By Jack Cumming

Gaining a positive reputation to build occupancy depends on the word-of-mouth that residents generate with their hesitant friends. Recently, I took a dive into one such resident’s positive sharing.

What Do Residents Want?

This resident quoted her daughter’s statement of filial relief: “Mom, you don’t know how happy we are for you … That you’re in a place where you’re having so much fun, and you’re meeting people, they’re taking care of you.” [Source]

There’s so much wisdom to unpack in that succinct statement that I wanted to share it with you. Let’s start at the beginning. The daughter loves and reveres her mother and wants to know that she’s taken care of without depending on her children.

Of course, the children would accept that responsibility of dependency if they were called to do so. But, isn’t it a wonderful gift to give to loving children to spare them that burden? That can be much more meaningful than hoarding money to give children an inheritance after death.

Start With Fun

Next, the daughter wants her mother to be happy and to have a fulfilling, stimulating life. Mom’s quote reflects that wish. Of course, aging people want to be happy. It’s not the fun that’s done for them. It’s the fun that they have with friends. This happy mom has found carefree happiness by living in a CCRC.

Peace of Mind

Then, there’s peace of mind. “… they’re taking care of you.” Of course, people hope not to need care. Given a choice, most of us would love to stay young and healthy forever, avoiding death altogether. One of the stories that sticks from our early education is the myth of Ponce de Leon pursuing the Fountain of Youth. It’s an age-old wish fantasy.

Still, reality suggests that is unlikely, so instead we hope for a full life, ending as did the life of one of my friends. Beth Douthett was found in her bed, in repose but lacking life. Her cat was nestled in the crook of her arm. What a blessing for Beth!

Commit to Quality

Despite our wishes, prospective residents know that they may not have Beth’s good fortune. They want to know that someone, or some institution, is taking responsibility for tracking their health and welfare and will intervene to respond if needed. That’s a fiduciary responsibility, whether it’s called that or not.

The onus is to put the resident’s welfare first, just as those loving children would accept that responsibility. Ideally, the CCRC finances are structured so that the care provider gains by supporting the good health of the resident, rather than appearing to profit from escalating caregiver charges. It’s reassuring for a prospect to know that the CCRC’s financial interest is aligned with the residents’ welfare interests.

It also calls for creating care responses that are of the same or higher quality than the loving care that a family member, say this mom’s daughter, would provide. That is a calling beyond the business concept that motivates many providers, both not-for-profit and investor-funded. Putting residents’ interests first and being able to articulate that advantage shifts the focus away from price shopping.

What’s Taken for Granted

This short overview of what this one resident values leaves other aspects of CCRC living unsaid. Residents often praise the convenience of in-house dining services. They also complain about dining. The more flexibility a provider offers, the more likely residents are to find what they want and expect.

Also unsaid is the presumption that the CCRC is financially sound. Few residents take the time or have the sophistication to inquire into the balance sheet, the income statement, or how the enterprise is financed and led. Most residents take it for granted that no CCRC would be allowed to operate if it weren’t financially strong. That is something that the industry would do well to address, especially as media outlets are attracted to scandal.

Give the Residents What They Want

I once knew a dining services manager whose watchword was “Give the residents what they want.” He was thinking of dining where food is cheap compared with the cost of labor or the cost of resident grumbling. He was a generous innkeeper, which is what he eventually became after he bought his own bed and breakfast home.

That’s good advice for any business, and especially for a residential living business like senior housing. It pays to give customers what they want and to have a sense of proportionality about cost/benefit tradeoffs. I’ve long loved a line from a George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play. The former grand duchess, now a waitress at Sardis, counsels those on stage and in the audience, “Don’t be chintzy with the blintzes.” Good advice for everyone.