’m going to lean towards my clients, as they support me, but there are times that I don’t have a client that fits the needs of a referral, so then I start looking. I have a hard time referring a friend to a senior community or provider that:
- Can’t keep the same person in a position for more than a year – If your company has a revolving door, it speaks volumes to those that do business with you. Do your best to treat your employees well, do good business so no one is embarrassed to work for you, and hire the right people, not just a body to fill a position. It will save you a lot of heartache and money in the long run.
- Gets sent to collections for payment – This might be out of your control, but keep an eye on the accounting side of things if you can, even just asking your reps if the account is in good standing. You might be surprised. I recently visited a nursing home for a network meeting and I had a hard time keeping a straight face as the marketing director was telling us all about how fantastic not only her community is, but the parent company as well was caring and supportive. When I knew that they were in the ditch on payments & being pursued by our collection agency. Who else do you owe? And if you can’t afford to sign up for something, don’t. It will just cause issues down the road. This sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised…
- Doesn’t stick to their word or has been flat out RUDE – It is one thing to be busy and forget things, but if you tell someone that you will contact them, follow through! Save yourself and your vendors’ time and energy by calling or replying back in a timely manner. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth of your competitor of you are nice in person at a meeting, but you never take or return their calls or emails. I’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth! As well, treat sales people as you want to be treated when you are making a sales call (I have to remind myself of this one too). Remember that they probably have seniors in their lives as well.
- Doesn’t answer the phone, or has someone answering the phone that has no clue – I would never place a loved one in a community if I can’t get an answer when I call, or the person answering the phone doesn’t know who works there, how to transfer a call, or when I should call back. Of course emergencies happen, but if the same things happen repeatedly, that business is out of the running.
These points don’t even get into checking inspections, ratings, websites, etc… The senior living industry is catching up with good websites and social media. Don’t think that you won’t be completely researched online before a potential client calls or visits. Don’t look at just your site & social pages. Check out all sites where your business is listed. Remember the Rule of Seven
I hope these reminders help us all get back to the right mindset of treating all of those around us like potential clients. Good luck!
Assisted Living – Do you know all of your options?
A good friend recently asked me to help them find assisted living for her husband’s grandmother.
First, I had to call her and get the whole story. Had something happened? Why did she need assisted living? What was the time frame? After learning that she had fallen, was coming out of rehab. (where Assisted Living was suggested), she is partially blind, needs some help with her activities of daily living (ADLs) and it wasn’t safe for her to go back to her house to live alone, I started explaining her many assisted living options.
When most people picture assisted living, they picture a large stand-alone community. This is definitely an option. Most of these communities are very nice and offer many amenities and services. If your loved one likes nice hotels, socializing,and eating out, this is a wonderful option! Most communities have a basic monthly rent/fee for room & board and basic services, then they charge for additional care services as needed. You can check deficiencies for these communities by asking to review their last inspection or visiting the state licensing site.
Another option for assisted living is a residential care home, sometimes known as a personal care home, board & care, adult family home, etc. These homes offer assisted living services in a residential home, thus usually a smaller caregiver to resident ratio in a smaller setting. If your loved one is most happy at home, doesn’t like or respond well to lots of stimulation and people, or needs more attention, this might be a good option. Some of these homes are licensed and some are not. Check into the licensing in your state and the local Better Business Bureau to make sure that any homes you consider are in good standing.
On a personal note, after my grandmother fell and broke her hip, I suggested we move her to a very nice assisted living community, as I wanted “the best” for her. She did not do well at the community. She did not want to go to the dining room to eat, nor did she want to do any activities, so she ended up being alone in her room all of the time. After seeing a major decline in her, my mothers’ siblings decided to move her to a home close to my Uncle, where they brought her out of her rooms to eat, socialize and do some exercise. She did much better in the home with a smaller environment and more one on one attention, but everyone is different!
Now back to the original story – If my friend had not told me that their grandma couldn’t go home due to the condition of the home, I would have included home care as an option. Aids can come into the home (apartment, independent living community, etc.) and offer everything from help with ADLs, to cooking, cleaning, transportation and even just companionship.
Assisted living is private pay, so the individual pays; not Medicare, Medicaid or health insurance. Most residents use social security, VA, and even long term care insurance to help cover the cost, which normally ranges from $3000 – $5000/mo. Home care is charged on an hourly basis and ranges as well with discounts as you use more hours.
So you see, there are many options when it comes to choosing assisted living for your loved one. Consider them all. What is best financially and support wise for your family? If you don’t need care all the time, is home care or an adult day care an option? Find a community and a care home and visit both. Where do you feel more comfortable? Then do your homework to make the best decision for your family.
February Wrap Up – Guides published, New Virtual Tour & Client Websites
February is a short but busy month at New LifeStyles.
We published updates to the following senior living and care guides:
We shot & posted a new virtual tour for client Ledgestone Senior Living in the Austin, TX. Click to check it out. Let us know if you need a virtual tour of your senior community. They are very affordable and we can do it at any time.
Our client site division is always building and updating sites for senior communities and services. Watch for announcements on those & let us know if your site needs a make over.
Check back next week for a run down of what is coming in March, including the launch of our new site!
Here’s to a productive week/end of the month/start of a new month!
Online Update -Traffic & New Site Annoucement
After the normal holiday lull, traffic at NewLifeStyles.com is back on the rise!
January is always a strong month for us and we hope the same for you.
>45,000 sessions (up 29% month/month)
Organic sessions up 30% m/m (>72% of total traffic)
Links Up >50% m/m
Email Forms to Advertisers Up 72% m/m
Brochure views up 22% m/m
Almost 1400 digital guides – up 48% m/m
Mobile Traffic up 27% m/m
Orders, registrations & logins all up!
We are seeing similar results in our paid placements & hope you are too!
If you need to increase your branding, views, traffic & leads, make sure you make the most of your online listing with us thru tours, brochures, photo galleries and more!
Exciting News: We will be launching a new, faster, more SEO friendly website next month. The new site will include a couple changes, including a gateway for users to access information on our site, which should increase leads to our advertisers. Check back this time next month for an update on the launch date of our new site!