Archive for the ‘Senior Housing Marketing’ Category
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011 by Angela Stringfellow
The New York Times reported on December 26, 2010 that while the 18 to 33 age demographic is still predominant among internet usage, older age demographics are rapidly catching up. Adults 45 and over more than doubled their social networking use in the period between December 2008 and May 2010, but the most surprising gain came from adults 74 years and older — this group quadrupled its social networking participation, with 16 percent of adults in this group now actively using social networking. 
A similar report issued in November by AdvertisingAge points out another interesting piece of data: Baby Boomers who are caring for their aging parents are heavier internet users (among social networking sites like Facebook) than their non-caregiving counterparts. Laurel Kennedy, author of “The Daughter Trap” and president of Chicago-based consulting firm Age Lessons, estimates that approximately 15.5 million baby boomers are serving as caregivers out of the 78 million-strong boomer population.
The gender gap is nearly evenly split, with a slight edge towards women (60%, versus 40% men). This group spends an average of 150 minutes each month on social media and visits 70% more pages than the typical internet user. ComScore, which conducted research on behalf of Age Lessons, breaks down the top ten sites among Boomer Caregivers. It’s not surprising that Facebook leads the pack, with a 91 percent reach. Among some online retailer sites (Amazon.com, Target, WalMart), LinkedIn has a 37% reach and Twitter a 21% reach.
One interesting discovery from comScore’s research is that the online review site Yelp has a 30% reach among Boomer Caregivers, beating out Twitter. In our previous posts reporting on assisted living marketing and social networking use, Yelp never entered the conversation as a most-used site for either internet users or marketers. Could this be an untapped resource for senior housing marketers? Possibly, if boomers are using Yelp to read reviews of health and medical providers and not merely to decide what restaurant to visit that evening. Only more in-depth research could tell for sure, but it’s probably worth your time to monitor your presence on Yelp.
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Tags: Baby Boomers, social media, Yelp
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Baby Boomers, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, November 29th, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
Walker Marketing recently released the results of a study investigating how online and social media trends influence decision-making among unpaid caregivers. The survey population consists of 210 completed surveys by unpaid caregivers who cared for an ailing family member or friend within the past 12 months. Most participants have incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 per year. Specifically, researchers were interested in learning how social media impacts home care decisions. 
Walker Marketing’s findings are consistent with that of Pew Research, which found that social networking use among the 50+ population is rapidly expanding — increasing from 22 percent in April 2009 to 42 percent in May 2010. Walker Marketing found that 92 percent of respondents indicated that they consider the internet to be either “very valuable” or “somewhat valuable” as a source of healthcare information. Sixty-five percent indicate that they regularly read internet news sites or blogs.
More than half (61 percent) of respondents indicated that they were either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to communicate with other caregivers utilizing home health services in a social networking medium, such as a forum or social media site. Slightly less (53 percent) of respondents who have used home care in the past say they use the web regularly to search for caregiving-related information.
It’s true that physicians largely drive healthcare referrals. However, 91 percent of respondents indicated that they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to conduct their own research of a company after receiving a referral from a professional. Further, 78 percent said that while they do rely on professional recommendations, they would ultimately make their own decisions based on research.
There are two clear takeaways from this research. First, it’s clear that social media is now a core component of word-of-mouth marketing. Home care providers should closely monitor their online reputations and target attempts to send a consistent marketing message. Second, it’s imperative to offer a comprehensive resource for website visitors above and beyond standard company information. With more than half of caregivers seeking caregiving-related information online, providers who offer robust resources will be best positioned for converting visitors into solid leads.
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Tags: home health care, social media research
Posted in Home Care Marketing, Online Media, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 1 Comment »
Sunday, November 14th, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
On Tuesday, November 9th, the National Center for Assisted Living released the results of its “2010 Assisted Living Performance Measures Survey,” which found that the majority of assisted living facilities have implemented performance measure procedures to monitor the quality of care and resident and family satisfaction. This study is the first annual collection of data to focus on performance measures. 
Alongside this survey is the Employee Vacancy, Retention, and Turnover Survey, which analyzes workforce stability. One interesting finding from this survey is that the assisted living industry has an overall average retention rate of about 51 percent. Turnover rates among non-certified caregivers, medication aides, and certified nursing assistants range from 44 to 55 percent.
Findings from the Performance Measures Survey are particularly interesting, however, because they detect strong industry trends. For example, the majority of assisted living facilities (98%) are conducting criminal background checks on all new employees. In some states, this is mandatory, but in states in which it is not, it’s certainly a selling point for potential residents.
Other key findings from this innovative report include:
- 91% of assisted living communities measure resident and family satisfaction
- 94% have a licensed nurse available to residents and staff 24 hours per day
- 94% review incident reports for residents
- 85% measure employee satisfaction
Satisfaction surveys are important in assisted living marketing
Most assisted living facilities recognize the importance of measuring the satisfaction of residents, families and employees. Employee satisfaction, while measured by fewer surveyed facilities (85%), has a direct effect on resident satisfaction. Satisfied employees are more invested in their careers and tend to take greater care when performing job duties, leading to residents who feel cared for and have their needs consistently met. It’s as simple as this: If you’re not measuring satisfaction, you can’t have your finger on the root of potential problems, and you lack the tools to make improvements.
Measuring satisfaction is a crucial component of an effective marketing campaign. Regular monitoring will help you identify areas of concern before they become big problems. It will also help you pinpoint the key aspects of life in your community that residents enjoy most, which is an easy way to identify key selling points. What better way to impress potential customers than to provide data from your most recent satisfaction survey indicating that the majority of residents, families, and staff all report high levels of satisfaction?
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Tags: Assisted Living Marketing, quality improvement, resident satisfaction
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 29th, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
CareNetworks is conducting a Social Media Success Series, a collection of interviews from senior care providers who have achieved positive results from using social media. The first in the series is an interview with Emeritus Senior Living, one of the largest senior living providers in the country with more than 460 assisted living communities serving 43 states. 
As all demographics, even baby boomers and seniors, are embracing social media, it makes sense for senior living providers to research ways for incorporating social media into their overall marketing mix. CareNetwork’s interview with Emeritus’ eMarketing Specialist, Chris Kim, is evidence that social media marketing is effort well spent.
According to Kim, Emeritus first began using social media in June 2009. In the grand scheme of things, they’re still new to the scene, yet they’ve still achieved some impressive results. Rather than use social media to generate leads, they use it to engage their customers. They started by thinking about what information their typical customer is searching for, and leveraged social media as a tool for brand reputation management, an online presence, and to establish the company as an industry authority. As a plus, Kim reports that social media enabled Emeritus to connect with field employees and third-party service providers.
Currently, Emeritus utilizes the following social media initiatives:
- Facebook
- Twitter
- A corporate blog
- LinkedIn
- YouTube
Note in our previous post, Benefits of Social Media Marketing (which reported on findings from the 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report), that Emeritus has focused the majority of their social media efforts on the top five venues indicated by this study. The company continues to build out a robust resource of health and caregiving glossaries, guides, and tutorials (even video tutorials are in the works) on its corporate website for residents, potential customers, their families, and providers. The company’s resources also provided useful content that was used to engage customers on social media profiles.
Here are a few tips Kim offers senior living executives for ramping up social media efforts:
- Keep your content current and updates timely — keep your customers abreast of what’s happening in your facility
- Don’t just post content; instead, ask for feedback and opinions
- Add some flavor. Run a contest, link to other relevant — and fun — resources, like quizzes, and ask fans to post their scores
Read the full interview on the CareNetworks blog
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Tags: Emeritus Senior Living, social media marketing
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, October 29th, 2010 by Stuart Grinnell
In 1994, family caregivers were first recognized during National Family Caregivers Week. President Clinton was the first to honor caregivers as a month-long celebration, signing the first proclamation declaring November National Family Caregivers Month. Every year since, the American President in office has declared November a month to recognize the challenges, struggles, and tremendous sacrifice millions of family caregivers provide every day. 
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) coordinates National Family Caregivers month each year. More than 65 million Americans serve as family caregivers, making them part of a large group of caring and compassionate individuals who strive to meet the needs of aging parents or disabled loved ones every day, yet many members of this population continue to feel isolated and alone.
To help caregivers cope with the daily challenges and emotional toll that caregiving can take, NFCA has created a community comprised of caregivers and volunteers to offer education and support as well as a sense of community among this remarkable group. National Family Caregivers Month serves to both recognize caregivers and to promote education and support resources available to caregivers. Membership in NFCA is free to all family caregivers and provides access to the association’s resource library, which includes helpful information including:
- A home healthcare primer
- Care management tips and techniques
- Advice on improving doctor/caregiver communications
- Medication management
- Tips on choosing assisted living facilities or nursing homes, or other senior housing
- Stress reduction
- Action checklists
- And much more
National Family Caregivers Month is celebrated community-wide, with healthcare providers and community organizations taking an active role in the promotion of the event and recognizing caregivers. Those wanting to get involved can participate in a number of ways, including displaying National Family Caregivers Month posters in their places of business, offering support groups for family caregivers in the community, hosting a caregivers workshop with resources and information, or simply by telling caregivers they know about the benefits of joining NFCA.
Visit the NFCA website to learn more about National Family Caregivers Month and ways you can get involved.
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Tags: National Family Caregivers Association, National Family Caregivers Month
Posted in Aging, Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 by Jacqui Tom
On October 26, 2010, 125 executives from senior living companies and related organizations convened in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss the future of senior living in America. Rick Grimes, President and CEO of ALFA, says of the event, “There is a lot of interest by senior living executives to find ways to better serve seniors and their families and collaborate with their staff to promote excellence at their companies.” 
Participants were given the opportunity to share knowledge with fellow leaders, participate in discussions and roundtables, and attend presentations. Discussions and roundtables focused on solutions to the following challenges:
- Staff recruitment and retention
- Economic impacts and how government involvement will affect the industry
- Challenges of longer lifespans and needs for diverse types of assistance
- Forming collaborative relationships with adjuct industries, such as hospice providers, pharmacies, and rehab centers
- Changes to employee benefits as a result of health care reform
Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, spoke to participants at a luncheon on how a changed political landscape would have eventual impacts on the senior living industry. In addition, the President’s Council, comprised of a representatives from companies serving the senior living industry, gathered for an industry update and discussed possibilities for aiding ALFA in its mission to advance the future of senior living.
Read the ALFA press release.
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Tags: ALFA, senior living
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 11th, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
MetLife’s “The MetLife Report on Early Boomers: How America’s Leading Edge Baby Boomers Will Transform Aging, Work & Retirement” suggests that the oldest Boomers will forego the traditional leisure-filled retirement in order to continue working — possibly indefinitely. Many Boomers are struggling under debt from putting children through college, others have suffered financial setbacks through the economic crisis, some have purchased second homes, and due to a longer life expectancy, many fear they’ll outlive their nest eggs. 
Many older Boomers face a favorable employment outlook because they have many years of experience, and they’re attractive to employers who realize that they won’t have to provide health insurance coverage to Medicare-eligible workers, according to Sandra Timmerman, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute.
This transition to a new model of retirement will mean significant changes in the long-term care industry. Unless they become sick enough to require round-the-clock care, many boomers will opt for long-term living options that allow them to remain independent and continue working. Aging in place may become more popular as seniors opt for services that can provide care in the home.
Nursing homes are already becoming a place for the seriously ill and disabled, because assisted living communities tend to offer more flexibility to residents. Even assisted living facilities may need to change their marketing objectives to more broadly appeal to independent seniors. A focus on the ability for residents to set their own schedule, leave as they please, and participate in a variety of activities both inside and outside of the facility will be key to any long-term care facility’s success.
The up-and-coming senior population commands choices, and a life of continued work will ensure that seniors remain active, which will improve long-term health. Facilities that can accomodate the varied and changing needs of seniors will remain the most successful as we experience a long-term living revolution.
Read the Business Wire press release.
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Tags: Baby Boomers, long-term living, retirement
Posted in Aging, Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, October 1st, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
According to a recent report by the National Investment Centers for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry, assisted living occupancy rates rose slightly in the second quarter of 2010. While it’s only a modest increase, occupany reached 87.7% overall, and according to Michael Hargrave, vice president of the NIC Market Area Profiles (MAP) service, demand is growing at a rate of approximately 7,000 units annually. 
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News published an informative post on how providers can achieve greater success by matching demand to needs. To do this, healthcare providers should conduct an in-depth market analysis that includes a competitive analysis, overall industry trends and local market trends.
If you’re looking to expand your existing services or open a new facility, you should first consider the percentage of the local population comprised of seniors 65 and older. Beyond this, income levels of the senior population, payor sources, and general ability to pay are important considerations.
Demand is just one piece of the puzzle. Market supply also has a big impact on the success of healthcare providers. A saturated market, even if demand is high, means more competition, and this can drive both prices and occupancy rates down. Overall industry trends, such as the trend towards more flexible service offerings and a broader continuum of care (from independent living to skilled nursing and memory care, all from the same provider, for example), are important to consider when evaluating the competitive landscape.
Read the article from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News
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Tags: assisted living, McKnight's Long-Term Care News, supply and demand
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, October 1st, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice will kick off its 29th annual Meeting & Exposition in Dallas, Texas, on October 2nd. The event will run through October 6th, and this year’s theme is “Home Care & Hospice: Pioneers in the New Health Care Frontier,” focusing on the home care and hospice industry taking a leadership role in reshaping the healthcare system as it braces to accomodate the aging baby boomer generation. 
Indeed, home care and hospice will become an increasingly important player in health care as the baby boomers – 78 million strong – begin to enter their senior years. One trend among surveys of the aging boomers is that this generation has a strong desire to age in place, and the home care industry is poised to capitalize on the opportunity.
A number of experts will be speaking at this year’s exhibition, including author and therapist John Gray, Ph.D., George W. Bush, and Sean Donahue, Senior Vice President at The Herald Group, who designs campaigns for Fortune 100 companies to integrate the latest in online media and advocacy. A number of other marketing and technology experts will be sharing their insights during the four-day event.
Among the vendors at this year’s event is Care2Learn, which provides online continuing education and licensing courses for a variety of healthcare professions. Online training is becoming increasingly common, and will be essential in the coming years as more healthcare professionals are needed to care for millions of aging baby boomers. The flexible nature of online training enables current professionals to receive additional training or even specialize in a geriatric field while still maintaining a full-time position. Exhibition participants can preview healthcare training online at Care2Learn’s booth.
Visit the NAHC website for more information on the Exhibition
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Tags: Care2Learn, healthcare training online, National Association for Home Care & Hospice
Posted in Aging, Baby Boomers, Home Care, Home Care Marketing, Long Term Care, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 1 Comment »
Friday, September 24th, 2010 by Angela Stringfellow
On September 8, 2010, Google announced that it would be launching new search technology: Google Instant. Many searchers didn’t even notice, and if they did, their biggest concern was whether the constantly changing results as they type made their eyes go buggy. Assisted living providers who focus on building an online presence, however, wondered how this new search technology would impact their optimization efforts.
Expert opinions are strongly divided into three camps:
- Those who say Google Instant killed SEO
- Those who say Google Instant will improve SEO
- Those who believe it makes no difference
SEO is sometimes like trying to play a game without knowing the rules, or perhaps playing a video game with someone else who knows all the secret hacks but won’t share. As we know well, Google makes the r
ules, but they’re known for holding the cards close to the chest. For this reason, it may be difficult to tell the impact Instant will have on SEO for several months, when sufficient keyword data is available to be analyzed.
The biggest fear is that long-tail key phrases will become obsolete, as many searchers will put in only the first word in a phrase before seeing results relevant to what they intended to search for. Long-tail key phrases are generally easier to rank for and less expensive to bid on than popular general terms. Others believe, however, that when key phrases are suggested to searchers, they’ll be more inclined to use more specific terms, therefore increasing the number of long-tail keyword searches overall.
Before making drastic changes to your marketing plan or hopelessly abandoning your SEO plans altogether, we suggest waiting it out a few months to see how things play out. In the meantime, stick to your plan. You don’t want to throw another variable into the mix right now, because then you can’t be sure whether traffic and keyword changes are attributable to Google Instant or something else.
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Tags: Google Instant, search engine optimization
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Home Care Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing | No Comments »
