Leslie Newlife

Senior Living Marketing: Ask Interesting Questions, Get Interesting Promotional Material (Part 1)

Senior living businesses across the country are looking for new ways to spice up their marketing campaigns to appeal to modern seniors and their adult family members. Whether you’re printing brochures, writing inbound marketing articles, or shooting promotional video the key is to engage your audience with answers to questions you know they’re asking. That said, when every facility you’re competing with is doing the same series of posts on floor plans and menus, you can show where your community shines by answering questions your audience hasn’t thought to ask yet but will love the answers to. By running your campaign like a game of Table Topics, you have a wonderful opportunity to bring out the best of your facility, staff, activities, and dynamic senior population with a few simple question-based techniques.

Display Your Sense of Adventure

A lot of seniors who join an assisted living community aren’t done being independent and adventurous, which is why you host the occasional excursion and field trip to the delight of everyone involved. Rather than simply listing an itinerary, tell a story answering the question:

“Tell us about the most adventurous excursion that happened this year.”

Do you go on boating trips, bungee jumping, or zip-line excursions? Even an exciting game of mini-golf is a worthy topic if your residents enjoyed themselves a great deal. Instead of a classic promotional description, ask your residents and staff to give their personal stories of the experiences and print them as told or separated into the best clips. Modern consumers are looking for honesty and a certain genuine quality to promotional material and will delight in hearing the personal tales of elderly adventure that they or their older relatives could enjoy if they chose to join your community.

Highlight The Community’s Favorite Amenities

Amenities, those wonderful little extras that make a retirement community so enjoyable, are among your best selling points. Of course, listing them on an itinerary is less than ideally promotional. If you really want to give future residents a chance to understand just how relaxing and fun your amenities can be, ask your current seniors!

“What’s your favorite thing to do here in the community?”

This is likely where you’re going to get the widest variety of answers because everyone likes something different about their retirement community. Some will enthusiastically describe the projects they’ve worked on in the arts and crafts room, some will be adore the opportunity to swim every day, and of course, and some will mention how much they enjoy the variety of games they can play with friends in the clubhouse. Then, of course, there will always be one or two who claim their favorite dessert as an amenity all it’s own.

The seniors in your retirement community are your best asset when it comes to marketing because they’re intimately familihttp://blog/senior-living-marketing-ask-interesting-questions-get-interesting-promotional-material-part-2ar with all the best parts of being one of your residents. But, of course, this is only the first half of our two-part article on how to get fantastic marketing material by talking to the seniors around you. For the rest, stay tuned for part two!

The Wisdom of Seniors: Preserving Family Stories for Future Generations

 

Senior and Caregiver Reviewing pictures

From earliest childhood, many of us remember sitting at the knee of a parent or grandparent hearing about their adventures and life lessons. In fact, it is often those lessons learned and the wisdom shared that strengthens families and carries them through difficult times, generation after generation. There is no better way to preserve family legacy and reinforce the bond between seniors and their children and grandchildren than spending time together talking, listening and sharing.

Even more important, what better way to make older relatives feel loved and appreciated than letting them know that their wisdom will be passed down long after they are gone. Sharing family history doesn’t just benefit the recipients of a grandparent’s wisdom. There is scientific evidence that reminiscing is also good for the seniors telling their stories.

In The Power of Telling Family Stories, experts say that for seniors, sharing family history not only “improves cognition, lessens depression, and improves behavioral functioning,” but also boosts self-esteem and lessens stress. It may also help older relatives recognize the value and importance of their lives in fresh new ways.

The best ways to ensure that family stories are shared and passed down is to permanently capture them in video, audio, or print.

Some tips to get started in recording your family history:

  • Gather, label and scrapbook family photos
  • Record simple videos or audio on your phone or other easy to use & carry equipment
  • Record favorite recipes
  • View old home movies making notes of who is included, a time frame & where it was shot

There are companies like StoryWorth and others that take a family’s written recollections and binds them into beautiful keepsakes. Other companies like Cider Spoon Stories that interview seniors and write a book based on the history. And the nonprofit Story Corps helps anyone set up interviews with loved ones – in person or through an app -that will be preserved and housed in the Library of Congress.

At the end of the day, it is vitally important for all of us to feel like our lives matter. For seniors, it is also a comfort knowing that the wisdom they’ve shared will help guide their family long after they are gone. In fact, what more in life is there than knowing your loved ones will always remember and value your life well lived. What a wonderful activity to do with the senior in your life, as you visit them in a community, or even as you care for them at home.

More Tips to Retain Your Caregivers

Cargiverhelping

You need to have caregivers that you can trust so that you can have a successful home health care, or any type of senior care business. Your caregivers need to work hard so that they keep your customers happy with their services. Longevity speaks volumes about a business!

It can be hard to find good caregivers. However, once you do find them, it is just as important to make sure that they stay. Here are some more tips to retain your best caregivers.

  • People don’t leave jobs, they leave management. For this reason, you have to make sure that you are not the problem. Go above and beyond to treat your caregivers well so that they want to stay. Be there for them during difficult times. Help them when they are down. If there is a problem with their work, discuss it right away so that they can make amends.
  • Be approachable. If you want to keep your employees, it is important that they know that they can talk to you about any problems. If not, they will fester until they boil over and your caregiver decides to quit. Whenever someone has a problem that needs to be discussed, be there for him or her. They will appreciate it.
  • Divide up some of the unwanted jobs. In the senior care field, there are good jobs and there are ones that no one really wants to do. If you are constantly giving someone the bad jobs, they won’t want to continue to work for you. Instead, if you make everyone do a shift that no one wants, it will balance out the good and the bad.
  • Always, always, always reward, recognize, and appreciate your caregivers. People want to feel appreciated. It is true that the little things really do matter and add up. Even if you can’t afford to pay much at the beginning, raises and gifts that show you care go a long way to happy employees.

When you find the right caregivers, you should do everything that you can to be a good and fair manager. Divide up the jobs that no one wants to do so one person is not stuck hating the job. Make sure that you are available if someone needs to talk. Make continuing education a priority and reward those that are learning new skills!

Your business is only as good as your employees so work hard to make them the best that they can be.

Tips On Dealing With People Who Have Dementia

Can you imagine what it’s like to not recognize your children? What if everyone was a complete stranger? On top of that, you only understand every third or fourth word spoken to you. Sadly, this is reality for many dementia patients. What can we do to help?

First, accept that this is their reality, and you can’t change it. Trying to make them remember doesn’t work, and may only add to their frustration. Avoid telling them to try to remember, or to think about it.

A person who has dementia  may believe that they are younger than they are/or have moments of living in the past. For instance, a woman may give you her maiden name, even if she hasn’t used that name for sixty years. She may mention her parents as though they are living. Do not feel the need to correct her. This will cause your loved one unnecessary grief.

When caring for someone who has dementia, always be aware of your body language. Move slowly, smile, and speak softly. This can put them at ease, ensuring they do not see you as a threat. Approach them from the front, taking care not to startle. Use hand motions while explaining what you are about to do, like pretending to take a bite when you ask if they are ready to eat.

How should you handle it if your loved one becomes upset with you, or even belligerent? After ensuring their safety, walk away, giving them time to calm down. They may just need a few moments alone. Then try again, taking a new approach. Do not aim for perfection. For instance, if they’ve put their shirt on backwards, and do not want to turn it around, it’s ok. If they don’t want to brush their hair for one day, it isn’t going to hurt them.

When caring for someone with dementia, prioritizing is a must. Their safety and happiness come first. Have patience, and let them lead when you can. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Remember that you can make their day better, and that is the goal.

There are many Alzheimer’s support groups available for help through out the country. Take advantage of all of the resources. Remeber that help is available at home, during the day or for short term stays at many Memory Care Communities.

Back to the Basics – How to Market to People in Retirement

I have spent most of my career helping, assisting, and selling to people who are between the ages of 65-100. If you are marketing or trying to market to this audience, you may have already realized that it is quite different than what you may have expected. Many people would rather market towards a younger generation, but I have marketed to all ages and have found much success in the retirement communities. Here are some helpful tips that I have learned while working.

1. Keep your message simple. This is not because people who are older are less intelligent, the truth couldn’t be further from that actually. There are two parts as to why you must keep your message simple. First we communicate differently now than most older people are used to. Just like we may not understand our younger generations music, they may not be familiar with the same words, concepts, or ideas as we are. The other reason is attention span. As we get older our attention is so divided that to give someone our full and complete attention is an honor. Use the time you have wisely and do your best to communicate clearly.

2. Find out how your target audience communicates. Not every community you market to will have the same popular means of communications. Some places may rely on the internet maybe even a local website, while others may choose not to market online. Types of popular communication could include, local newspapers or guides, homeowners associations, golf or other recreational sports/county club newsletters, recreational center billboards, or even simply direct maillings. Study your target audience in your area and find the best way to reach them so that they will listen to you.

3. Seek as many referrals as possible. I cannot stress this point enough.You can a huge advantage by allowing word of mouth to be a main source of marketing. I once was able to reach over 5,000 customers because I did a quality service for a single member of a gated senior community. Older generations grew up sticking together and relying on one another and if they find a product or service that they agree with they will share it with all of their friends. If possible give discounts, coupons, or freebies to clients who bring you referrals.

4. Money isn’t always an objection. Sometimes price is not what you need to worry about. Some of your clients have worked their entire lives and are doing quite well financially. Most of the millionaires I have met are in wheelchairs. Don’t make money seem like a deal breaker if they haven’t shown you any sign of that being an issue. Find out what your clients real objections are. It could be comfort, ease of operation, trust, physical appearance, or maybe even nothing at all. Don’t create a problem if there isn’t one and make sure to deal with any objections that come to the surface.

Reminiscence Neighborhoods: Memory Care vs. Assisted Living

Memory Lane

Memory care is a specific form of long-term assistance tailored to meet the needs of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia diagnoses.

Similar to assisted living facilities, Memory Care Communities offer a wide range of services, such as personal attendance, medication management and help with activities and facets of daily life. What makes memory neighborhoods so unique: they offer person-centered attention by skilled memory care staff!

Reminiscence Neighborhoods

Some assisted living communities and nursing homes provide care in a separate, secure wing or on Special Memory Care Units (SCU) however, other long-term care communities provide Memory Care!

This is an important distinction to make because it can affect monthly costs and determine insurance coverage. Typically, Assisted Living Facilities are a bit less expensive than dedicated Memory Care Communities, but with the presence of an SCU in regards to memory care or a long-term residence, you may begin to encounter additional co-pays or fees. Assisted Living and Memory Care are usually private pay, meaning they are not covered by health insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. You can use long term care insurance & VA money to cover the cost.

Community Features

SCU’s are pleasant and easy to navigate! By using specific colors and simple layouts, those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia afflictions are able to walk around their neighborhood more easily, increasing their sense of independence! Friendly and inviting living environments also help to minimize wandering behaviors!

A key focus of memory care helps residents struggling with memory loss by providing routine and structured activities! Nursing staff learn methods to effectively communicate and connect with Alzheimer’s individuals. If caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease, remember these safe mindful skills to use at home!

  1. Practice patience… Patiently! Remember: everyone has good days and bad days!
  2. Address your loved ones by their first name or familiar nickname when speaking with them! 
  3. Let delusions pass on by! Unless they pose an immediate threat or danger, don’t engage them and don’t argue!
  4. Speak calmly and warmly! Also, refrain from baby talk! Infantilizing someone can trigger a disagreement, as its often seen as a threat to independence and evokes the fear of losing control. 
  5. Connect through shared hobbies and passions! They say, “An elephant never forgets!” Likewise, the mind may lose event details, but often times remembers how to paint or draw! Think of ways to routinely stretch out your mental muscles! 
  6. Create a memory bag full of personal tokens tied to meaningful memories! Try using souvenirs to redirect and help your loved one to feel safe, when experiencing forgetful moments, fear or agitation. 
  7. Try music to soothe anxiety! Sit down together and make a long list of meaningful songs to engage memory! Emotion and memory are intrinsically tied to one another; relaxing music sets off a biochemical reaction, releasing hormones which calm the nervous system!  

Mindful Assistance

Both Memory Care Communities, Assisted Living Facilities, & SCUs offer residential solutions to geriatric patients who require routine and supervised care. If you need help finding memory care services for your loved ones, search online for senior care and order a free directory!

Top 3 Content Marketer Take-Aways from Twitter’s 280-Character Test Report

twitterb

In September 2017, Twitter took one small step toward a giant leap forward.The micro-blogging platform, best known for its 140 character-limit on”tweeted” messages, began testing a doubled post length of 280 characters. The update was officially launched on November 7, 2017. The content marketing industry is buzzing with both excitement and concern as this longer character-leash allows us to adventure into unknown territories.

At the update-launch, Twitter posted a test-report to its blog,allowing content marketers to glimpse at the audience response to the extended character limit. Here are the top three take-aways from this report.

Space = Freedom

The Twitter character count update intends to address what has been dubbed the “cramming issue,” for languages struggling to cram meaningful messages into 140 characters. According to Twitter,”Historically, 9% of Tweets in English hit the character limit.” Intesting, the randomly-selected accounts demonstrated only 1% cramming agains tthe extended 280 character limit. This means content marketers can take a breath, and speak more naturally with audiences, rather than fighting the character counter.

Emerging AudienceTrends

When testing began, selected tweeters stretched their wings in the new character breadth. However, this behavior was short-lived, and Twitter test reports demonstrated a quickly emerging pattern. “Only 5% ofTweets sent were longer than 140 characters and only 2% were over 190 characters.” So, while the space is available, the audience seems still inclined toward message brevity.

More Engagement

Those random-tweeters in the test group demonstrated some of the tangible benefits garnered from the extended character-limit. Twitter observed test accounts tweeted more and subsequently received higher engagement metrics (likes, retweets, @mentions) on their messages. Content marketers should watch for these potential advantages in analytical reporting.

Extended tweet length is arguably the biggest update ever to grace Twitter accounts; however, platform evolution is nothing new to the world of social media marketing. Content curators should watch carefully as audiences adjust tothe update, aligning communications and campaigns accordingly. Social listening will be imperative as new best practices develop.

Let us help you drive more people to your Twitter account by adding social links to your senior community or provider listing.

6 Group Activity Ideas for Your Senior Community

Senior Activities

Group activities are a great way for seniors to enjoy themselves and keep busy and social. Do you offer these options at your senior community:

Book and Movie Clubs

Book clubs, where everyone reads a book together and discusses it, are a great way to spend time. If your residents have difficulty reading, play an audio book for them. You can also read poetry aloud. Another option is watching an interesting movie together, then discussing it.

Game Clubs

Getting together to play games has long been a favorite of pass time of this generation! From bridge to gin rummy and dominoes, you probably have some card sharks in your midst, so be careful betting! The games can be decided based on interest, capacity and ability.

Exercise Groups

Exercise is a great group activity. Plan something that everyone can partake in. Even small things make a difference. You can do easy yoga that can be done in a seated position. Dancing is also a great exercise activity that is also fun. What about a nature walk?

Group Projects

Completing a project always bring people together, especially if it’s for a good cause.  Your group can donate items for the needy, quilt, sew of knit for someone. They can do arts and crafts or scrap booking. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, you might be surprised at the participation you get in everything from stuffing envelopes to chopping onions.

Relaxation & Socialization Time

You can also get together just to relax. Neighbors can just sit and chit-chat over drinks and good food. You can listen to music together or just meditate. Do you offer a happy hour? It might be nice for everyone.

Sporting Events

Do your residents have a favorite team or a bitter rivalry? Cheering on a favorite team or player can bring back fun memories.

For more ideas on group activities, ask your residents what they like to do. What do they miss doing? From pet therapy sessions to museum visits, there is an endless list of group activities for your residents. And the more fun everyone has, the happier they are!

Suggestions for a Creative Retirement

Copy of retirement-ahead

An unknown wise person once said, “The key to a happy retirement is to have enough money to live on, but not enough to worry about.”

Are you as terrified as I am of financial advisors who preach doom for retirees who do not have a sizeable nest egg or the means to replace 105% of their income? No one mentions that a “happy” retirement may be about much more than adequate financial resources, and that those who enjoy comfortable nest eggs, live in lavish homes, and play golf every day are not always the “happiest” retirees. The finance gurus emphasize higher earnings instead of lower spending and creative lifestyle. What if the formula for a successful retirement is not a one size fits all equation?

As cited in Retire For Less Than You Think by Fred Brock, a Harris Poll Survey concluded that “The happiness of people . . . was not necessarily linked to how much money they had made or had. Rather, happiness was more about feeling financially prepared for whatever retirement lifestyle they wanted.”Lifestyle is rarely the main topic in most writings about retirement.   In his book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, Ernie Zelinski relates some stories of unconventional retirees who found ways to survive and live the lives they always wanted to live. “Ian” left a lucrative job as a chemist at a large company to bike and camp around the globe, living on less than $10,000 a year. Robert, Barbara and their 16-year old twins live in a remote area of British Columbia in a log home. None of them have “regular” jobs.They survive on some small pensions (perhaps equal to social security) that Robert accumulated over his career. They make a little extra money pursuing things they love. These lifestyle choices may not be your cup of tea, but the point is that there are creative options for those who think outside the box.

Designing a retirement involves much more than accumulating wealth. There are questions to ask yourself about what kind of a lifestyle you aspire to when you are done with the rat race. Once these questions are answered, then it’s time to figure out how to implement the plan. Some questions to ask yourself about retirement:

  • Do I want to live in a house, apartment, condo, boat, RV, retirement community, cabin in the woods, campground, cruise ship, hostel?
  • Where do I want to live? Do I want to move to another place, or even out of the country where the cost of living may be cheaper?
  • Who are the people I most want to live near? Could I live with someone?
  • Should I split my time between places?
  • Will I have to work?  Should I work part time, start my own business, provide a service, turn a hobby into a business?
  • What hobbies and activities do I want to pursue – where is the best place to find them?
  • How will I stay healthy and fit?
  • How will I keep my mind healthy and fit?
  • What brings me peace and satisfaction? Do I need a church, mountains, the ocean?
  • Do I need material possessions? Who do I need to impress?
  • How much will it take to satisfy these desires? Do I have enough? Can I earn enough either before I retire or while I’m retired?
  • What about further down the line? Did you parents need care in their final years? Will you need assisted living or memory care? Do you have someone to care for you? Do you have long-term care insurance to pay for this care?

Retirement planning starts with deciding which lifestyle, within your budget, suits you. Once you decide on the retirement lifestyle for you, there are endless creative options to get there.

How Facebook Updates are Supporting Authentic Content

Facebook

Facebook is an ever-changing beast. The popular social platform is always reviewing user trends and feedback to create a stronger, more relevant network and news feeds. For content marketers, staying abreast of these updates and considering them within an editorial calendar can be a challenge. But many Facebook algorithm updates can benefit businesses, as the platform tends to focus on what is important to user groups. Thus, successful content after updates often reaches more relevant audiences.

At the beginning of 2017, Facebook announced the signals updates to further authenticate content presented in user news feeds. These updates were more recently followed with additional changes to continue enhancing user experience.

Here are some of the major points to consider as you tame the megalithic social media monster and craft authentic content for your brand.

Signal Information

To evaluate and rank post authenticity within user news feeds, Facebook looks at both personal and universal signals. A user’s personal signals demonstrate how close the user is to a page. Universal signals take overall post engagement into account. Facebook has added additional universal signals to assess content authenticity including engagement trends such as post-hiding.

Minimizing Low-Quality Experiences

Facebook believes its users desire an entertaining, informative experience.New Facebook updates, including the use of artificial intelligence will appraise the substance and ad content within current and new websites shared on the platform. Among other factors, this update, beginning in May 2017, will focus on reducing financially-motivated spam links containing low-quality content and aggressive or malicious advertisements.

Reducing Clickbait Headlines

Clickbait headlines are exaggerated or withholding content, designed to draw attention and lure users into clicking misleading or spammy links. In an effort to reduce this sort of content, Facebook will begin scrutinizing headlines at the post level, examining withholding or sensationalized headlines separately, and testing the effort in additional languages.

So, what do these updates mean for your business? The focus remains on the audience. Facebook wants to provide a strong user experience. As long as you are crafting genuine, relevant content for your target groups, you should not see any negative consequences from these updates. In fact, Facebook suggests that some pages could see slight referral and outbound click increases. If you remain focused on your audience and quality content, Facebook remains a strong communication tool and perhaps a friendly giant rather than a fiendish brute.

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