Category: Marketing

On the Topic of Residents: Connect with the people seeking the care you provide

2/16/2020

Article by Alyssa Elting McGuire, MA, MPA

Originally posted 6/10/19. Updated 2/16/20.

One of the more common questions I’ve been asked, both when I was with licensing, and now as an independent consultant is, “How do I find residents?” My advice has always been to start thinking about your strategy to market your adult foster home from the very start of the process, and use a multi-pronged approach to getting your business noticed.

To better assist my clients now, I continuing to seek out beneficial resources and partnerships that will allow them to most effectively get the word out about their vacancies to the right people. That is key. To the right people. You want to go where people are looking for the care you provide. Don’t simply cast the marketing net wide, but instead be deliberate and strategic in your approach.

There are a several avenues for finding potential residents, both private pay and Medicaid consumers. The list below is not comprehensive, but is a start. The options listed below provide similar services, yet are targeted to different audiences. Just like your stock options, you want to diversify. I’d like to tell you a bit more about each option.

Placement agencies: These agencies receive a fee from the adult foster home provider for successful placement. Generally the fee is between 75 – 100% of the resident’s payment for the first month. Their target market is individuals and families looking for placement in a long-term care facility, including adult foster homes. A good resource to connect with a referral agent is the Oregon Senior Referral Agency Association(OSRAA), which also has a page to post your vacancies.

Posting Websites: The target market for vacancy websites is individuals and families looking for placement in an adult foster home. Laria Care Finder is a local business that allows you to post detailed information about your home, about yourself as a provider, and about your vacancies. You can also add your business to the Alzheimer’s Association Community Resource Finder.

Discharge planners, care managers, and social workers: Get to know discharge planners, care managers, and social workers at your local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Contact the facilities to introduce yourself and let them know what level of care your provide.

State diversion/transition program: The State has a program specifically to move Medicaid consumers from nursing facilities to community-based facilities, such as adult foster homes. You can locate the local diversion/transition (D/T) programs by contacting your local licensing authority (LLA), also know as your local licensing office.

As you can see, there is no single avenue to find residents. What it takes is a solid, strategic plan, and being both proactive and persistent. Put yourself out there and develop professional relationships with others so they both know and trust you, and the care you provide.

About the Author

Alyssa Elting McGuire is the founder and consulting & training director for Oregon Care Home Consulting & Training.

Email Alyssa

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Why Your Adult Care Home Business Needs an Online Presence

3/2/2019

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Article by Alyssa Elting McGuire, MA, MPA

I was recently sitting in a class on the topic of website marketing offered through the Small Business Development Center, and I started thinking to myself, “why do so many adult care home businesses not have websites?” I’ll be the first to admit I’m no marketing expert, but I can say I recognize the value of a small business having an online presence.

Why, as an adult care home provider, should you invest the time and money into having a website or an alternative web presence for your adult care home business? I’d like to give you seven reasons why you need an online presence that showcases you and your adult care home.

It’s part of your overall marketing plan. This is your passion, but it is also your business. You need a marketing plan, and you can’t ignore the fact an online presence can be an important marketing tool.
Families are looking online for housing options for their loved ones. A business website probably won’t come up first on search engines, but you can make your presence known by using services such as Laria Care Finder where people can find detailed information about your home. Additionally, you can create a Google My Business account to be found through Google and on Google Maps. Also, Google My Business allows you to create a free basic website for your business.
It lends you some credibility. In this day-and-age, if nobody can find your business online, they can become a bit skeptical about your business. This is also true if they visit your website, and it’s obvious you haven’t updated it since 2005.
You have control over the content. You can post beautiful pictures of the inside and outside of your home, and offer any details that might be of interest to people looking to move to your adult care home.
It gives people a personal connection to you, as a caregiver. Post photos of yourself and give information about your approach to providing care, and why you chose to go into this business.
It gives you a forum to post client testimonials. Let people know about the great care you provide by posting client and family testimonials (while always keeping confidentiality in mind).
Make it easy for people to find you. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find information about your care home and your contact information.

You don’t have to be a web designer or developer to create your web presence. If you have some understanding of website development and design, you can create your own site, but your time is money, so I would encourage you to consider hiring out this service, or using a service that will do the work for you to market your home. Let the professionals handle it. It will be worth your time and money, and you’ll be on the right path to creating a professional, online presence for your adult care home business.

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On the Topic of Residents: Connect with the people seeking the care you provide

Why Your Adult Care Home Business Needs an Online Presence

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