Proactive Senior Plans Ahead at 73 Years Old

Learn the reasons why a 73 year old senior would plan ahead.  After living in a 55-plus retirement community for 15 years and watching neighbors struggle as they age, she and her husband wanted to live in a supportive environment that offers future health care.

Sexually Aggressive in Memory Care?!!?

Sexually Aggressive in Memory Care?!!?

Violence in Memory CareHow do you keep your mom or dad safe in a memory care community or assisted living? A retired cop moved into my mother-in-law’s memory care community and has been demonstrating sexual and violent aggression against her, other residents, and staff. This is what my family is facing now. Read about the incidents in, “Violence in Memory Care,” HERE.

This is a list of whom we have emphatically voiced our concerns:

  • Caregivers
  • The nurse
  • The Administrator
  • Two ombudsmen
  • The State of Washington (surveyors of licensed assisted living)
  • Adult Protective Services

Our family requested a care conference to discuss the safety of my mother-in-law, Amy. Two ombudsmen, the administrator, three adult children and myself attended it. It was the worst care conference that I have ever experienced in my 17 years working as a professional in senior living. On a personal level, I have attended numerous care conferences for nine years as an advocate for my own mother who had dementia. There is always a conclusion at the end of the care conference that provides some sense of hope for improving care or concerns.

Why was this care conference so bad?

The administrator would only talk about Amy. She refused to discuss Amy’s safety in regards to the aggressive cop, because of HIPPA. She refused to share any measures or policies that the staff was following for Amy’s safety. Are you kidding me? I specifically asked, “What are you doing to protect her?” She said that she could not answer that question and kept talking in circles.

The ombudsmen were no help either. They said they could only discuss Amy because we gave them permission to do so. They could not discuss any other residents or the aggressive retired cop because they had not been given permission to do so. Nobody would address the elephant in the room, which was an aggressive retired cop with dementia preying on vulnerable residents.

What about Amy’s safety? What about the other residents’ safety?

The state did a surprise visit to the memory care community last week and said there are no new violations. This community is in a rural part of Washington State. There is not another community in the local area.

Any advice from senior living professionals? What else can we do?

Tip: For adult children looking for memory care or assisted living. Interview the administrator, before you move your parent into the community. Find out how long they have worked there. We did this and the answer was two years. Life was good for Amy until this experienced administrator moved on.

Diane Masson is a senior living expert who has authored two 5-star rated books. Her new book is an all-encompassing answer guide for seniors called, “Your Senior Housing Options,” designed to help seniors navigate choices quickly. The second book was written for senior living professionals called, “Senior Housing Marketing – How To Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full.” Reach out to her through her website: Tips2Seniors.com and read the weekly blog.

How To Train a “Green” Senior Living Sales Person (Part 1)

How To Train a “Green” Senior Living Sales Person (Part 1)

Training "Green" Sales PeopleWhen a brand new sales person starts, what is most important to teach first?  My definition of “green” is that they have never worked in senior housing before.  “Part-green” means they have some background in senior housing like working in the homecare industry.  I love coaching “green” and “part-green” senior living sales people.

So what do you teach a “green” sales person in the first couple of weeks?

Is it shadowing an existing sales person?  You may or may not be lucky enough to have a quality person they can shadow.  It can be very helpful, but it can also get a little boring for the trainee.  If this is your whole training program, then you are missing the boat of opportunity.

Do you just throw them in to sink or swim immediately?  This might not be the brightest idea.  They don’t understand the business and what you offer yet.  Leads are money, so are you willing to just blow off some potentially hot leads, because a “green” person does not know how they should be managed properly?  Some smaller retirement communities have no choice, because they only have one marketer.

Or do you send them out to study the competition?  This can be very important in the first couple weeks of training and allows them to compare senior housing communities like the prospects would.  They can start to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of their own community versus the retirement community down the street.

How about a dedicated all day training?  You could spend a whole day with an interactive program that explains how the prospect really thinks, what to do when the prospect arrives at your community, how to ask discovery questions without interrogating someone, the steps on giving a “wow” tour, helping the prospect connect that your community is the answer to their problem and how to complete the interaction at the end — with determining the next step(s).  This is how I started a “green” person two weeks ago.

What has worked and not worked for you – training “green” sales people?  Next week I will share what techniques I use training “green” sales people and why…

Please comment to join the conversation and interact with other senior living professionals on what is currently being effective to increase occupancy on a nationwide basis.

Diane Twohy Masson is the author of Senior Housing Marketing – How to Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full,” available for sale at Amazon.com.  Masson’s book will be required reading at George Mason University in the Fall as part of the marketing curriculum.  She is currently consulting with Seniors For Living and two debt-free Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Southern California – Freedom Village in Lake Forest and The Village in Hemet, California. Connection and partnership opportunities: Email: diane@marketing2seniors.net

6 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Senior Housing Co-workers To Lunch

6 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Senior Housing Co-workers To Lunch

Senior Housing Co-worker LunchAre you so busy selling at work, that you thank a co-worker for their help as you race down the hall to your next appointment?  Sales and marketing in senior housing cannot exist without operational support.  To pull off a fantastic event, it takes great dining services, housekeeping and maintenance teams.  Often the activity department is helping out too.

When moving residents into an apartment, it’s a collaborative effort between sales, maintenance and housekeeping.  Once the resident moves into their new home at your retirement community, it takes the integration of the dining and activities team to help the senior feel settled.  Take a moment to slow down and invite a few key department heads to lunch this week.

6 Tips when you take your senior housing co-workers to lunch:

  1. Appreciate how each department wants the senior residents to have a great life.  Ultimately, all the department heads love the residents and want to do a great job serving them.
  2. Explain how sales and marketing appreciates the other departments. Share a few stories of how residents have shared with sales and marketing about how they have been helped by maintenance staff, housekeeping or had an incredible dining experience…
  3. Develop a deeper working relationship.  Your lunch will create a shared experience.  Ask – what are their biggest challenges now?  Share what marketing challenges have happened recently and how many calls or appointments you do on weekly or monthly basis.  (They may think you just sit in your office and chat with people on the phone or in person.  How hard can that be?)
  4. Solve an on-going challenge without being in someone’s office or “territory.”  For example: Every community could use better collaboration and communication in regards to apartment renovations.
  5. Take a moment to laugh.  Show that sales and marketing is human and wants to enjoy the journey with them!
  6. Pick up the check and say thank you again!   The other department heads will love you and feel appreciated.

How does your maintenance, housekeeping and sales teams coordinate to have the apartments ready for a move-ins?  Are you organized enough to have 50 or 100 move-ins this year?  Figure out how to improve as a senior community team over lunch.  My meeting is scheduled for Monday…

Please comment to join the conversation and interact with other senior living professionals on what is currently being effective to increase occupancy on a nationwide basis.

Diane Twohy Masson is the author of Senior Housing Marketing – How to Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full,” available for sale at Amazon.com.  Masson’s book will be required reading at George Mason University in the Fall as part of the marketing curriculum.  She is currently consulting with Seniors For Living and two debt-free Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Southern California – Freedom Village in Lake Forest and The Village in Hemet, California. Connection and partnership opportunities: Email: diane@marketing2seniors.net

Why is this the BEST TIME of the Year TO CALL Your Database!

Why is this the BEST TIME of the Year TO CALL Your Database!

The last couple of weeks before Christmas and New Years is a key time to call your senior living database.  When visiting family members (like boomer children) say, “Mom or Dad – let’s start exploring retirement housing options for you.”  The senior can say, well The Village or Freedom Village just called last week…  The Boomer children will say, “Great, let’s go check that community out first.”

Many sales people spend their entire precious selling time – attending resident holiday parties, enjoying carolers or other live entertainment.  This is not the time to sit back on your laurels and hope your retirement community will miraculously get fuller in 2013.

The work ethic of a senior living sales person before New Years can dictate a surge of move-ins in early 2013.  This is an opportunity to jump the census by 2 – 5 percentage points!

It’s time to smile and dial, because this is the best time of the year to call your database.  Many seniors are lonely and you may be the only phone call they receive during their entire day.  Able-bodied seniors drive or fly to see children and grandchildren for the holidays – so they may not be home.  Frailer seniors have to hope their kids will come visit them and are usually home.  Either way, the children may notice a change in their senior parent(s) and start exploring options.  Make sure your senior living community is top of mind with the senior – it only takes a simple phone call!

Call Your Database Now to Increase Occupancy for Early 2013!

Diane Twohy Masson is the author of Senior Housing Marketing – How to Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full,” available for sale at Amazon.com.  If your curiosity is piqued to inquire on Diane’s availability to speak at a senior housing conference (CCRC, independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing or memory care) – please call: 206-853-6655 or email diane@marketing2seniors.net.  Diane is currently consulting in Southern California for Freedom Management Company, the proud debt-free owners of Freedom Village in Lake Forest and The Village in Hemet, California.  For more information: Twitter: @market2seniors Web: www.marketing2seniors.net Blog: http://marketing2seniors.net/blog/