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
Oct 11, 2024
Why Paying for Referral Services is Still a Smart Move (Even with Full Occupancy)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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
Oct 01, 2024
Making Your Senior Living Conference Experience: Several Tips for SuccessSo, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sep 25, 2024
From Referrals to Growth: How Strategic Partnerships Drive Senior Living SuccessIn 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."
