I recently wrote an article about how we might use rock ‘n’ roll to help promote senior living (read it HERE). A would-be resident found it and sent me this email. Every senior living operator needs to see it.
Hey there!
I admit it, I am lost! I was unable to find what I’m looking for and I ended up here, reading one of your articles. I am too tired to resume my search.
I’m a 65 y/o disabled/retired man that thought he had an “original idea” about a dozen years ago . . . that idea being a rock ‘n’ roll retirement community. I searched online; found nada. Here I am that buncha years later and still, I only find a couple talks about such things, no existing such places to be found, at least during my couple hours online.
Now about out of battery, I end today’s search at your feet, simply, plaintively asking does such a place exist?
I can’t bring myself to turn my life over to an I-don’t-care home where music is allowed only through tiny, tiny plastic “speakers”, or worse yet, tiny, tinny plastic ear spuds. Aaaahhh! Let me just say that I’d really rather not.
Kind sir, would you know where one of my ilk can turn for hope on such a subject?
Thank you for your time and consideration. I enjoyed your article, btw, I remember that much. I am, however, and please forgive me, too darned tired to retain anything I read! Ha! Isn’t aging a hoot? Rockin’ retirement would make it oh, so much more palatable!
Sincerely,
Paul
Talk, Talk, Talk
For the last, I don’t know, 5 years practically every single conference I have been to there is some panel or some speaker that talks about how slow we are to innovate. That we need to be focused more on variety, on figuring out what the emerging boomer senior living consumer wants. Much of that talk coming from executives who are actually in a position to create something new.
And yet with the possible exception of some people who are doing some really interesting things in the area of middle-market senior living . . .
NOTHING. EXCEPT . . .
bigger, fancier, and more expensive.
If the Experience is Everything
If the experience is everything then the building is NOT everything and this represents opportunity. Think about Burning Man or another music festival. While the press is about wealthy entertainment folks who attend, most attendees are common folks out to have a good time. And what is important is this — even the wealthy put up with living in less than luxurious circumstances. I get it that the celeb’s go to glam camps where they have great accommodations but there are still porta-potties and playa dust everywhere.
Because the experience is everything!
The Opportunity
There are senior living communities out there that are simply worn out. They either have persistently low occupancy or in some cases have been closed down. Take one of those buildings and create a rock ‘n’ roll senior living community. And all of a sudden that building no one cared about becomes the hottest senior living community on the planet.
What would it take? Some vintage posters, a good sound system, some cheesy lights. Like the lobby of a Hard Rock Hotel. And bringing in local cover bands once or twice a month.
Opportunities like this abound.
