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This post is part of our Senior Health & Wellness Series and is dedicated to the 35 million people worldwide who have dementia and their caregivers.

Today, September 21st, is World Alzheimer’s Day. It is currently estimated that if rates of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) continue to rise as they are now, by 2050 11-16 million Americans will have the disease. The purpose of the dedicated day is to both raise awareness of the disease’s current state for lay people, medical communities, and members of congress, and to raise funds and create research-based guidelines to help combat the disease’s current dismal progression.

Many people mistakenly view Alzheimer’s as a normal part of aging — perhaps because it has become so increasingly commonplace among our elderly (albeit increasingly younger elderly) population. The truth is that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of the aging process, and is a progressive disease that attacks the brain from the moment of onset until the individual’s death.

Here are the 10 warning signs of AD, as issued by the Alzheimer’s Association, and my own 2-cents on each:

1. Memory changes that disrupt your normal life. Normal memory loss with age is often confused with early symptoms of AD. The key to differentiating the two is to figure out whether or not the memory problem is primarily with recently learned information. An example of this sign would be someone asking you over and over for the same piece of information, because they are not remembering it after being told one or more times.Normal forgetfulness would be your loved one forgetting your birthday, but remembering it the day after. Or your grandmother calling you 3-4 names (in my case, even the dog’s name) before remembering yours.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. This would be characterized by a sudden difficulty concentrating or problem-solving that was not present previously. An example – your relative suddenly cannot follow the steps of a recipe he/she has been making for years even after reading it over and over. Normal forgetfulness would be making innocent math errors balancing a checkbook.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Early stages of AD include difficulty completing daily routine tasks, such as driving to a familiar location or remembering the rules of a card game they formerly played often. Normal forgetfulness would be your grandmother needing help setting up an electronic device or using a new tv remote.
4. Confusion with time or place. People with AD have difficulty with the passage of time. They may forget where they are, or how they arrived there. Normal forgetfulness would be temporarily forgetting what day of the week it is, but remembering soon after.
5. Trouble with visual and spacial images. This one can be difficult to distinguish in early stages, as vision loss (a normal sign of aging related to physical alterations such as cataracts or weak muscles) can be an early sign of AD. A sign of AD-related visual problems would be a difficulty judging depth or passing by a mirror and not recognizing that it is a self-reflection.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. This is usually characterized by bizarre naming patterns, such as calling a watch a “hand-clock” or forgetting what one was talking about in the middle of a conversation. Normal aging would be occasional stumbling to find the right word, with eventual appropriate wording found.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.  People with AD may do bizarre things such as putting ice cream in the cabinet or toothpaste on their bread (more advanced stages). They often will accuse others of stealing as they are unable to recall their actions. Normal forgetfulness would be misplacing things such as reading glasses or tv remote once in a while.
   
8. Decreased or poor judgment. People with AD may make poor decisions that are uncharacteristic of them – for example, giving money to a telemarketer or random person. They also tend to decline in personal grooming habits.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. People with AD may avoid being social due to changes they’ve experienced in ability to complete tasks, forgetfulness, or skills. An example would be your grandmother quitting her knitting group because she no longer can complete the proper steps and was asked about it last time she attended.
10. Changes in mood or personality. People with AD can have severe mood and personality changes, often with increased fearfulness, anxiety, and suspicion of others. They often become easily upset if they are removed from their comfort zone. This is new behavior, and is different than someone who has always liked routine and done things a certain way.  This symptom in and of itself may indicate AD symptoms, or another underlying psychiatric condition, and should be looked at by a trained professional to differentiate.

So how do we stop it?

There are multiple large-scale studies in progress designed to pinpoint causes of AD and to optimally assist the medical and lay communities in formulating guidelines and lifestyle adjustments to help prevent the disease onset in the future. Here are some of the most commonly seen recommendations for prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and ways you can implement them in your and your loved ones’ lives:

• Know your risk. The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age. Most individuals with the disease are 65 or older. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s doubles about every five years after age 65. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent.  Another risk factor is family history. Research has shown that those who have a parent, brother or sister, or child with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness. When diseases tend to run in families, either heredity (genetics) or environmental factors or both may play a role.  Scientists have identified genes which put people at greater risk for developing AD.  However, genetic testing is not recommended as only about 5% of cases of AD are shown to be “familial Alzheimer’s Disease”, meaning they were purely genetically predetermined and had almost no environmental influence.
• Stay Active. Multiple studies have linked exercise to cognitive health and prevention of cognitive deficits with age, including preventing and/or delaying Alzheimer’s disease in those at risk. Most studies seem to point to exercise routines as having the greatest impact on cognitive health.  So, instead of killing yourself at the gym twice a week, take a brisk walk for at least 15 minutes 5 times per week, gradually increasing with time as you can.
• Dietary changes.  Researchers have noted for many years that Japanese people living in Japan have far lower rates of AD and dementia than Japanese who come to the US and adopt an American way of eating. Japanese living in Japan eat diets that are rich in grains, vegetables, and fish, while those living in America eat a diet far richer in calories and animal foods, and thus saturated fats. Other differences in disease patterns between Westerners and Asians–especially in breast, prostate, and colon cancers– are consistent with the same finding. The same trend has been found in Africans vs. African-Americans, with (uncoincidentally) the latter having far higher rates of Alzheimer’s  Rates of AD vary greatly around the world, with a probably link to the predominant diet in each area.  Researchers in the Journal of AD (June 2002) pointed out that diets rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fish significantly lowered the risk of the disease.  In a study titled “Mediterranean Diet and Cognitive Decline”, published in Public Health Nutrition in 2004, the Mediterranean Diet — characterized by whole grains, vegetables, monounsaturated fats from olive oil and red wine — was associated with much lower rates of all types of cognitive decline and dementia, with the consumption of olive oil most predictive of these rates. This is likely connected to the antioxidant properties of olive oil which contribute to lower rates of inflammation.
  Another key point in prevention of AD and multiple other cognitive and metabolic disorders is the general maintenance of stable blood sugars. Without going into too many overwhelming details, this basically means keeping your blood sugar at a steady and controlled rate as much as possible by limiting our intake of processed, simple sugars and increasing our intake of lean proteins and complex carbohydrates (and fiber) which contribute to stabilizing blood sugars.
• Keeping an active mind. Studies show that those who keep learning throughout their geriatric years have significantly lower rates of AD than the general population. R.S. Jope, PhD, hypothesizes that this is because people who read a lot and continue to stimulate their mind generally have a surplus of neurons as a result (as compared to the general population).  When you have AD, lots of neurons are lost before any overt cognitive deficits are seen. Therefore, those who have more neurons will take longer to show features, and may be able to successfully delay the progression of the disease simply through this phenomenon. The other theory that many hold for this preventative measure is the “use it or lose it” concept when viewing the brain as a muscle.  Numerous studies support the theory that learning stimulates brain cells to produce more growth factors which keep neurons alive thereby increasing our ability to learn, retrieve memories, and form complex thoughts
• Quit bad habits while you still can.  Cigarette smoking after age 65 increases your risk of Alzheimer’s by 79%. Caffeine is a tricky one, as moderate coffee drinkers have actually shown cognitive benefits compared to those who do not ingest caffeine. This is likely due to the antioxidant properties of the coffee beans themselves, not necessarily the caffeine content.  However, if caffeine is a primary or secondary source of other harmful habits such as insomnia, irregular sleep patterns, anxiety, or poor stress management, I’d advise you to lower your intake at least by 1/2 if you are approaching mid-life.  One possible remedy would be to switch to your favorite tea — no matter which you choose the antioxidant benefits of tea are rich and the caffeine content is significantly lower than that of coffee.
• Get some sleep.  Your brain needs regular, restful sleep to process, store, and recall information. Nightly deprivation not only leaves you cranky and tired, but according to memory experts Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Gary Small, poor sleep can significantly damage your brain and central nervous system.   Reserve your bed for sleep (and sex), take a hot bath or engage in other pre-sleep relaxing routines, and dim the lights. Comfortable temperatures, and white noise machines can also signal your brain that it’s time for deep restorative sleep. When mental dialogs keep you awake, get up. Try reading or relaxing in another room for twenty minutes then hop back in. If this doesn’t work, consider discussing your stress levels with a mental health professional or utilizing stress management techniques such as Yoga, Meditation, or addressing those issues that are keeping your mind circling at night. 

Ways You Can Help The Cause:

• start a memory walk team
• use Facebook to spread awareness
• donate to the Alzheimer’s Association
• volunteer with your community
• become an advocate

To those who have a loved one afflicted with this devastating disorder, you are not alone, nor are your actions unrecognized.  Be sure to gift yourself with the support and respite you need during your own struggle with this disease so that your efforts will not be in vain.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Andrea Adimando, APRN-BC, MSN is a Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner practicing in various settings throughout CT. Her interests include a holistic integration of traditional and naturopathic methods in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, with a major focus on children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and their potential for recovery. You can read her blog, Sound Mindfulness, here.

This post was authored by Art Carr, a practical visionary who specializes in senior living and affiliated services. You can visit his Progressive Retirement Lifestyles Blog here, or connect with him on Linkedin. 

Although the housing slump may have “bottomed-out”,  occupancy declines, especially for independent living, are more widespread [1]. Will the industry re-bound with a business-as-usual mentality?  Will new generations of customers be satisfied with today’s level of service?

The impact on the traditional IL model may be even more dramatic.

Is Everything “Doom & Gloom”? The answer is that it doesn’t have to be – IF operators heed the wake-up call and are willing to consider new options:

2. Meet more than the basic needs for the residents. Abraham Maslow developed a Hierarchy of 5 levels of needs, as depicted in this diagram:

The senior living industry has traditionally done a good job of meeting the basic physical and security needs of the residents.   However, there is tremendous opportunity to offer and market services that address their higher-level social, ego and self-actualization needs.

In fact, programs meeting those needs could be the differentiators that trigger the move-in decision. Interestingly, these needs are the most difficult for the senior to achieve while living alone in their home.

• Good Design Age Well
• Center for Technology and Aging
• CareData Trak
• CogniFit
• Dakim, Inc
• GrandCare Systems
• MyFitBrain
• TheCaringStore.com

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[1] NIC MAP®, 9/1/2009

[2] “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw (1998)

[3] “Peak – How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow” by Chip Conley (2007)

New social media success series launching next week

In the coming weeks, we will be profiling innovative senior living, eldercare, home care, and dementia care companies around the country and abroad who are using social media in creative ways to attract, engage, connect, educate, and support prospects and customers. The profiles will include insightful interviews with industry executives, entrepreneurs, marketers, thought leaders and others who are on the front lines experimenting with social tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, Slideshare, and more.

Gain valuable insights from industry insiders who are happy to share their experiences and wisdom.

Our first interview will be with Heather Rasmussen, Public Relations Specialist at Laguna Woods Village (formerly Leisure World), the largest retirement community in California. Laguna Woods has seen amazing results with social media over the past year. Find out how they are tapping into Twitter to increase communication among residents and how requests for tours have dramatically increased thanks to their social media activities. Learn how they use their website and three marketing sites to improve SEO and drive traffic. Finally, discover their innovative use of “online clubs” which allow real resident-run clubs to create and administer their own web pages on the Laguna Woods Village Website, enhancing the site and elevating the Laguna Woods brand. 

Don’t miss out. This is going to be a good one! To ensure you get this and all future blog posts in this exciting series, subscribe to our blog using the “subscribe” form on this page in the left column near the top. You will get all future posts emailed to you automatically. Your email is kept completely secure and it just lets us know who’s interested in what we have to say;-)

Finally, if you are a senior living, eldercare, home care, or dementia care provider (or other care-related organization) using social media and would like to be featured in this series, please contact Brian Geyser directly at brian.geyser@carenetworks.com. Thanks. 

Related Posts:

• Web Savvy Senior Living Companies Are Making The Move To Social Media. Are You?
• Can Social Media Convert Senior Living Prospects To Customers? 
• How To Use Social Media To Grow Your Senior Living or Eldercare Business
• What Every LTC Organization Needs To Know About Their Website

Brian Geyser, APRN-BC, MSN is a clinician,
consultant, educator, online community manager and the founder of
Carenetworks, LLC. He blogs regularly here at Carenetworks.com and
would love to connect with you on Twitter, Linkedin, and/or Facebook.  

GROUPSITE.COM AND CARENETWORKS CREATE ONLINE COMMUNITIES FOR SENIOR LIVING AND ELDERCARE PROVIDERS
 

Certified Partner Program Extends the Reach of Social Collaboration

Columbia, MD – September 16, 2009 – Groupsite.com, the Web’s premier social collaboration platform (http://www.groupsite.com), today announced CareNetworks (http://carenetworks.com), a provider of online community and social media solutions for senior living and eldercare service providers, as its newest Certified Partner. Using the Groupsite.com platform, CareNetworks is empowering groups to make things happen by enabling them to communicate, share and network with the most productive social collaboration tools and a superior user experience.

CareNetworks enables senior living, eldercare and other care-related organizations to create a public or private branded online community, allowing them to interact via member profiles, blogs, forums, event calendars, private messages and other tools. CareNetworks has created Groupsite communities where residents, patients, family members, professional caregivers, staff, management and care experts can easily connect and collaborate. Community members are engaged in the group, helping each other solve problems, sharing information, perspectives and tips, asking questions, relating experiences and getting aggregated answers from each other and local experts.

“With Groupsites, CareNetworks offers companies a simple and cost-effective solution to the complexities of online communities, interactive marketing, real-time Websites and social media, and provides a comprehensive way to organize and manage a company’s online presence across multiple channels,” said Brian Geyser, founder and CEO of CareNetworks. “It’s the easiest way for organizations to leverage the power of the social Web to engage customers and prospects and provide them with 24-hour access to helpful information and support.”

CareNetworks customers also see their Groupsites as a cutting-edge marketing approach that showcases their communities in a way traditional Websites and marketing cannot.

“There’s no better way for people to hear about us than through word-of-mouth, and with our Groupsite, prospective residents and their families can experience the honest feedback of our current residents,” said Elizabeth Simonds, Marketing Manager at Terrace Communities (http://www.terracecommunities.net). “It puts the heart back into technology and allows us to have conversations with people and build relationships that we simply cannot on our Website.”

The Groupsite.com Certified Partner Program (http://www.groupsite.com/partners) is a selective program designed for partners—developers, designers, trainers, social media consultants and community builders—who demonstrate a clear understanding of the power of social collaboration, and commit to using Groupsite.com tools to help groups get the most out of the platform.

“CareNetworks has demonstrated the energy and insight to harness the value of social collaboration on behalf of its customers,” said Clarence Wooten, Jr., founder and CEO of Groupsite.com. “As a Certified Partner, we’ll support CareNetworks as it extends the Groupsite platform and the value of social collaboration to the senior living and eldercare community.”

Social collaboration is a powerful process where multiple people and organizations come together to achieve their common goals. Unlike traditional social networking, social collaboration is leveraging technology to create opportunities for meaningful productivity. Groupsite.com is leading this emerging industry with its premier social collaboration platform (http://www.groupsite.com/socialcollaboration) designed specifically for groups of all types and sizes. With a Groupsite, any group can harness the collective resources of online forums, collaboration software and social networks in one platform built around the group and its needs.

About Groupsite.com (formerly CollectiveX)
Founded in 2006 by serial entrepreneur, Clarence Wooten, Jr., Groupsite.com is the Web’s premier social collaboration platform. Introduced in August 2007, Groupsites embody the Web’s evolution into a social-collaborative medium by combining the most useful and productive features of traditional websites, discussion forums, listservs, blogs, collaboration software and social networks. In mere minutes, Groupsites allow individuals, organizations and companies to create communities that enable group members to communicate, share and network to make things happen. Today, nearly 30,000 Groupsites are in use by professional and social groups of all types and sizes. For more information or to create your own Groupsite, visit www.groupsite.com.

CONTACT:

Carissa B. Caramanis O’Brien
Red Box Communications for Groupsite.com
Phone: 978-875-2020
Email: carissao@redboxcommunications.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/carissao 
www.groupsite.com/media

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Senior Living Prospects Have Big Problems

People seeking out information on senior living, retirement communities, assisted living residences and long-term care facilities have big problems. These people, usually elders or (more likely) their family members, face huge challenges as they make life-changing decisions while trying to navigate the complex world of senior living and eldercare options. These people (your prospects) are increasingly using the internet to do their research, and while they are seeking information online, what they are really doing is trying to find solutions to their problems. Your website should be a resource that helps them do just that.

If you provide helpful information, resources, knowledge, expertise, and the ability to connect with you on your website, prospects are 1. more likely to find you, 2. more likely to trust you, and 3. more likely to be interested in your organization as an option. Done well and executed properly, social media tools like blogs, online communities, Twitter, webinars, white papers, and eBooks can magnetically attract prospects to your website and give you an opportunity to engage them further, nurture relationships, build trust, and ultimately convert them into customers.

Social Media Helps Your Prospects Solve Problems

The key to using social media successfully in business is to use social media tools to attract, engage, and help people. With social media, you create useful and timely content that your customers want and need. As David Meerman Scott suggests, when your prospects visit your website (or your facility), they don’t care about your facility or services so much, they care more about their own problems and if you can solve them. If your social media content helps them begin to solve their problems, you’re much more likely to engage those prospects and get them to visit your physical community. If they come to visit, you can then keep them engaged using social media tools.

What are the top five problems facing your senior living prospects? Here’s a likely list from the perspective of an elderly woman and her daughter:

1. Elder: I don’t want to move. I want to stay in my home. Adult Child: I’m not sure if moving Mom out of her house is a good idea. I don’t know what to do.
2. Elder: I don’t want to be a burden on my kids. Adult Child: I feel obligated to take on this challenge, but I’m afraid of how it’s going to impact my own family.
3. Elder: I’m not ready to move yet. I don’t need all that help. Adult Child: I’m not sure if now is the right time. I don’t know when the right time to move my Mom is.
4. Elder: I don’t want to leave my friends and community. Adult Child: How can I take Mom away from everything she knows and loves?
5. Elder: I can’t afford to move into a senior living residence. I should just stay home, it’s cheaper. Adult Child: I don’t know what would cost more, keeping Mom home or moving her into a facility. Where do I even begin?

If you’re a senior living company, these are the problems your website should be helping to solve for your prospects. These are the things important to them. There are many others, but these are very common problems among people trying to decide if a senior living community is right for them. Having information on your website about your business, your services, and your facility is important, but what’s much more important, is having information and resources on your website that help prospects begin to solve their problems.   

What are you doing online to help your senior living prospects solve their problems?

I ran across this great post from Sara Barton over Community Marketing Blog.  If you’re a senior living company or eldercare service provider thinking about blogging, or just getting into it, read and learn from Sara what will make your company’s blog suck, and ultimately, what can make it great:

1. Your blog is boring. Why should anyone care about your brand, let alone your blog? Is it relevant to your readers? Can you write content that comes from a real human being, rather than dabbling in “corporate speak?” If not, don’t blog.
2. Your content is lame. What can you say on your blog that hasn’t already been said before? Can you put a fresh spin on topics that have been done to death?
3. You don’t commit to your blog. It takes time, talent, and resources to do it right – from writing the content to programming and designing the blog itself.
4. You can’t be bothered to update content on a regular basis. Assess your reasons for blogging – do you want to build steady readership or SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? If you’re going to blog, you need to do so as often as is appropriate for your goals, not just when you have time to update.
5. You’re out of touch. Is your content only about your company and its services, and nothing else? Stay current on topics that interest your readers and show how your brand relates to it.
6. You’re losing readers. What’s the point of a well-written blog if only a select few can access it? Add feed content to your blog so that readers can subscribe, share, and enjoy.
7. You forget that a blog is NOT advertising. If you need an ad, contact an agency and have commercials or print materials produced. Your blog is your opportunity to build a relationship with your readers.
8. Your blog lacks credibility. In a study by Forrester Research, only 16% of online consumers who read corporate blogs say they trust them. Woah – pretty heady stuff. Why should readers trust your blog’s information any more than a press release or an advertisement?
9. No one knows your blog exists. Think of your company blog like the proverbial tree in the forest: if no one reads your blog, does it matter how awesome it is? Spread the word and drive traffic to your blog.
10. You give up too soon. In the marketing world, we take metrics pretty seriously and we like to track effectiveness. ROI is king and there are few excuses for failure when we have analysis tools at our disposal. When readers don’t comment on blogs, many companies give up before they have a chance to see actual results. Take the time to analyze the numbers before you move on.

Here’s a link to the original post.

The Collaboration for Homecare Advances in Management and Practice (CHAMP) is offering a new online geriatric medication management course for nurses and other care providers with the goal of improving patient outcomes. According to CHAMP, most older homecare patients are taking over five medications and medication-related problems are a leading cause of avoidable rehospitalizations. The course costs $149 per person and offers CEU’s to nurses. 

Another cool thing about CHAMP is that they have an online community! In the community, homecare professionals can post questions, connect with others, and share experiences. The CHAMP community also offers access to industry experts who share their knowledge and expertise about homecare best practices. Definitely an organization worth checking out.   

Social Media Marketing Industry Report

Here’s a great social media/networking story for you. Today I was contacted by Jodi Bach of Pacific Resources, a company that does recruiting for the senior living industry. She found me via my Linkedin profile. She was interested in what we do here at CareNetworks and wondered if, in addition to helping senior living and eldercare companies connect with customers, we did any “employment or employer branding.” I was intrigued by her question, but had to confess that I wasn’t sure exactly what employer branding was. She explained that employer branding is essentially marketing companies to potential employees, as opposed to marketing to potential customers. Jodi went on to say that, in the senior living and eldercare industries, this makes a lot of sense because companies are often trying to recruit from a small pool of qualified candidates (she should know). After she explained it, I realized I knew exactly what employer branding was (duh). I just didn’t realize it was called employer branding. And yes, we do help with that, however, it’s not something we have focused on, but maybe it should be. We did cover some elements of employer branding and social media in this post.

Jodi also mentioned that some of the larger senior living companies like Sunrise and Kisco are trying to use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to boost their brands and build a following of potential employees (I’m now following both on Twitter).

Social media changes the game of employer branding because it allows current employees and customers to throw their two cents in to the mix and opens up a dialog between companies and job candidates like never before.

To test how employer branding combined with social media might work for a home care company, we will be adding a job board to the Living Well Community site where prospective employees can view job openings, submit an online resume, ask questions, and get feedback from company executives. Living Well, a company that provides concierge style “at-home” assisted living services is in startup mode and they want to attract exceptional caregivers in a highly competitive market (San Francisco). Using their online community to attract, engage, and build relationships with prospective employees will surely be an interesting endeavor to watch. 

While this is an online community and social media blog, occasionally we will mix it up a little with a senior health and wellness article. After all, we’re all getting older and wellness can make us better social media pros! Feel free to republish these articles on your website, as long as you give us credit with alink back

Terrace Communities, a group of seven assisted living residences in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Florida, is using their community blog and discussion forums to share information and address resident and family concerns about the H1N1 flu virus. Corinne McCandless, VP of Residential Care for Terrace Communities, says that using the blog and discussion forums allows the company to get the word out fast about the latest information from the CDC and the company’s plan to manage the potential threat. She adds, “We can dialog with residents and families right on our Website in real time. It keeps them in the loop and makes it easier for us to disseminate the information.” You can view Corinne’s blog post here. Learn more about how you can use social media for your senior living or eldercare services business at CareNetworks.com.

In the April ’09 edition of Provider Magazine, David Smith, president of One on One, a St. Louis-based consultancy for senior housing and long-term care, gives some pointers on how to convert assisted living prospects into customers. He should know. A CCRC he co-owns in the St. Luis area consistently maintains 100% occupancy and his marketing team is able to convert about 50% of qualified prospects that visit the community once. Here’s a breakdown of Smith’s advice:

1. Forget about discounts. Remember that for most qualified prospects, the decision NOT to move into senior housing is based more on emotions than finances. Therefore, discounting your rates or offering temporary financial incentives may not be an effective approach. Instead, be sensitive to each prospect’s unique situation and feelings about the issues at hand. Give them time to tell you their story. Build a relationship with them over time.
2. Discover their needs. Understand that no qualified prospect inquires about senior housing without underlying needs. Try to figure out exactly what their needs are,  what’s motivating them to inquire, why the person should move,  and why they should move now vs. later.
3. Don’t focus on the sale. Instead, focus on the prospects problems and issues. If they perceive you to be more interested in them than a sale, they are more likely to trust you to help them make the best decision.
4. Maintain a “Yes we can” attitude. A true resident-centered approach to operations and service delivery will sell itself when prospects come to visit.
5. Make sure you’re the right fit. Figure out if they can actually afford to live at your residence and if your community is the best choice for them.  If not, provide them with more affordable and appropriate alternatives.

Now, you may be wondering why I’m writing about this in the Online Community and Social Media Blog. It’s because online communities and social media allow you to build trusting relationships with prospects over time, and continue engaging prospects long after they’ve left your office. Using social tools like blogs and discussion forums, you can open up a dialog with your prospects and keep them engaged throughout the sales cycle. Online communities can also help prospects connect with peers who are facing similar challenges, access information about local resources, and feel validated about the decisions they are making. I wonder if David Smith is using social media to build relationships with clients and prospects. I think I’ll give him a call and ask. Stay tuned for his response.

When prospective customers visit a senior living community or contact a homecare agency seeking information about their services, what they’re really doing is testing out a relationship and trying to determine if they can trust the organization to take care of themselves or a loved one in a time of need. They are seeking honesty, unbiased information, and compassion. Pick up a copy of Chris Brogan and Julian Smith’s book Trust Agents to learn how you can nurture these relationships online, but when a prospect is sitting in your office, here are some ways to give them exactly what they are looking for:

1. Listen. Let them tell you their unique story and allow them to share their fears and concerns. Talk with them, not to them. Try to jot down at least 10 things about their particular situation that are unique and have special meaning to them.
2. Give honest advice. If your organization is not quite right for them, let them know, and give them the names of other organizations that may be better suited to their needs. Help them, don’t sell them. Provide them with relevant information specific to their situation.
3. Provide a road map. The world of eldercare is complex and for most people, it’s uncharted territory. Give prospects the tools that will help them understand their options and a map (or GPS system) that will help them find the way. Offer them a guided tour through the array of local eldercare services. Don’t be afraid to show them the competition. After all, if you really are the best option for this prospect, you have nothing to fear.
4. Think like a social worker. Social workers seek to improve the human condition by understanding the social issues that impact individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Having a deep understanding of these issues will help you guide your prospects to make the decisions that are right for them.
5. Unleash your fans. Let them talk with your best staff and patients/residents, particularly your “brand enthusiasts.” Conversations with unbiased third parties can be very powerful and can influence prospects more than talking with management.
6. Be patient. Give them time to think about things. The decisions that need to be made are complex and life changing. Be there for them unconditionally at each step of the way and more likely than not, you will be rewarded with their business.

How do you build relationships with prospects? What do you do to give prospects what they need?

As I outline in my recent post, “What Every LTC Organization Needs To Know About Their Website,” most senior living company sites are digital brochures with stock images and canned messages. Few have any personality or interactivity. Some courageous senior living companies have ventured into emerging social technologies and added social capabilities to their websites setting themselves apart from the rest. Kind of like the Kia Soul (video below). If you are using social media or if your company has added social elements to their website, let us know. We’ll write about it here.

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) now has a section on their website called “Social Media 101” which shows off some of their new “ALFA 2.0″ initiatives and provides links to their new blog (ALFA Re:Source 2.0) and various social media outposts including Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Linkedin, and Widgetbox. It’s great to see organizations like ALFA finally getting into the game. AARP has taken it one step further by adding an online community their site – a very smart move. ALFA will be examining social media strategies among senior living companies in the September/October issue of Assisted Living Executive, so keep an eye out for that. We will be covering that story here as soon as it’s published. We need to see more stories from industry leaders about innovative senior living companies like Terrace Communities and Living Well Assisted Living at Home who are using online communities and social media to reach a wider audience and engage their customers, prospects, staff, and referral sources in new ways. We will keep you posted on the ALFA 2.0 initiative as it develops. In the mean time, if you are a senior living company or eldercare service provider using social media, tell us your story.