RetirementHomes.com - Senior Living Professionals

New Media for Older Adults - Bridging the Gap

aadmin — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 07:54:12 +0000

With access to social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, people around the world can connect and interact with their family members, friends, and communities (both near and far) within a virtual space.

This digital forum of communication and entertainment promotes the extension of personal networks and helps maintain strong relationships within them by increasing our perceived proximity to the people we care about.

There are many benefits for older adults living in retirement communities to use social media on a regular basis:

Decrease feelings of isolation
Provide users with the abilities to share narratives about themselves
Post pictures and videos from their daily lives
Read updates from other users
Participate in free video calls with loved ones
Play games with others

Social media websites keep us more connected with the people and communities around us than ever before.

To utilize these social media tools fully, it’s important for seniors to understand what they are, how they work, and just how easy they are to use with a little practice and support. The following descriptions are meant to help communicate the key elements of Facebook and Twitter to new users and to highlight the value of each tool.

Facebook is the largest online social network, with over 1.1 billion registered users from all over the planet. The purpose of Facebook is to allow people to connect with others that they know, once knew, or have met. At a minimum, the people you add to your Facebook network are your acquaintances, but most will be family and friends. An acquaintance, for example, could be an old classmate you lost touch with or maybe a coworker from a past career.

On Facebook, they refer to all the people in your network as a “friend”. You choose who your “friends” are and you can deny accepting someone as a “friend” if you want to. Your Facebook “friends” can view your personal profile, which is a collection of information about you. You decide what information you share in your profile.

Typically, people share their birthday, a few photos, and maybe a couple of personal interests, such as your favorite book or hobby. Whenever you share something on Facebook, for instance a picture or a comment, your “friends” can see it. Essentially, your “friends” have access to all of the things you share on Facebook, and you have access to all of the things that they share.

Another fun feature of Facebook is the multitude of free games you can play, both alone and with your “friends”. It’s amazing to think that we can play a match of Scrabble with someone online, even if we are at different ends of the country :)

Twitter, unlike Facebook, is a social networking tool that enables users to connect with people and organizations they do not know personally, like an author, celebrity, or a brand (like Coke or Microsoft). Friends and family can also be in your Twitter network, but knowing everyone personally is not necessary.

Twitter calls the people in your network “followers”. All of your “followers” can see everything you decide to share on Twitter. The idea here is that you share small comments that describe what you’re doing, how you’re feeling, or maybe an opinion you have; all said in 140 characters.

Each user, including the brands/organizations, put Twitter updates online regularly for all “followers” to see, which means there is a lot of information floating around. As a result of its vast user base and instantaneous connectivity to everyone using the tool, Twitter has become one of today’s leading news/media sources.

As news happens, updates are put on Twitter in real time, spreading the information like wild fire. It almost makes newspapers, which report stories the day after they happen, seem obsolete.

Having access to basic computer technologies and the Internet makes the virtual world of social media available to everyone who knows how to use it. For this reason, it’s essential that retirement communities provide free use of computer devices that are current and well maintained.

More importantly, seniors need guidance and support when moving into this digital realm, to help point them in the right direction, build confidence and establish comfort with technology. With these elements, retirement communities and the people who reside in them will be part of the normal, digital world that continues to unfold.

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10 Tips for Talking with Older Adults

aadmin — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:20:06 +0000

Are you searching for ways to help residents better understand you in face-to-face conversations?

Here are 10 ways to improve your message, summarized from my training programs for retirement communities:

Don’t talk too fast. Many retirement community staffers are younger and speak as if they were talking to their same-age friends. Remember: their ability to get what you are saying is in direct proportion to how complex the information is. Speak more slowly without appearing to be patronizing.
Use your hands. Normal gestures can help them understand. Take a cue from how residents and their older visitors communicate with their hands.
Control the setting. Use a well-lit area. Sit face-to-face, if you can, not off to one side or the other. As you know, hearing and vision declines increase with aging. The person may be lip-reading, especially prevalent with older males.
No quick movements which can interfere with attention. Even if you’re under time pressure and may be apt to rush what you are saying, stifle the urge. Unnecessary movements also may send a message that you may be out of control. Don’t glance at your wristwatch. It signals that you have other things to do. Better to say: “We have another few minutes, let’s cover the following.”
Speak in a slightly louder tone. But, don’t shout. Choose common, everyday words in place of technical words. Enunciate words clearly. Stay in a logical sequence; avoid distracting conversation. The person may not be hearing all the words but may understand by the context of your words.
Repeat or paraphrase. Keep hands away from your mouth when speaking because it could muffle words. Don’t change the topic abruptly.
Explain abstract concepts, using examples from their lives. It’s best if you relate to events and things they remember.
Use words that strengthen their sense of independence. All in all, they want to remain independent. They want to make their own decisions, if possible.
Repeat your questions. Do so, if it appears they don’t get what it is you are asking for.
Continue to go back to the basic points you want to make. Re-enforcing your points frequently helps their understanding, aids recall and overcomes memory loss. It’s also helpful to use their own words as they respond to yours.

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Bad Mood Foods

aadmin — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 08:04:19 +0000

It’s quite easy for busy healthcare professionals (especially those working overnight shifts) to grab something quick and convenient, and not so healthy. However, some of these quick bites can not only make you a little cranky, they can leave you feeling downright depressed.

Here’s a look at some bad mood foods and the simple swaps you can make to lift your spirits and your health.

Your morning bagel (or any other white grain). Carbohydrates fuel the production of serotonin, your brain's main feel-good neurotransmitter, which activates receptors that help control your mood and appetite. Of course, not all carbs are created equal. Unhealthy white grains like bagels, white pasta and white bread can cause a quick spike and then dip in blood sugar. The result? You’ll feel lethargic and cranky 30 to 45 minutes after loading up on refined carbs.

Feel-good swap. Replace refined grains with whole-grains like whole-grain cereal, rice and oatmeal. Whole grains are digested more slowly than refined grains, which will help keep your blood sugar—and mood—stable.

Your daily soda(s). Soda consumption has decreased over the past decade, but Americans still love their bubbly drinks—it’s estimated that the average American drinks around 44 gallons of soda a year! Sodas are not only filled with empty calories, but they are loaded with sugar. Some research has found that the ingredients in soda can confuse the appetite-regulating hormones in the digestive tract. After the initial sugar rush of guzzling a soda, your mood may plummet and your appetite may skyrocket.

Feel-good swap: If carbonation is what you crave, try seltzer water with a slice of lemon or splash of 100% fruit juice.

Your French fry or fried food habit. No doubt about it, fried foods taste good. Ok, they usally taste great. But with a frightening amount of bad fats, high sodium and refined carbs, fried foods can wreak havoc on your mind and body. You can probably recall the feeling you get after inhaling a fast food value meal—bloated, tired and almost sick.

Feel-good swap: Fat isn’t your enemy—the key is eating the right type of fat. Healthy fats that contain omega-3s are known to support brain-cell function and positive moods. Walnuts and fish, especially salmon and sardines, are prime sources. Low-fat milk that's fortified with DHA is also a good choice for healthy fats.

“Junk food drags you down.”
—Miranda Lambert

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Inside The Mind of the World's Toughest Buyer

aadmin — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 08:54:15 +0000

If we can crack the code of what’s going on in the mind of the hardest person to sell to on the planet, we can sell to anyone!

This weekend, we (my husband, my daughter and I) went car shopping. Our initial strategy was to buy a new vehicle for my husband to drive until my son was ready to go off to medical school – when he would take the new car. So we were “shopping” on behalf of a family member who wasn’t there. And all three of us are different types of buyers with different buying objectives and styles. (Sound familiar?)

You'll see some familiar parallels to your prospects, their feelings and their objections (spoken and unspoken).

Here's my story:

We are a very practical family. But we have our quirks. My husband is very analytical and researches extensively before he makes a decision. I’m the toughest buyer you’ve met. I know what I like and what I don’t like. My daughter would have bought every single car we looked at. She was excited and showed it (I think she worked for the dealerships!)

We buy dependable, quality cars and drive them forever. So our purchases are long term and we don’t make them lightly. We visited 3 dealerships and looked at countless vehicles. The first dealership is the one we expected to buy from, but left disappointed. At the second dealership we were window shopping out of our price range and we told the salesman we weren’t serious buyers. The third dealership was a spontaneous visit and turned out to be the best experience.

At two of the dealerships, the salesman made comments about how tough I was to sell to. Salesman #1 took my daughter aside and said, “Your mom is tough! Is she a lawyer? What would it take to get her to buy?” My daughter retorted, “Give her what she wants!” (Good advice!)

I confess: I am the hardest person on the planet to sell to. If you can sell to me, you can sell to anyone.

Here’s how to sell to the toughest buyer on the planet.

Don’t blow smoke up their skirt. We pick up on that right away and then our defenses go up even more. At dealership #1, they made feeble attempts to personally connect. We knew what we wanted to see, but they insisted on following their “steps”. They weren’t genuine or natural and didn’t match our tone. They’d have been better off skipping the attempts and just giving us what we wanted (show us the product). Be genuine and be flexible.
Don’t “fabricate” a discount. Dealership #1 had sticker pricing (with discount) posted on the vehicle and when it was time to negotiate “their best price”, they put on a production: kept us waiting for 10 minutes while they brought out the “manager” who showed us a website, printed out a quote with “best price”, only to end up a half hour later at the very same price on the vehicle sticker. We were insulted. Just tell people the truth.
Show them options based on their feedback. We went into dealership #1 with a particular vehicle in mind. But after the test drive (tour) we were clearly lackluster and communicated that there was no “wow” factor. The salesman offered nothing (and lost the sale). At dealership #3, when we were looking at a different vehicle and complained that we were looking for a bit of “wow” factor, the salesman said, “Oh, if you’re looking for “wow” factor, you should see this…” and he steered us to a different vehicle that we hadn’t yet considered. Coincidently, that is the vehicle that we eventually decided on. Yes, it’s an upgrade in price also.
Handle their unspoken, but clear, objections. I mentioned my husband is a heavy researcher. He knew everything about every vehicle we planned to consider. And he researched (on the spot) all the ones we hadn’t planned on.

Dealership #1 salesman actually contradicted the research my husband presented. He practically argued with him…which cost him credibility. By contrast, when presented with online ratings, Dealership #3 salesman offered additional sites showing the vehicle’s high ratings. He added to my husband’s knowledge and fed his need for information in a positive way.

Interesting conclusions:

Because of dealership #3’s salesmanship, we are likely going to spend more than our anticipated budget. He gently guided us, responded to our concerns and “upgraded” us naturally.

Within an hour of leaving dealership #1, we got a call from a different sales manager who thanked us for coming in. It was a nice touch, but she didn’t offer anything new (plus we had already left). While at dealership #3, the manager stopped by to introduce himself, and told us about a few perks of buying from their dealership (free car washes, oil changes and tire rotations for 2 years). He also made personal connections with us (kids go to same school). The difference is, they gave us what we wanted first (show us the product) and then we were open to connecting personally.

You can definitely sell to the toughest buyer on the planet. And when you do, it’s likely to be a good size sale and they will be very loyal to you.

Sell to them the way they want to be sold – sometimes that’s information first, sometimes that’s a very clear value proposition, sometimes that’s letting them lead the sales process…and sometimes, its all 3! Be friendly – but genuine. Be helpful and flex with their comments to show them options they haven’t considered. At the end of the day, people buy PEOPLE.

Happy Selling!

Mona Hilton is the CEO of Occupancy Advantage.

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ACHCA Summer Leadership Conference

aadmin — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:00:00 +0000

The American College of Health Care Administrators - ACHCA - will hold their summer leadership conference from July 28 to August 1, 2014 at The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda. The conference is entitled, "Blind-Side: How a Small Behavior Change Can Make a Huge Difference."

Stephen Taylor of Stephen Taylor & Associates, a coaching and consulting service since 1982, will facilitate. This conference is intended for long-term care leaders, administrators, CEOs, facility owners, ACHCA members and non-members. Earn 15 CEs.

Workshops will run on all four days of the conference

ACHCA Summer Leadership Conference

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CLICK HERE to read Mona’s 6 specific FOLLOW UP tips.

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From FOLLOW UP Failure to FABULOUS

aadmin — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:55:35 +0000

Are you sick and tired of giving away more than 3/4 of your prospects to your competition because of follow up failure? Keep reading…because you’re about to go from FOLLOW UP Failure to Follow up FABULOUS!

In the housing industry (senior or residential), a lead costs an average of $500 on average. And after going through all the trouble of generating these expensive, valuable, precious leads, it would be a shame to not get your money’s worth from those inquiries…but that’s exactly what’s happening.

It’s shocking, but 80% of all inquiries or leads never receive ANY type of follow up!

If that’s not enough, in a survey, 65% of managers cited “Follow up” as their #1 Business Failure!

No surprise, but the largest and fastest growing source of new leads is the Internet. 87% of our inquiries will research you online first – on your website, search engines and all the various social media and review sites like Angie’s list and Google Plus. Of the people who go to your website, 45% of them will purchase from you or a competition within 12 months….and 75% of those people will buy from the first person they speak to.

In fact, when a web leads contact you, if you contact them back within 5 minutes of them reaching out to you, you are 100TIMES more likely to reach them, engage them and sell to them than if you wait just 30 minutes!

I’ve always said the most damaging statistic is the one you don’t know. And the truth is, I’ll bet no one reading this knows for certainty how many prospects they are GIVING away. But we can only take a guess at the cost of NOT following up by estimating lost revenue.

Maybe you’re thinking, Mona, I hear you, but I know our people ARE doing follow up. My answer to you would be AWESOME…that’s great. Let’s look at what follow up is being done.

Ask people why they don’t do follow up or stop doing follow up, and you’ll hear some very legitimate reasons:

Afraid to appear too pushy
Forgetting to follow up
No time
Don’t know what to say
Don’t have system
Don’t know what to do with some of the prospects you get

I recently googled “sales follow up” and got 969,000 hits. Everyone recognizes that follow up is a problem and is necessary for success, but no one tells you HOW to do it. So I will take a stab at it.

And don’t forget your past/current clients and referral sources! If you provide a service that people need repeatedly – like home health or services – don’t neglect to follow up with your past clients. They represent future business.

The tips I gave you in the link are practical and make common sense. But honestly, we know that they are easier to talk about than they are to do. So is there a secret to great, effective, consistent, bullet-proof follow up? And if so, what is it?

The secret is to plan out your follow up paths and goals and messages in advance and then automate them. You can do that on paper or spreadsheets or you can use the set it and forget it follow up TaskoMatics built into Advantage.

Each TaskoMatic is strategic and intentionally designed for a different type of lead and has a specific goal. Maybe it’s for a web lead and the goal is to get them on the phone for discovery. A TaskoMatic allows you to prebuild follow up sequences of activities, calls, emails, notes, and other actions that move your prospects towards the goal. These actions can be strategically assigned to different people to do different things and use intentionally relevant messages.

I love it when technology serves as your assistant, don’t you?! By automating your systems, you can focus on the high value activities (relationships that generate revenue) and let your technology “take care” of your automated tasks.

So although FOLLOW UP is our number 1 failure, I’ve got good news for you!

Follow up failure may be expensive, is definitely unnecessary but the good news is, it’s fixable! You can go from Follow Up Failure to Follow Up FABULOUS. And your follow up will have FABULOUS results on your revenue!

Here’s to FABULOUS Follow Up!

Mona Hilton is the CEO of Occupancy Advantage

Watch the video with Mona Hilton and RetirementHomes.com, How to Forever Fix the #1 Failure in Your Sales Teams: FOLLOW UP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODisqnC7Ufc

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Care About Residents? No More Bad-Mouthing the Food.

aadmin — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 07:40:24 +0000

During presentations and workshops I teach the importance of speaking positively about the food being served to residents in long-term care communities. This is a point that almost always hits home. Most community leaders and dining staff admit they struggle with this issue. Grousing about the food is so common, it has basically become an unquestioned habit, sometimes even a bonding experience.

One Assisted Living staff member told me, “I eat the food we serve nearly every day. I hear lots of complaining and poor Chef is constantly taking heat, but in my experience, it actually tastes pretty good. I think it is just something for people to belly ache about because they are bored or unhappy about their lives. The food is an easy target.”

Food in Long-Term Care Already Has an Image Problem
It’s no secret most people have negative perceptions about food in retirement residences. Critics have compared food service in care communities with that of schools, prisons, and the military. Consumers assume eating in nursing homes is awful. Even seniors in assisted living and luxurious continuing care communities (CCRCs) have unfavorable impressions of the food.

To be fair, in some communities, menu options are limited and meals can be unappetizing or bland. Food quality may be poor, and many times the focus is on preserving the system and providing nutrition at minimal cost. But many communities have put significant effort into improving the quality of ingredients and preparing tastier dishes, yet still the complaining goes on.

Regardless, staff needs to stop running down the food. This behavior is hurtful to residents.

Residents Need Us to Do Better
When the food is insulted, residents are insulted and their enjoyment of meals is decreased. They may even eat less, which compromises their health. Worse, when family and friends are visiting, it is humiliating for residents to have their guests overhear negative comments about the food.

Often, staff members do not realize griping about the food is rude and hurts residents’ feelings. They start thinking differently when I ask questions like, “How would you feel if someone came to your house and insulted the food?” or “When you are at your grandmother’s house, do you complain about the food? Why not?” Once staff members take a more empathetic view of the situation, it is easier for them to see the negative impact on residents.

Start Speaking in Tasty Terms Today
It costs nothing but higher standards and a change of attitude to improve the food at every meal. When positive language is used to describe food, people are naturally inclined to regard it as tastier. But, leaders need to make this issue a priority. To get started right now:

Create a policy that prohibits negative comments about the food.
Explain to all employees they have the power to improve perceptions about the food—and daily life for residents—by simply changing what they say about meals.
Teach staff how to speak in tasty terms and have everyone practice together.

Take this a step further by encouraging staff to eat the food your community serves, and set a good example by doing so yourself. In addition to demonstrating your support for the dining program, this will put you in a position to learn for yourself where improvements are needed.

About the Author

Cindy Heilman, MS, DTR has over 30 years of experience enhancing hospitality and food service quality. She is CEO of Higher Standards, LLC, author of Hospitality for Boomers: How to attract residents, retain staff, and maximize profitability, and creator of Kind Dining®

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The Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit

The 11th Annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit

aadmin — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:15:51 +0000

The 11th Annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit assembles entrepreneurs and leaders in the field of aging and the venture community. It convenes on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA.

Boomer Venture Summit Speakers will include:

Mary Furlong - President and CEO of Mary Furlong & Associates
Jody Holtaman - Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership at AARP
Laurie Orlov - founder of Boomer Health Tech Watch
Jeff Zimman - co-founder and Chairman of Posit Science
Barbara O’Connor - CMO of Move.com
Jeff Makowka - Senior Strategic Advisor in AARP’s Thought Leadership group

- and other top-notch industry speakers.

The Summit will offer special exhibits, a Boomer Business Plan Competition, and networking opportunities. The Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit is presented by Mary Furlong & Associates.

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Staying ahead of the Wii Learning Curve

aadmin — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 11:58:27 +0000

Video games allow people to venture into a world fueled by the imagination. A virtual reality can be a lot of fun whether you’re a child, middle aged professional or older adult! Play a video game and you can be almost anything — a race car driver, a web slinging super hero, a soccer star or a tennis mogul. The possibilities are limitless. In today’s digital society, video games are one of the most popular forms of escapism, which we all need from time to time :)

Nintendo Wii - The New Normal in Assisted Living

It’s universal for assisted living centers and retirement communities to host video game events in their weekly activities calendars. The game console of choice is Nintendo Wii due to the social flavor of the gaming experience. The controls are simple and easy for new players to enjoy on their first try in an enticing assortment of games, including golf, bowling, boxing, and fishing.

Wii was the first mainstream video game console to use motion sensors primarily to control the gameplay. With motion sensory, Wii players control the games with physical movements. While holding a wireless controller, players’ motions are tracked by an infrared sensor, setting off actions in real time within the video game.

The Intuitive, Natural Feel of Wii

The learning curve is short to play video games on Wii, because the physical motions to control the games are designed to be intuitive and natural. When a couple of old time sluggers in Wii's homerun derby swing the wireless controller, the virtual player on the screen swings in unison. Players can stand close or far away because the accuracy of the motion sensory is remarkable as is the range of the wireless controller. The console is inclusive and accessible for seniors to get familiar with the basic motions of Wii games within minutes.

There are two important points to consider when setting up a Nintendo Wii event:

Have extra batteries on-hand for the wireless controllers to ensure no one is left out if power runs out.
Place the infrared sensor that detects the motion of the wireless controller at an adequate height. For players who are sitting, the sensor may need to be positioned lower so the motion is detected properly.

Wii encourages everyone to participate in physical activities that form relationships and a sense of community. Residents can play against each other or as teammates head-to-head on the Internet against other retirement communities to promote good old fashion, healthy competition! Just remember what Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, “There’s no crying in baseball!” :)

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