Dec 06, 2024
How In-Home Care Can Support Families Exploring Senior Living OptionsMore than we’ve ever seen before, families are asking for information on both in-home care and senior living. Families want to know all their resources and options. What does a home care salesperson need to know when a family is exploring both in-home care and senior living for their loved one?
The key is demonstrating how in-home care can complement living in a community, or act as a transitional solution between where they are now and their future community. Here's how to approach it:
Listen actively: Understand why the family is choosing assisted living. Is it due to concerns about 24/7 care, socialization, or specific medical needs?
Affirm their considerations: Acknowledge that assisted living can provide those solutions but express how in-home care could address their concerns in the short-term or as additional support while living in the community.
Personalized Care: Emphasize that in-home care offers one-on-one attention and is tailored specifically to the client’s unique needs.
Cost Flexibility: In-home care often allows for more flexible pricing depending on the level of care required, potentially saving money in the short term.
Trial Period: Present in-home care as a way to "test the waters" before making a more permanent decision.
Complement to Assisted Living: Offer in-home care as a supplemental service while they explore assisted living options. This could involve having a caregiver to provide extra help even if they eventually move to an assisted living facility.
Socialization: If the family is concerned about isolation at home, discuss how caregivers can provide companionship and facilitate social activities by coordinating outings, virtual meetings, or community engagement.
24/7 Availability: If 24/7 care is a concern, present in-home care's ability to provide round-the-clock services.
Provide testimonials or success stories from families who chose in-home care, highlighting the success of those cases in maintaining a high quality of life at home.
If the family still decides on assisted living, ask them where they are going, so you can discuss the positive experiences or current residents you serve at this location. Let them know how you can help with the transition phase and any other resources they might need to know about like new DME equipment. Being a helpful resource strengthens your credibility and maintains the relationship for future potential in-home care needs.
By emphasizing the advantages of in-home care while respecting the family's desire for assisted living, you can create a flexible, consultative relationship that positions you as a partner in their senior care decision-making
Nov 15, 2024
Creating a Personalized Tour ExperiencePersonalizing the tour experience is crucial for having successful tours and generating move-ins. Start by understanding the potential resident’s preferences and needs. Ask questions beforehand to tailor the tour, focusing on areas of interest such as amenities and activities. A customized itinerary based on the visitor’s needs and interests can help them better visualize their life in your community.
Connecting with care seekers and their loved ones while showcasing your community’s unique features makes a successful tour. Greet potential residents warmly. Show genuine interest by actively listening to their needs and concerns, and build trust by sharing personal stories of other residents.
Introduce the potential resident to key staff or other residents, showcasing the community and its culture. Highlight unique amenities like wellness centers or specialized programs, illustrating how the community can meet their needs. Use brochures, videos, or virtual tours to provide an overview of what the community offers that the prospective resident can refer back to when making decisions.
Proactively addressing concerns and maintaining communication after the tour are key steps in the conversion process. A couple of ways your team can implement this include:
Proactive Questions: Anticipate common concerns and provide clear, honest information.
Transparent Information: Offer straightforward details about pricing, contracts, and services.
Problem-Solving: Present solutions to specific objections like flexible payment plans or trial stays.
Immediate Follow-Up: Send a thank you note or email within 24 hours.
Personalized Contact: Maintain engagement with personalized information and regular check-ins.
By implementing these strategies, senior living communities can create a more engaging and reassuring tour experience, increasing the likelihood of converting tours into move-ins.
Nov 01, 2024
Fall Prevention, It's a Part of SalesA senior living community sales director can play an important role in fall prevention by using their leadership position and communication skills to drive awareness and collaboration among staff, residents, and families. Here are ways they can contribute:
Highlighting Safety Features: During tours and meetings, emphasize the community’s safety measures, such as handrails, non-slip flooring, and well-lit areas, as key selling points.
Fall Prevention Programs: Introduce families and prospective residents to the community's fall prevention program(s). Spend time explaining the community's proactive approach, which can build trust and confidence.
Providing Informational Materials: Share brochures or newsletters on fall prevention strategies that showcase the community’s commitment to residents' safety.
Working with Care Staff: Partner with care teams to ensure they know a resident’s specific fall risks and encourage cross-department communication to address potential hazards promptly.
Involving the Activities Team: Work closely with the activities director to promote balance and strength-building exercises in residents' daily routines.
Partnering with Maintenance: Regularly review the condition of physical spaces, such as stairways, ramps, and flooring, and advocate for quick repairs or upgrades to remove potential fall hazards.
Work with Dining: ensuring that dining areas are safe, accessible, and supportive of residents' mobility needs. This can include collaborating to arrange furniture in a way that minimizes trip hazards, ensuring adequate lighting, and promoting proper hydration and nutrition to support muscle strength and balance. Additionally, dining staff can be trained to assist residents who may need help standing, walking, or using mobility aids,
Host Educational Workshops: Organize fall prevention seminars with healthcare professionals to educate staff, residents, and families on best practices for reducing fall risks.
Incorporating into Marketing Materials: Promote fall prevention workshops or programs in external marketing efforts to position the community as a proactive and safety-focused environment.
Family Communication: Send out regular communications to families about the importance of fall prevention and how they can contribute, such as encouraging proper footwear or promoting in-room safety for loved ones. Does your community have great fall stats to share via social media and your newsletter? Highlight those statistics — and the people in the community who help support those amazing fall stats.
Resident Feedback: Encourage residents to share their mobility concerns and falls. Their feedback can drive changes in both the physical environment and care practices.
Fitness Classes: Advocate for more fall-prevention-oriented fitness programs, such as tai chi or yoga, which improve balance and strength.
Activity Boxes: Incorporate balance-focused activities into your ‘activity tour boxes’ to promote fall prevention even during unscheduled tours.
By integrating these practices, a sales director can demonstrate leadership in safety while enhancing the community's overall appeal to families and residents. Reducing falls can significantly improve residents' well-being and help support a high-census community.
Oct 21, 2024
Get to Know the New Partner PortalWe are excited to share with you our new Partner Portal. We have spent time researching the best ways we can support seniors and our partners and are making shifts to serve our partners better. This new Portal is designed to give you access to more capabilities and the ability to make more changes. You will see some new changes but don’t worry, you will have access to your favorite Portal features, like reviews.
We have compiled videos walking you through how to use some of the new features, and where you can find some of the features you already use. We have also included answers to some questions you may have.
What features need to be moderated?
Currently, promotions, photos, descriptions, unique features, and frequently asked questions are moderated. These changes will take some time to appear on your profile after submitting the request via the Portal.
How to update users?
Please email partnersuccess@caring.com to add, update, or remove user access.
If you have any additional questions or need help accessing the new Portal, email partnersuccess@caring.com. If you have any review-related questions, please email reviews@caring.com.
**Update October 21, 2024
Oct 18, 2024
Unlocking the Hidden Value of Your Community's Transportation DirectorAs we enter a season when turnover seems to increase in many key roles within our communities, one position that often flies under the radar is the Community Transportation Director – yes, the driver. While every role within a senior living community is important, the driver holds unique value for both community culture and external marketing, yet remains one of the most underutilized resources. They are true Occupancy Drivers.
Consider this: No other role spends as much consistent, direct time with residents. A resident who goes to medical appointments twice a week and takes a weekly shopping trip could easily spend over three hours with their driver each week. That’s three hours of relationship-building, learning about residents' needs, and generating excitement about the community. Ensuring regular communication with your driver, whether through weekly meetings or inviting them to staff meetings, is essential for fostering a thriving community culture and promoting growth.
Drivers should be well-informed about the community’s activities, new residents, and special events like birthday parties. Directors can also gain valuable insights by riding along with drivers, observing the community’s pulse firsthand: who’s happy, who might need more support, and who may be experiencing changes in care needs. Drivers are often the first to notice subtle shifts, such as a resident’s mood following a doctor’s appointment or a change in their health status.
What’s the culture of your transportation services? Is it engaging, safe, and personalized? Offering a concierge-like experience can elevate the community’s reputation. Fun activities like Carpool Karaoke or Car Bingo can bring joy to both residents and staff, and outings — even simple ones like a trip to Sonic for Memory Care residents — make a meaningful difference in residents' lives.
Beyond internal benefits, drivers are one of the community’s best external marketing assets. With community sales directors increasingly tied to on-site responsibilities (hopefully due to an influx of tours from referral partners like Caring), drivers frequently visit key medical and referral sources. Equipping drivers with business cards, ensuring they have strong connections with front office staff at medical facilities, and training them to gather necessary paperwork can help foster valuable relationships. The extra care shown by accompanying residents into appointments is often noticed and appreciated by referral sources, reinforcing the positive reputation of your community.
To maximize the potential of this role, it's critical not to treat hiring a driver as a simple box-checking exercise. Look for candidates with the same care and diligence you use when selecting sales or activities directors. After all, our community vans are mobile micro-communities, and they reflect the larger culture and brand experience we strive to create.
Oct 14, 2024
How to Maximize the Holiday SeasonThe holiday season is not just a time for festivities; it's a key time for senior living and senior care to strategically prepare for the January lead rush. Lately, some communities and agencies have seen the lead rush occur in the fall as well. There are a few ways that senior living communities and senior care agencies can make the most of the holidays and prepare for incoming care seekers.
Before January, communities and agencies can capitalize on the holiday spirit to strengthen connections with existing leads. Here are key strategies to employ:
Send Holiday Cards: Take advantage of the festive season by sending personalized holiday cards to the leads already in your system. This thoughtful gesture not only expresses goodwill but serves as a gentle reminder of your community or agency.
Invites to Tour and/or Holiday Gathering: Extend invitations to potential residents for a tour or a holiday gathering. This provides an excellent opportunity for leads to experience the warmth and atmosphere of your community firsthand. Agencies can extend holiday invites to potential clients, allowing them to get to know your staff in a less formal setting.
As the new year approaches, senior living and senior care teams must be prepared to handle the surge in leads. A few things that your team can start working on now include:
Continue to Work HOT Leads: Prioritize and actively engage with high-potential leads. Consistent communication during the holiday season keeps your community top of mind when individuals are making decisions about care options.
Improve Information Accuracy: Information on leads can be hard to maintain during the year. Allocate time and resources to ensure that your CRM or other lead information solution reflects the most current information. This is also a good time to integrate bi-directionally with Caring to save your staff time (and allow Caring to have the most up-to-date information on the leads we have sent you).
Get Sales Pipeline Up to Date: Conduct a thorough review of your sales pipeline. Update progress, identify bottlenecks, and streamline the process to ensure a well-functioning and efficient system.
Update Brochure and Other Print Material: Review and update all printed materials, including brochures, to align with the new year. Incorporate any changes in pricing, services, or offerings to present accurate and enticing information to seniors and their families.
Prep Teams and Backups for January Rush: Anticipate the increase in inquiries in January. Ensure that your teams are well-prepared, and establish backup plans to guarantee someone is available to assist in case of unexpected surges in activity.
By strategically utilizing the holiday season to connect with existing leads and implementing proactive measures, senior living communities and senior care agencies can navigate the busy period with confidence.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can prepare your team for the January lead rush or how you can access leads seeking care in your area, you can contact us at sales@caring.com or call us at (888) 808-0453.
***Originally Published November 2023, Updated October 2024
