By Steve Moran

Two weeks ago I moved my 92-year-old stepfather into a 6-bed residential assisted living community. It turned out to be a huge mistake. The meals got served, the meds were passed, and the bathing, dressing, and toileting were all done exactly as promised.

What Was Missing?

The thing that was missing was a cup of coffee.

Eight years ago, my mom was in a different residential community where I would visit 3 or 4 times per week. The first time I showed up, they asked me if I wanted something to drink. I requested a cup of coffee with cream.

For the next eight months, every single time I showed up to visit Mom, within two minutes of walking into her room, someone would show up with a cup of coffee with cream, just the way I liked it.

It, of course, was more than just a cup of coffee. It was how they thought about caring for elders and their family members.

$48,000 Per Year — Money Well Spent

After 5 days and a half-dozen encounters with indifferent caregivers and a very unhappy and sad stepfather, I decided to move him again. I called Toly, the owner of All Seasons, the community where Mom had been, and a room had just opened up. The cost went from $7,500 per month to $11,500 per month (and we would not have batted an eye if it had been more).

The Difference

The difference is rooted in a fundamental philosophy of the owners of the two communities. In one case, they see themselves in the business of running a care home, and if I’m honest, they are doing an adequate job of running a care home. The other owner is in the business of creating an optimal living experience for the resident and their family members. They are constantly asking: What can we do to create a great experience for our residents and for our families?

Everything they do, the way they think about what they do, is all predicated on the idea of creating a great experience.

That Extra $4,000

That extra $4,000 is not profit — in fact, hardly any of it is profit. It is used to pay caregivers above-market wages. It is used to make sure there are two team members available for the 6 residents all day long. It is used to pay for a caregiver who stays awake all night long.

Be the Most Expensive

Being great and being the most expensive is a winning combination. I am 99% sure that he is at the very top of the charts for small homes in the Sacramento area … and he has a 5-month waitlist. This is a lesson I wish I had understood when I first started operating senior living communities decades ago. I would probably be the mogul of all senior living today.

I get that not everyone can afford what we are paying, and honestly, the level of care he is providing is not even what everyone needs.

It also would not have cost the first community any more money to have focused on creating a great experience for my stepfather. There were plenty of times when I saw those caregivers sitting around, browsing the internet on their phones. If they had been focused on creating a great experience …

  • I would not have been chastised for washing my hands in the kitchen sink after caring for my stepfather’s catheter bag.
  • I would have gotten help figuring out how to watch football, rather than being told they just turn on the TV and whatever is on is what the residents watch.
  • I would have had conversations beyond the transactional.
  • I would have been offered ice cream after dinner rather than being told there was no more.
  • They would have offered me a cup of coffee each time I walked into the community.

The Bottom Line

The move makes me so happy, and Gary less unhappy (he will settle in). That $48,000 cup of coffee tastes so much better and is worth every penny. It is worth more than what I am paying. It’s worth thinking about how many $48,000 cups of coffee you might not be serving in your communities.