Leslie Newlife

Best Sunday Brunch Recipes for Senior Residents

When senior citizens are making the transition from the home that they’re used to, to a brand new living arrangement, it can be hard. The new residents will likely be scared, lost, or even depressed. There’s a lot you can do to help them feel more comfortable with the senior living facility that has been chosen for them.

You may find that some residents are more accepting than others are. Some residents may need extra patience and compassion, but they’ll start coming around. One way to focus on improving their overall experience is by serving quality food. You can help start their day off right with quality breakfast and brunch options.

Egg Variations

Eggs are amazing because there’s so much you can do with them, and they’re very inexpensive. You can make basic scrambled eggs or loaded breakfast casseroles. If you’re serving a late breakfast, you’ll likely have some more time to put effort in to make something really tasty. Breakfast casseroles are good because they feed a lot of people and they are usually filling. Some breakfast casserole options include:

  • Spinach, mushrooms, and cheese
  • Panettone French toast casserole
  • Lumberjack breakfast casserole
  • Denver egg casserole
  • Sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole

If you’re not in the mood to make a casserole, or if you just want to try something else, some other brunch options with eggs include:

  • Pimento, cheese, and ham scramble
  • Stewed peppers, tomatoes with eggs
  • Scrambled egg tacos
  • Sweet potato kale frittata
  • Mexican breakfast chilaquiles

When you use eggs in your recipes, you need to ensure you follow proper safety protocols to prevent salmonella.

Different Types of Waffles and Pancakes

Chances are, if you’re thinking about breakfast or brunch, you already have pancakes and waffles in mind. There’s nothing wrong with the classic stack of pancakes or waffles, but there’s also so much more you can do with them to mix things up a little bit. Find some quality pancake mix, or get adventurous and whip up your own. If you want to experiment with waffles and pancakes, some great ideas you can try are:

  • Belgian waffles with fresh fruit and whipped cream
  • Cinnamon sugar churro waffles
  • Pumpkin spice pancakes
  • Coconut banana yogurt waffles
  • Fried or grilled chicken waffle sliders
  • Oreo pancakes
  • Cranberry walnut pancakes
  • Captain crunch berry pancakes

If you’re cooking for residents of a senior living facility, you’ll likely need to keep things plain, but you can offer different toppings or flavored syrups to add variety.

Brunch Meats

Your brunch should also include different types of meats to add to the variety of foods you offer and to keep everyone full. Bacon is one of the most popular meats you can serve for breakfast, but you can also fry up some ham slices and/or sausages.

Quiches

Quiches work well for brunches because there are many ways you can make it. You can stuff your quiche with different veggies, meats, and cheeses to make it however you want. Some popular types of quiches you can choose to make are:

  • Turkey, bacon, and broccoli
  • Cheddar, thyme, and pancetta minis
  • Ham, tomato, and swiss
  • Red pepper
  • Cowgirl quiche with ham and onions
  • Spinach and mushroom minis
  • Caramelized onions, mushrooms, and gruyere with oat crust

When it comes to quiches, you’re able to experiment until your heart’s content to find the best flavor combinations.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. If you’re not an early riser, or if you don’t like eating early, you can choose to make a good brunch instead. Weekend brunches are a great way to get everyone together to socialize and have a good time.

How Important Are Photographs For Someone Living With Dementia

Dementia can sometimes have an impact on cognitive ability and result in difficulty recalling memories. Whilst there are many different factors to consider in order to live a happy, healthy and active life with dementia, along with everyday physical needs, mental well being should also be at the forefront of care.

Here we will discuss how photographs can provide an excellent basis for reminiscence and help to spark memories in those living with dementia, which can in turn help to improve mood and overall well being.

What is Reminiscence

Reminiscence is the act of sharing life experiences and stories from the past and can include anything from thinking about a certain time, to openly discussing and talking about it. Those living with dementia can often benefit from reminiscence based activities, as whilst they may find difficulty in recalling recent memories, it is often the case that longer term memories can be triggered. The act of sparking these memories and encouraging conversations surrounding them can be highly beneficial for boosting mood and improving mental well being.

Why Photographs

There are many different reminiscence based activities which are designed to help spark memories in those living with dementia, but one of the most effective tools is to actively ‘show’ a memory. The ability to actually see a particular time from the past is unique and ideal for evoking thoughts and memories, which may not be achieved just by conversation alone.

By using photographs, you can transport someone back to a particular time, open discussions about the photograph and what it depicts, and help to encourage conversation. Memories from a long time ago may have a lot of emotion associated with them, which is why they remain in our mind the longest. When conducting a reminiscence based activity utilizing photographs, why not select the ones which have positive memories associated with them, such as a wedding, birthday, holiday or celebration.

Along with exploring emotions with photographs, they can also be highly useful for recalling a particular point in time, place or person. Whilst it can be difficult to describe these things to someone living with dementia to aid them in memory recall, by providing a still image of the place or person, it can help to take them back and encourage conversations surrounding the image.

Activities Using Photographs

The photograph can be utilized in many different ways, from simply choosing one meaningful image such as a persons wedding day and asking gentle questions surrounding it to encourage conversation to incorporating images into activities. Below are just some excellent activities which are ideal for someone living with dementia, to aid in reminiscence, whilst utilizing photographs.

Scrapbook

A great activity utilizing photographs is to create a scrapbook together. Why not photocopy the originals so you can do this activity time and again, whilst keeping the originals intact. The act of creating the scrapbook can be interspersed with questions about each photograph which can help encourage conversation. Creating a scrapbook is an excellent engaging and creative activity which is highly suited for someone with dementia.

Memory Box

Memory boxes can be brilliant for looking back on over time and aiding with sensory exploration. Choose some objects which can go alongside the photographs such as a loved ones perfume, an item of clothing or jewelry or anything else which may have significance for your loved one. The sensory aspects alongside the photographs can greatly help to improve memory recall, as often our memories can be linked to particular sounds, smells or tastes.

Making a memory box can help to spark memories, inspire conversation and can involve both the person living with dementia and their carers and loved ones.

Magazines

Should your loved one not have any photographs, or perhaps you want to encourage conversations surrounding other images, why not use other resources such as magazines or postcards. Cutting out and showing the person living with dementia an image which may have meaning to them, such as someone doing a hobby they enjoyed, a particular place they visited on holiday or a sport can all help to spark memories, encourage conversations and boost mood.

 Timeline

Another great activity involving photographs is to create a timeline together. Gather a series of images of your loved one or family members and put together a timeline of their life. The act of seeing photographs from different times can help to spark memories.

 

There are many more activities which would be highly beneficial for someone living with dementia and can help to spark memories, conversation and improve mood. When considering which activity is most suited to your loved one, think about the things they enjoy doing and try to incorporate them. Remember when conducting a reminiscence activity not to pressure your loved one in to remembering a particular time or person, as this may cause agitation; keep questions and statements gentle and be patient, and the activity can prove highly rewarding for all.

Entertainment in Nursing Homes

Many older nursing homes are looking for new and interesting additions to attract residents to their facilities and boost morale in their current residents. Refurbishing the paint or replacing the carpet seems to only gloss over the issue. More nursing homes are offering amenities such as an in-house theatre, viewing popular movies from the resident’s past and new movies sure to tickle a funny bone. 

Adding entertainment adds an aspect of community to the facility and it becomes more than a place for them to live. Building a quiet library, craft room, sports bar, and garden are a few takes on making the residents at home. Activities are then planned around then new features giving the residents the ability to socialize. 

Does mom or dad enjoy playing cards? Some nursing homes hold game time in their larger dining rooms with roaming activities aids to help keep the games rolling. Games such as bingo lend a competitive and sometimes rewarding aspect to social time. 

Would they rather watch the game? A sports lounge with snacks and drinks can lend comfort and fun to the sports enthusiasts day. Watching the game on a larger television with other residents who are fans of their favorite teams add more smiles to their day. 

A community garden can add many different activities to the resident’s daily routine. Cultivating the plants gets those who love the outdoors out to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Garden parties, picnics, and a good old fashioned BBQ brings out those who don’t want to go outside often. 

Nursing homes with a higher functioning resident group may also include a swimming pool or optional gym. Some physical therapy groups open their equipment at certain times to allow non-skilled residents to maintain their strength and balance. 

Senior Communities or all types have found addition focusing on the social, emotional, and physical aspects of a resident’s well being has raised the general health of the residents.  Catering to the whole resident, rather than just healthcare, has to lead to more residents calling their facility “my home”.

The Unique Needs of Someone With a Respiratory Condition

Respiratory illness is the most common affliction in the world. Conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma affect millions of people and they’re especially common in the elderly. So, if you’re considering assisted living, respite care, hospice care, or any other type of senior accommodation for your loved one with chronic respiratory illness, it’s important to understand their unique needs.

First and foremost, you should know that chronic respiratory disease is treatable, but not curable. What this means is that you can take steps to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life of a respiratory patient, but you won’t be able to reverse the progression of the disease. Preventing exacerbations (flare-ups) of respiratory symptoms will be a key part of caring for your loved one. 

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Most people don’t have to worry about getting enough air when they breathe, but for someone with COPD, it’s a constant concern. COPD is characterized by inflammation in either the alveoli (tiny air sacs) in the lung or the bronchial tubes, both of which lead to a significant decrease in lung function over time. Pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the best ways to slow the progression of COPD and improve lung function.

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are overseen by a pulmonary expert and include activities like exercise training, breathing techniques, and lung education. While some components of pulmonary rehabilitation can be done at home, for the most part, you’ll be working with a professional who will ensure exercise is done safely and effectively. As a result, if you’re considering senior living options like independent living or assisted living, you first need to make sure you have access to these programs.    

Diet

A healthy diet promotes full-body wellness. But for someone with COPD, it’s not so much about a “healthy” diet as it is the “right” diet for your needs. Breathing is part of a vital process in the body called metabolism. This is when your body uses the oxygen you inhale to break down the food you eat and turn it into usable energy while releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product. Because metabolism of carbohydrates produces a lot of carbon dioxide, many dietitians will recommend a diet high in healthy fats which produce less carbon dioxide.

There are many other things to take into consideration when creating a diet plan like weight management. Many respiratory patients lose weight because the simple act of breathing can take 10 times as much energy as a person with healthy lungs and loss of appetite due to resulting mental health issues. When you choose a senior living facility, you should ensure it can meet these unique dietary needs.

Exacerbation Prevention

Last, but certainly not least, elders coping with respiratory illnesses need a program that accommodates their exacerbations. An exacerbation is a sudden worsening of respiratory symptoms such as breathlessness, coughing, or wheezing. Exacerbations can be triggered by either an infection or an environmental factor like car exhaust, pollen, or cigarette smoke.

Wherever your loved one ends up, you should make certain they are in a place that’s sanitary and has limited air pollution. Rural areas are usually best because they have better air quality and you should take steps to ensure their indoor air quality is safe as well. Avoiding acute illness like the common cold is imperative for someone with COPD because the increased congestion can trigger a severe exacerbation. What’s more, following your oxygen therapy treatment plan will help you breathe easier and put you at a lower risk of experiencing an exacerbation. 

Conclusion

Chronic respiratory disease is a reality for millions of people around the world. But taking the time to find the right living environment for your loved one will significantly reduce the burden of the disease and allow him/her to live a fulfilling life. If you have any questions about respiratory symptoms, pulmonary rehabilitation, diet, or exacerbations, be sure to consult your doctor.

3 Steps to Increase Revenue

If you are a senior care business owner or marketing director, you’ve probably realized that marketing today is a lot different than it used to be. The days of being able to increase residents – and revenue – merely by referrals from healthcare facilities, medical professionals, and community events are long gone. So, what do you do to ensure that you attract more residents and boost revenue? Well, here are the 3 steps to increase revenue for your community:

Enhance Your Image

First impressions always matter. Since prospects will be judging your book by its cover on their first encounter, it’s imperative that you package your community in an attractive way. One area you have to work on is the building. Not only does it need to be beautifully and tastefully decorated and furnished, but it also needs to have all the features and amenities that seniors really want and need. Working on your image will motivate prospects to come onboard.

Hire the Right Staff

You could have the most beautiful community in the world, but if you don’t have the kind of staff that retains customers, then it will be all for nothing. You don’t want to hire family members, friends, or just anyone who needs a job. What you needs is kind, compassionate, friendly, and hardworking staff. In other words, you need staff members that know what senior care entails. You have to be willing to train them and pay them well to keep them. Make sure they are a fit for your residents.

Stand Out from the Competition

A Forbes report reveals that in 2014, there were 30,000+ assisted living facilities in the United States. That number has obviously risen since then. This goes to show that there’s a lot of competition to consider. To stand out from the competition, you need to identify a number of things that make yours truly unique. Be creative with your service offerings, pricing, and other features that will distinguish your home from other communities around.

You can boost your revenue by making sure that you are offering something that the competition isn’t, and then marketing that unique selling point. Present a top-notch senior living facility, hire diligent staff and offer a high level of care, and ensure that prospective clients hear about it.

Top Trending Options Boost Boomer Numbers

Every day, more than 10,000 “boomers” reach the age of 65. During this time, depending on their health, many seniors and their families begin thinking about assisted living communities. Although many seniors stay in their home longer, the demographic trends indicate that assisted living communities are truly inviting because they’ve listened to their clients and satisfied their needs.

The effort to attract and keep residents is at the forefront of assisted living providers. According to the recent Senior Living Survey conducted by The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), 93% of seniors are content and satisfied with their community. These results include 68% of residents who are “very satisfied.” The Senior Living Satisfaction Survey also found 99% of residents almost unanimously feel safe in their communities.

If It’s Important to Seniors, It’s Important to Us

Senior Living Survey Results

• Location: 56% name location as the most crucial factor when choosing a property
• Local accessibility to town: 75% of 65+ residents stated the importance of being close to a town center ranked high.
• Favorable press: 37% of 65+ respondents find the idea of living in an assisted living community a real option.
• Quality of life: 94% content with their overall quality of life because they feel safe.
• Personal independence: 93% appreciate their freedom, knowing help is nearby if needed.
• Seniors like the interaction with staff: 93% like the attention and personal relationship with staff members.
• Quality of care: 90% say they’re satisfied with the care they receive.
• Staff qualifications: 87% of seniors state that those working in their community are qualified and well trained for this type of job.

The marketing options you choose are critical. US citizens born between 1946 and 1964 add up to over six million baby boomers in need of housing capable of providing generation-specific requirements.

How to Attract and Keep Seniors in Your Assisted Living Community

Today’s senior demographic has much to say regarding the amenities and services they want in assisted living communities. The facility must provide unique, well-conceived services that are technologically current and user-friendly.

Tracking the Latest Food Trends

Many assisted living communities are indulging the gourmet preferences express by their clients. Adding exquisite cuisines and chefs make choosing your community effortless. Life is always more enjoyable when the food is fantastic. Also, seniors with dietary issues requiring gluten-free or vegan menus are relieved that their health concerns matter.

Physical and Mental Wellness

The seniors of today know how important it is to stay physically active and mentally alert. Baby boomers seeking to reside in an assisted living community expect spas, fitness centers, and heart-healthy activities.

Technology and Gadgets for Seniors

Providing the best experience for your residents results in more extended stays. Residents want the feeling of being home. Providing extra goodies like webcams, medication reminders, and user-friendly computer access always makes a person feel safe and sound. Additional amenities include:

• Fitbit for sleep tracking and step monitoring
• Walk-in Tubs
• Patient monitoring systems for monitoring heart rate, respiration rate, and activity level
• Auto swing door opener
• Amplifying headphones
• Hardware, software, and access via WI-FI or other suitable connection

Social networking is one of the best, most effective tools providers can use for reaching future residents and their children. The tried and true testimonial speaks volumes when posted as part of your “story.”

Taking Care of Your Overall Health as a Senior

by: Jim Vogel

Taking control of your health isn’t always easy. There are many factors to consider, including past health history and what your needs will be in the future. As a senior, it’s important to think about what will help you feel strong and vital, and for many people that means remaining active, sticking to a healthy diet, and preventing falls to avoid injury. However, every person’s journey is different, and when thinking about your health, remember that it’s not just the physical aspects that are important. Your mental health is a crucial component in staying well as you get older.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep your body and mind in great shape. Seeing a doctor for regular checkups is a fairly easy one, but you can also make some changes to the way you cope with stress and anxiety, remain social with friends and family, take up a hobby or two, and find a healthy routine that works for you. Once you get into the habit of exercising every day or eating a specific diet, it will be easy to maintain. If you live in a senior-oriented community, this should be easy since you always have friends nearby.

Here are a few things to think about where your overall health is concerned.

Schedule Regular Exams

Seeing a doctor on a regular basis can help you stay healthy simply because you’ll be able to discuss preventative options as well as any concerns you may have, which will allow you to address them right away. If you have Medicare, be sure to schedule your annual wellness visit to talk about your cognitive health, diet and exercise routine, and potential health issues according to your age, weight, and lifestyle. These visits are crucial in preventing major health problems, and they can help you stay on top of your wellness all year long.

Focus on What You Eat

The foods we eat can play a big role in the way we feel, both physically and mentally. In fact, research has shown that there is a bond between our gut health and mental health, especially in terms of how it affects our moods. So, the more you can do to maintain microbiome — the area in your gut where good bacteria lives, which affects everything from your metabolism to the way you sleep — the better. Consider taking a probiotic, and add fermented foods like sauerkraut to your diet. Talk to the dietary coordinator in your facility’s dining room to ask about adding gut-healthy foods.

Stay Social

Remaining social is a great way for seniors to protect their mental health. From keeping up with friends and family to participating in your community’s planned events, there are many ways you can maintain an active social life and prevent depression, social anxiety, and possibly even cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s. If you’re unsure of where to start, you can talk to your doctor and community activities manager to help you get an idea of what you can do and what’s available.

Don’t Overlook the Details

Sometimes, the details are the most important elements in a given situation, and for seniors, it’s important not to overlook these small components. For some, daily tasks such as taking a shower or chopping vegetables can become hazardous before they even realize there’s an issue, so think about how you might prevent accidents and injuries. Preventing falls and other incidents by adding lighting around the house and utilizing technology can help you stay healthy and safe. If you are already in assisted or independent living, many of these details have already been taken care of for you.

Taking control of your overall wellbeing can be a bit tricky at times. However, by keeping in touch with your loved ones and making regular appointments to see your doctor, you can keep your mental and physical health in check no matter what else is going on in your life.

5 Proven Blogging Strategies to Build an Audience and Create a Brand

Image via Pexels 

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities play an incredibly important role in the world. They are home to over 1.3 million people in the USA alone and provide care to those who need it most. However, like nearly every other industry and business out there, nursing homes are changing. 

In particular, the world of nursing home marketing has changed, as well. Websites and social media are incredibly important, as they can help you reach and connect with more people than traditional methods. While there are many great tactics like SEO or email marketing, integrated digital marketing strategy has proven to be one of the best ways to build and boost your business, no matter your industry. 

With that in mind, this article is going to look at blogging strategies to help build a brand and audience for your nursing home website.

Be Consistent

One of the most important things when it comes to building an audience and creating a brand is consistency. 

Your blog needs to have a consistent voice and message in everything you post. If your topics, content, voice and tone is always different, readers may struggle to get on board. Your readers come to your blog expecting to read about a certain topic in a certain voice, so be sure to give that to them. 

In addition to being consistent with your voice and content, you also should be consistent with your posting schedule. 

You should pick a day and time where you post, so your readers know when a new blog post will be live. If you go from posting twice a week, to only once a month, your readers are likely to become confused or frustrated. Deviating here and there is okay, but do your best to remain consistent. 

Provide Relevant and Valuable Content

Of course, your blog audience and overall brand will grow if you provide and produce relevant content. Your content should show your knowledge in the nursing home industry and you should be sure to carefully select topics your readers will like. You need to be sure your content is not only original and relevant, but also provides value.

The more people get out of your content, the more willing they will be to return to your blog. Content created within your blog should be easy to understand, as well. The content you produce should also answer pressing questions your readers have and offer them actual solutions. Developing high quality and relevant content isn’t alway easy early on, but it can be the difference between a thriving blog and one that barely gets looked at. 

Know Your Audience

The importance of knowing your audience cannot be understated. The audience of your blog will heavily impact the sort of content you produce. For example, those researching nursing homes and checking out blogs will have different content needs than sports fans. Your audience should be in your mind before you create or publish any piece of content.

You should be sure to get specifics of your audience as well. Discovering who is reading your blog isn’t always easy, but it is incredibly beneficial. Bloggers should find out the age, gender, interests, lifestyles and more of their audience. All of this data and information can help you craft the perfect blog content to turn one-time readers into full-fledged members of your audience who relate to what you post. 

Encourage Social Sharing

In order to grow your brand and build an audience, you need to get more individuals invested and interested in your content. One of the best ways to spread your blog to more people is to encourage social sharing. However, in order to get the most shares from your readers, you need to make it easy. If sharing your content is confusing or takes too long, very few people will do it.

You should have social share buttons directly in your blog, and potentially even include a call-to-action as well. You can include share buttons to all platforms, but be sure to focus on the most popular social media platforms within your target market. 

You can also share your blog content in emails and social media posts, but it looks better and more authentic when others are sharing it. If someone sees their friend sharing your content or blog, it is much more likely that they will go check it out. 

Promote Conversation and Have a Community

A great way to create a brand and grow your audience with your blog is to build a community and converse with your audience. While many types of marketing are one-way, blogging is more of a two-way conversation. When someone sees a commercial or listens to an ad, they have no real option to respond. But it is easy to leave comments or critiques on blogs, opening up the floor for communication. 

By responding to your audience and engaging them, you are building a relationship with your readers. These amplified relationships can help readers and customers be more loyal and trust you and your company. 

Answering questions and responding to comments often are also great ways to build a community, which is important to the success of any website or blog. Remember, your site or blog is nothing without them, so be sure to strengthen those relationships and promote conversation. 

In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn helpful blogging strategies to build your brand and audience. 

Seniors Skyrocket as Social Media’s Exponential Audience

Marketing to the senior living market via social media puts you directly in front of approximately 40 million US citizens at any given time. There are currently millions of seniors who comprise the exponentially growing demographics online this minute; chatting, searching for products, and seeking services you have to offer. Today’s technology makes marketing to this lucrative group of individuals easier than ever. The research is complete and the numbers are in. Your senior audience is online and waiting to hear from you.

The Senior Living Market: Ready, Willing, and “Online”

The Pew Research Center is known for its extensive research and fact recording regarding social media users and usage for over 10 years. Business News Daily referred to Pew’s research to gain information about the senior demographic currently using social platforms. Their quest led them to marketing professionals where they learned how successful their campaigns were when engaging older audiences on social media.

Savvy Social Media Tips

Formulating a comprehensive social media campaign requires a strategic plan designed to achieve your overall goal. In this case, your objective is to market your senior living community. Start by reaching out to both seniors and their adult children who may be actively involved in the various social media sites, or, searching for specific information.

Seniors on Facebook

According to the marketers contacted by Business News Daily, “Facebook is the most successful platform for marketing to a senior demographic. According to Pew, 62 percent of internet users ages 65 and older use Facebook, and 72 percent of 50 to 64-year-olds use Facebook as well. Facebook continues to have the highest number of users in these age ranges.”

Every small business should be on Facebook. With more than 2.27 billion monthly users, small businesses can use Facebook in a number of ways including:

  • Promote services
  • Increase customer support
  • Boost recognition

Facebook Marketing Strategy

Facebook encourages reviews and has an on-page review system that showcases honest reviews from current employees, senior residents, and families. The public is accustomed to and impressed by reading reviews and testimonials backed up by a personal profile.

To learn more about developing successful marketing strategies on Facebook, click this link supplied by Business News Daily: Facebook: Everything You Need to Know.

LinkedIn

Seniors love being online. But according to Pew, there are fewer seniors using LinkedIn. The following demographics could be useful in marketing to the more affluent children of seniors who’re concerned with future housing and care needed for a loved one. The LinkedIn site is a great way to reach 30 to 49-year-olds rather than individuals 50-and-older.

LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

Company Pages that are complete receive double the visitors. Companies that put up monthly posts usually gain followers up to six times faster than those that don’t. For more information on setting up your LinkedIn page go to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions portal and click the blue Create a Company Page button.

Pinterest

Many seniors look forward to “sharing” their past and present experiences using Pinterest as they can connect with like-minded communities. The Pinterest platform is totally visual, so posting current, well-cropped photos of your residents and facility can make a positive and memorable impression. Visit Pinterest for a business guide for more tips.

Pinterest Marketing Strategy

According to Barbara Bannon, Author Optimizing Patient Experiences, “Search for hashtags or keywords to find popular topics based on Likes, Repins and Comments. Post your comments regarding senior living on community boards to multiply the chances of being found and followed. Fill the board with pins related to senior care and the best care of your parents. Advantages to using Pinterest include:

Power – to go viral from a single picture or story.

Audience – demographics include aging Americans and their children.

Format – Visual stimuli register 60,000 times faster, making this social media platform an effective, lead generating tool. Using keywords and hashtags enable people to locate your content repeatedly.

Your Mission

Begin your marketing journey with authentic, verifiable facts, photos, and testimonials. Make it a point to post photos as part of your “story” including current residents (with permission) and share the details of their arrival, friends, activities, and what they like about you. When possible, show residents and staff participating in your facility’s amenities, or, just relaxing in a serene environment.

How to Avoid Long-Term Care Surprises by Planning Ahead

If you or a loved one needed a nursing home next week, would you know how to pay for it? Planning for long-term care is important. However, too many people fail to talk about it with their loved ones in advance and end up without a plan when the time comes to begin making decisions about long-term care.

Anticipate All of Your Health and Care Costs

The costs of medical care seem to rise with age. For adults who are 65 and older, Medicare can provide help with those costs, but coverage can be limited. That’s why most seniors who are eligible for Medicare opt for additional Medicare Advantage coverage. Medicare Advantage plans can help offset expenses for things like eye exams and dental care. You should do your homework to figure out whether Medicare Advantage coverage could help you or your senior loved one with medical expenses down the road.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is very little Medicare coverage for long-term care. If you have certain Medicare plans, you may be covered for short stays following a hospitalization or to treat or prevent medical conditions. However, for most seniors, the average annual costs of their long-term care needs will not be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or any other health insurance. You can expect to pay up to$100,000 each year for skilled care facilities, and you should expect to cover those costs in other ways.

Start Planning for Long-Term Care Costs ASAP

If you or a senior dependent requires a lengthy stay in a long-term care facility, you could be left footing a huge bill out of your own pocket. However, if you can plan ahead for those costs, you may have many more options for covering those high long-term care bills. For one, you can research insurance plans that may help you pay for long-term care. Long-term care insurance plans tend to be expensive, but if you sign up when you are younger, your premiums have the potential to be much less than if you shop for plans when you are older.

Opening an HSA is also a good option for adults who are planning for long-term care costs ahead of time. You can begin contributing to your HSA early, but those contributions must stop when you become eligible for Medicare. You can use the money in your HSA to help with care costs even if you are enrolled in Medicare.

Of course, financial planning is not the only way you can anticipate your long-term care needs. Better health choices, such as getting more exercise, can help seniors fight off health conditions that could require a lengthy stay in a long-term care facility.

Know How to Pay for Long-Term Care Without Planning

Many times, the need for long-term care is unexpected. Although most seniors will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime, many still do not plan appropriately for it. If you did not plan ahead, but you do own a home, you may be in luck: You could use home equity to get the cash you need for care costs. There are several different options open to homeowners, from taking out a reverse mortgage to selling your property outright. If you think you will be returning to your home, or if long-term care is needed by a loved one, a reverse mortgage may be your best bet. Make sure you know the pros and cons of taking this kind of loan out on your home. Confirm that you can handle the payments or you could end up losing your home.

Another funding choice for long-term care costs is to cash out life insurance. If you have tons of coverage or multiple policies, this could be a safe bet for you. Once again, read the fine print before you make any major financial decision to pay for long-term care.

Don’t let long-term care cause you unnecessary stress or derail your retirement plans. If you can manage it, make a plan for long-term care ahead of time. If not, do your homework to figure out a financial option that will work best for you.