So, your senior living community is buzzing with residents, and you’re thinking, “Why would I pay for referral services now?” Believe it or not, there are some real perks to keeping those services in your budget, even when your community is packed to the brim!

Boost Your Community’s Street Cred

Partnering with reputable referral services can make your community look like the hottest spot in town. It’s like having a celebrity endorsement — everyone wants to be where the cool kids are. Trust us, when people see that a solid referral service backs you, they’ll be lining up to move in.

Always Be Ready for Change

Even with full occupancy, life happens! Referral services can keep the pipeline flowing, ensuring you fill those empty spots quickly or even build out a waitlist for your community. Think of it as your “just-in-case” plan — helping you and your team stay ahead of the unexpected.

More Time for the Fun 

Running a community is a juggling act; managing admissions can sometimes feel overwhelming. By letting a referral service handle the heavy lifting, your team can focus on what matters — ensuring residents are happy and enjoy their time in your community! When you and your team have more time for things like planning activities, that can lead to happier residents, and happier residents are the ultimate goal! 

Stay in the Loop

Referral services are plugged into the latest trends and insights about what seniors want. They can help you stay ahead of the trends and your competition. They can help provide industry insights — like knowing that most seniors prefer pickleball to shuffleboard! This knowledge helps keep your community fresh and appealing to care seekers.

Even if your community is bursting at the seams, investing in referral services can be a game-changer. They add real value from finding the right residents to boosting your community’s reputation. And who doesn’t want a little extra help? After all, a full house is great, but a thriving community? Now that’s priceless!

So, you got the green light to attend a senior living conference — now what? 

After attending many state and local conferences as both an attendee and a vendor, I’ve put together key areas to help you plan your trip for maximum success. Whether it’s engaging with vendors, learning from industry experts, or networking with peers, these strategies will ensure you leave the conference with valuable connections and information benefiting both you and your team.

1. Meeting with 3rd-Party Providers

• Research in Advance: Identify key third-party providers and schedule meetings before the event. Are the people and providers you want to meet with attending? Don't hesitate to reach out before the conference to schedule a time to chat with them while you're there.

• Prepare Talking Points: Focus on what you need — partnership opportunities, product demos, or specific solutions. Conferences can have very packed schedules so planning your conversation points can help you maximize your time.

• Follow-Up Strategy: Collect contact information and plan post-conference follow-ups to keep conversations going. Emails to connections you made at the conference can help keep conversations flowing.

2. Selecting Speakers to Listen To

• Review the Agenda: Prioritize speakers that align with your growth goals and interests in the senior living industry. Most conferences post their agendas beforehand, so you can pre-plan which events to attend while you’re there.

• Balance Learning and Networking: Attend several critical sessions each day to stay informed without overloading your schedule. You'll want to save time each day to walk around and chat with other attendees.

3. Engage With The Conference:

• Use Social Media: Make sure you share your experience on social media. Many conferences have their own hashtag so you can engage in conversations online with other conference attendees and expand the reach of your participation.

• Take Pictures: Have you and your team take pictures while you're at the conference to share online during and afterward. This can help you continue conversations and reinforce connections online with conference attendees you met in person.

4. Time with Your Team

• Coordinate in Advance: Assign goals and tasks to your team to cover more ground at the conference. 

• Check-ins vs. Independent Networking: Plan brief daily check-ins with your team while encouraging independent exploration. Make sure you have a way to communicate with each other during the conference.

5. Networking with Assisted Living Companies

• Targeted Networking: Attend relevant industry events and be open to impromptu networking during breaks. If there are attendees you want to chat with at the conference, email them ahead of time and schedule a meet up. 

• Elevator Pitch: Have a concise, effective introduction ready.

• Follow-Up: After the event, send personalized follow-ups to the people you met.

6. Gathering Merchandise and Gifts

• Vendor Swag: Make time to visit vendor booths and collect merchandise. These items make excellent giveaways for your frontline staff or residents, helping them feel involved and appreciated after your return.

7. Gathering Information for Non-Attending Team Members

• Ask for Input: Before attending, ask non-attending team members what they would like to learn more about within the senior living industry.

• Get Relevant Information: Be sure to gather notes, resources, or contacts that will provide answers to their questions or help them grow.

These conferences are a valuable opportunity for learning, networking, and strengthening relationships with both industry peers and your team. By planning ahead, engaging with the right vendors, gathering useful information for your colleagues, and bringing back thoughtful giveaways for your staff, you’ll make the most of your time and ensure the conference has a lasting impact.

In today’s fast-evolving senior living landscape, staying connected with families and maintaining a strong digital presence is critical for communities of all sizes. Optimized Senior Living, a small but growing chain, recognized this need early on. They turned to Caring for support to achieve their goals of attracting new residents and enhancing their online visibility.

"One of my main goals was to build a better relationship with Caring because everyone spoke highly of the quality referrals they provide," said Ashley Snyder, regional marketing director at Optimized Senior Living. "We wanted to strengthen our digital presence and get connected with care seekers who needed the quality care we offer."

Partnering with Caring enabled Snyder and her team to develop a robust online profile that showcased each of their communities' strengths — quality care, happy residents, and the benefits of their small, close-knit environment. Caring also provided access to key digital marketing tools and resources that helped streamline their sales process.

"The referrals you send are always high-quality, and when we have questions, we get a quick response," Snyder added. "That kind of support is crucial because we want to ensure we provide the best care, and Caring helps us do that."

Through their partnership with Caring, Optimized Senior Living has achieved their goal of reaching more seniors in need of care and expanding their presence in the local market. Thanks to the high-quality referrals and ongoing support from Caring, they are now preparing to open a new community.

"I’ve been the primary person working with Caring since I joined, and every time I have a question, the team is incredibly responsive," Snyder said. "Everything feels tailored to our needs, and we really appreciate that."