“A connected community does take planning, but the end game is worth it, ultimately creating a nearly self-sustaining community ecosystem that works for everyone.”

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

August 21, 2020

Yes, and it will happen faster than expected.  As the CEO of K4Connect, Scott Moody, recently described it, the “connected community will enable senior living operators to integrate disparate technologies and unite their key stakeholders.  It will create new channels for communication, engagement and improved service delivery by linking together everyone from residents, to staff, to family members and even service providers.”  These benefits are much closer to reality than ever before, thanks to COVID-19.

Natan Linder wrote in a recent Forbes article that one of the few saving graces during this pandemic has been the existence of mature digital technologies. Staples of daily life right now like video calls, social media, collaboration tools, and shared storage are allowing us to keep working and living under difficult circumstances. Even “the Cloud” was not as prevalent just a decade ago, and without this basic infrastructure the quarantine routines of today would not have been possible. The same is true in senior living, the widespread use and accelerated deployment of digital technologies has brought the realization of a connected community even closer, but we still have a way to go.  

The key to keeping our momentum is two-fold. First, we need to close the gaps in any underlying infrastructure gaps revealed during COVID. A sound broadband network is an obvious step, but also some internal or contracted support to sustain it. Most would agree, Wi-Fi is on par today with water and electricity in most households.

Second, but equally as important right now, is to not add to the current disparate architecture of systems that currently exist in most senior living communities. If we are ever to reach the vision of a truly connected community, integration must start now.

For example, as communities pursue a near-term need for visitor management and screening, look for one that integrates with your census data or an already existing resident directory. Otherwise, your staff will have to manage data in both places. Additionally, if you have a resident app (like K4Community Plus), the resident can be automatically notified when their visitor arrives. As visitors sign-in, they could also be automatically entered into your sales and marketing or donor databases to keep them connected to your community. You can see the holistic thinking and planning that goes into a truly connected community.

Consider telehealth, for example – now certainly expected to be a part of any community’s long-term strategy. It’s important that any platform selection incorporates into your existing resident scheduling or calendar tool, somehow ties into a notification or reminder system (like the app mentioned above), and is made easy enough for residents or families to utilize so your staff is not spending their time getting it set up each time. While all these features may not be available at initial implementation, your integration partner should be helping you design it with that in mind.

A connected community does take planning, but the end game is worth it, ultimately creating a nearly self-sustaining community ecosystem that works for everyone. Pick the right solution partners and look for ways to integrate wherever you can. At K4Advisors and K4Connect, we are committed to a future where senior living communities can realize the benefits of technology and be truly connected. Call us if you need help!

“The role of a Sales and Marketing Director at any senior living community could not be any more important than right now. Here are the top five things I believe each director should be thinking about, planning for, and acting on.”

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

June 16, 2020

Many communities are beginning to re-open and are allowing new resident move-ins after almost 35% (from Ziegler CFO Hotline survey) had closed this down during the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Other surveys project occupancy has dropped slightly, but recent news, especially in IL, shows some positive news that inquiries are rising again.  

Additionally, Covid-19 reportedly followed “I’m not ready yet”, “I’m uncertain about the effects on my finances,” and “I don’t want to leave my home,” as reasons for not moving to a senior living community. A lot has changed, but some things never do. 

The role of a Sales and Marketing Director at any senior living community could not be any more important than right now.  Here are the top five things I believe each director should be thinking about, planning for, and acting on (if you are not already): 

1. Messaging/Proactive Public Relations – The last few months, the negative press around death rates in nursing homes has affected everyone’s reputation in the senior living industry. While unfair (in my opinion) to nursing home operators, this characterization must be met head on with a clear and consistent message from your sales team.  It should be shared proactively with prospects and their families, and include such topics as your community approach to safety and communication, services you provided during COVID (not available to them at home), precautions taken, stories of the staff heroes, the emphasis on social engagement even in stay-at-home times, and how the community overcame and learned from all of this to keep resident and staff safety as the #1 priority.
   
   There are a lot of very good stories out there, and it is incumbent on all of us to make sure they get heard. Every community, every team will have a unique message, but the Director must ensure it is assembled, updated as needed, and shared consistently by the sales team as well as other key staff across the organization. Everyone is a sales person right now. Good references on prospect sentiment can be found in survey results here and here.
2. Lead Generation & Prospect Management Strategy – Most data points to a decreased sales pipeline of as much as 20%. If you were without a wait list pre-COVID, you are likely scrambling to re-evaluate your method of lead generation. Even if you did have one, where will your future leads come from? Couple this with the old paradigm of large events, tours, luncheons, and stayovers being no longer viable in the COVID-era. Sales teams must re-think their entire approach, including how to nurture prospects virtually – emails, blogs, webinars, etc. This may not be comfortable for either party at first, but even our prospects are getting good at Zoom these days. At K4Connect, we are exploring how the K4Community App can reach and engage with Prospects, please let us know if that is of interest to you.
   
3. Staff Morale and Confidence – The two items above are enough to discourage any sales associate. It is essential to be mindful of their psyche and motivation in the face of declining commissions, and the potential fear or anxiety around their abilities to sell virtually.  For many, those skills were not needed previously, in fact their face-face skills may have been their strong suit. How will they pivot? What tools and training will you provide them? Will some have to change roles? Your ability to motivate and keep things positive will be put to the test, and no matter what great ideas emerge from #1 and #2, a Director’s ability to hold together the sales team will be the key to success.  

4. Move-in Policies – As part of the messaging to prospects, or even to those who had already planned their move in 2020, you need clear expectations after move-in. How are you handling new residents? Will there still be quarantine periods? What will trigger those? What services will be available to them during this time? How can you engage new residents in creative ways to ensure they integrate despite the circumstances? You have been through this to some degree, but what have you learned and how can you make this difficult time more tolerable?  Perhaps even a member of your team is assigned this role if you did not have a designated Move-In coordinator. The uncertainty of a COVID-19 reoccurrence will make this policy fluid, so a timely and clear communication channel is key.
   
5. Streamlining Paperwork and Payments – As an on-going advocate for using more technology in the sales process, I see no better place to start than the document signing and paperwork steps. Leveraging this virtual environment to incorporate cloud-based document review and storage tools, in addition to electronic signature software for contracts and disclosures, and credit cards or EFT payments for deposits or entrance fees. These keep the process moving, reduce time to drop out of the sale, and enable your sales team to focus on more valuable relationship building steps. Make the case and see if we can get it done!

These are not the only things a Sales and Marketing Director has on their mind right now, but I believe they are some of the most important. Work to limit your priorities, otherwise you will get overwhelmed by the challenges of our day. The future of Senior Living is still bright, and I am sure the team around has accomplished amazing things during these past 100 days. Tell the story – it deserves to be told!

Look for a future article with the 5 Things that Every Senior Living Activities/Wellness Director Needs to Think About Right Now. As always, you can reach me at Cindy.Phillips@K4Advisors.com, or (910)477-1556.  Keep doing good work!

“There will be a short window this summer to re-examine your digital infrastructure and technology tools before another round of COVID-19 returns.”

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

May 26, 2020

A colleague recently said to me, “COVID hasn’t change the world, it has accelerated it.” At first I wanted to argue, but the more I thought about it, so much of what we are witnessing is the normalization of technologies that were once used only by a minority.

“Changes that I thought would take years have occurred in a matter of weeks.” Bob Kramer, Founder of NIC, in a recent SLIF interview.

I am not downplaying the significant (hopefully temporary) changes to our daily life, but what is remarkable is the accelerated use and adoption of technology around the world, by all age groups and across all industries. We have seen it in the way we work, consume entertainment, deliver education, participate in faith-based activities, provide healthcare, and talk to our friends and family.

In just 3 (long) months, so much is different, and yet so much remains the same. In October 2019 K4Connect introduced its model of Digital Transformation in senior living and how we help communities on the aspirational journey to become a Smart Senior Living Community.

Little did I know COVID-19 would soon appear and be the unwelcomed reminder of the importance of technology and basic digital infrastructure. Now, several steps of that journey are critical to navigating these uncertainties and being a COVID-ready community.

Right now, senior living community leaders are appropriately focused on the protection of their residents and staff, trying to meet the ever-changing regulatory requirements, planning for the careful lifting of restrictions on dining, wellness and activities, all while also working to re-start the move-in process. However, while doing this, many will recognize the need for strengthening their Wi-fi networks, improving communication channels, setting up YouTube for streaming content, and better preparing staff to engage residents using technology.

At K4Connect, we continue to believe senior living has reached a crossroad with technology and innovation. Our recent experience has only cemented that belief. We have increased the velocity of our own product development and leap-frogged to items in our longer-term product roadmap – all to meet the COVID-ready needs of our customers.

I am suggesting senior living operators need to be doing the same. There will be a short window this summer to re-examine your digital infrastructure and technology tools before another round of COVID-19 returns. Whatever gaps emerge, this is the time to address them.

If you need help, K4Connect has several resident-centered technologies that solve many of these challenges, and K4Advisors can share the best ways to integrate them into your current workflow. As always, you can reach me at Cindy.Phillips@K4Advisors.com, or (910) 477-1556. Keep doing good work!

“Without the proper tools, these operators are either under communicating or wasting critical staff time getting the message out the old-fashioned way.”

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

May 13, 2020

In a previous article, I talked about the mass notification tools that have become critical during COVID-19, moving from nice-to-have to must-have. For every community that is using these effectively, there is another that is struggling to keep their residents, families, and staff informed and updated. K4Connect’s K4Community Hotline service is the fastest way to improvement.

Without the proper tools, these operators are either under communicating or wasting critical staff time getting the message out the old-fashioned way (photocopies, emails, letters, elevator posters.) Even worse, as documented in a recent McKnight’s survey, fielding hundreds of phone calls from residents, family, or even staff, wanting to know the same information.

The K4Community Hotline is just what it sounds like – a recorded message line that keeps callers informed on the latest information and frees up staff from repetitive phone calls. The Hotline accomplishes two things that are critically important right now; first, informing residents and families about the latest COVID-19 information and second, offsetting the time staff is spending fielding those calls.

This need for a process and a tool for timely mass communication in senior living is certainly not limited to COVID-19. If you look back just the last few years, there are many other scenarios that a tool like this would be critical for communications, especially to external audiences:

• Regulatory compliance (including COVID-19)
• Severe weather alerts/evacuations
• Active shooter or bomb threats
• Radiation leaks/incidents at Nuclear facilities
• Abuse or negligence charges
• Theft or significant drug diversions
• Records breach (HIPAA)

If you are lucky enough not to be facing some of these, there are many other internal uses for mass communication tools. Some of those are as follows:

• Road closures
• Restaurant closures
• Event cancellations
• Power outage information
• Temporary suspension of shuttle service
• Last minute changes to services such as trash pick-up 

Bolstering your communication tools is a must right now, and there is an opportunity to implement the simplest of these tools – a K4Community Hotline. It is not the complete engagement solution, but it works for you 24 hours/day, can be set up in a few hours, and immediately improves the quality, timeliness, and transparency of communications. 

Additionally, our current hotline clients have routed thousands of calls to these numbers in just the past 30 days, saving hundreds of labor hours that are better directed to resident care.  

If your residents would benefit from voice-enabled access, we have many communities providing access to hotlines, not through a telephone only, but through our Amazon Alexa integration. They simply ask, “Alexa, call the Hotline.”

Here is how simple it is to get started:

1. Contact K4Connect – Call at Support at
   (855) 876-9673  or CovidInfo@K4Connect.com for setup and pricing.
2. Select the # of Hotlines – We recommend two to start, one for residents/staff, and an additional one for external stakeholders such as families, volunteers, and vendors. If you are a multi-site operator, we do recommend each community has its own hotline, and suggest a single hotline be set up for centralized messaging.
3. Determine your Hotline Usage Plan – Who will record the messages; what is the intended message stream; and how often will you be updating it. K4Advisors will be publishing best practices around this in another article.
4. Develop your Strategy for Publishing Hotline Telephone #’s – Getting the hotline numbers and the update intervals out to residents and staff should follow your normal communication channels, including elevators and bulletin boards initially. For external audiences – using existing email lists, donor lists, Facebook and Linked-In pages, or any other social media platforms seem to work best.
5. Record your First Hotline Message – We recommend writing it out, practicing it, and then recording it. The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and you are ready to go!

It really is this simple. A mass notification tool like K4Connect’s Hotline can mean the difference between a crisis or incident that is controlled and one that threatens your community reputation, resident or staff morale, regulatory compliance, and your marketing and sales efforts. Why wait to take advantage of this simple solution?

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As always, contact me with questions or ideas at Cindy.Phillips@K4Advisors.com, or to learn about technology that supports the safety, well-being and engagement of older adults, go to www.k4connect.com.

“While the full impact of COVID-19 remains unclear, we are beginning to speculate on how senior living as we know it, may be changed forever. “

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

May 7, 2020

Like any disruption or crisis (Covid-19 included), there are always new ideas that emerge, but in some cases those ideas can be contradictory, making it even harder to decide what to do or how to emerge smarter, more agile and better able to serve your customers.

While the full impact of COVID-19 remains unclear, we are beginning to speculate on how senior living as we know it, may be changed forever. As I spend time doing that, what I am finding most interesting is that many of the changes I foresee are almost opposite of the existing norm. This provides a catalyst for innovation by way of resolving the competing sides of a paradox. 

Paradox is not a word we use in everyday life – but it seemed to fit perfectly. Merriam Webster cites under the definition – The ancient Greeks were well aware that a paradox can take us outside our usual way of thinking. They combined the prefix para- (“beyond” or “outside of“) with the verb dokein (“to think“), forming paradoxos, an adjective meaning “contrary to expectation.”

Here are 8 paradoxical contradictions I believe will drive change in our industry:

1. Dining-In vs. Take-Away – This was a budding trend in 2019, and COVID-19 has locked it in.  Whether it has seasonal swings, there will be a segment of residents wanting both dining options. If communities add more “spacing” to venues, either by reservation times or less tables, some will not want to risk it nor may want to wait for an available time. Carry-out and grab-n-go will follow the trends of the larger U.S. population, and the industry needs to invest in tools for on-line ordering, packaging for grab-n-go, and resources for delivery.
2. Virtual vs. In-person Community Activity – While born of necessity, virtual events, classes and religious services have become a norm in senior living programming. Why would this change? Hard to estimate the percentage split, but virtual should be part of the mix and offer residents the choice. It would naturally follow that at least one member of the activity or wellness staff will be dedicated to this modality.
3. Content Curators vs Content Creators – Following the same thread of #2, we have seen some very engaging and popular online content, especially appealing to older adults, emerge during this social isolation period. Automating familiar games or activity, but also providing new educational material, how-to videos, virtual trips around the world, etc. For years, community staff have been responsible for designing and creating things to do, maybe their roles are evolving to “curators.” It opens up a world of possible content and reaches a much wider audience of residents.
4. Virtual Sales & Marketing vs. Group Events & Community Tours – It has been commonplace in senior living to rely on leads to convert to event attendance to convert to private community tours to ultimately convert to move-ins. Things have changed. Most sales team are re-thinking their entire approach, knowing that social media marketing will be even more critical, and leveraging current resident networks to drive referrals. Telephone selling and closing skills will be paramount, and higher quality virtual tours (drone footage for larger campuses) will be a must-have.  Appointment setting and information sharing may go through a website chat-bot, so more staff is available to run small group events for the “hottest” leads.
5. Self-Service vs. White-Glove Service – Several years ago we started seeing an infusion of a hospitality mindset in senior living. In my opinion, it has improved the overall look and feel of many communities and has improved our image. However, the use of self-service kiosks in hotels and airports, voice-activated or AI customer agents and driverless shuttles are finding a place in the service spectrum. No longer seen as a cost-cutting measure, they can increase efficiency and provide “no-touch” engagement with customers. Think of how much faster you could re-open your business today (with Covid-19) if some of it was self-service. Both service types will be critical to future success.
6. High-Touch Care vs. Focused-Touch Care – In assisted-living, and even in independent or retirement living, often a selling point is the quality of care, the amazing staff, and the attention a prospective resident will get. But the realities of a caregiver shortage, combined with the infectious disease protocols that require quarantining and excessive PPE use, maybe we should be looking for ways for limited but focused-touch care. Using wearables to monitor temperature or blood pressure or using personal video devices to gather data without entering a room or apartment, enables staff to monitor residents without using PPE to provide hands-on care for only those who need it. Analytics and predictive health monitoring will enable providers to quickly identify who needs help first, and likely before it becomes an acute event. Some worry technology could de-personalize caregiving, but I believe it can increase the attention and targeted care we offer.
7. Reactive vs. Proactive Communication – Residents and families have always asked for open communication, it has been the #1 action item on almost every satisfaction survey. COVID-19 has demanded a regular cadence of communication and we will never go back. Why should we?  The topics will change, but the pattern of having a daily or weekly social feed of information will bring comfort to many. A more engaging dialogue has been started and the successful communities will not let it end. 
8. Separated vs. Connected – The physical separation dictated by COVID-19 has forced us to address the hole it created in the social and emotional well-being of residents – especially if future waves are expected later in the fall. By what has been overlooked, is that social isolation was an issue before COVID hit us. A joint University of Michigan-AARP study released almost exactly a year ago reported “1 in 3 adults over age 50 lack regular companionship, and 1 in 4 say they feel isolated from other people at least some of the time.” We need to look beyond the creative stopgap measures we have put in place during COVID and keep looking for ways to create more connection and engagement opportunities for seniors. Through all eight dimensions of wellness, the use of technology, and with the help of families, volunteers and residents themselves, we can raise our game here!

In the end, this virus and its impacts are not going away. Senior living has changed forever, and our choice is how we react and position ourselves to leverage that change. A paradox is not resolved easily, and certainly not by choosing between one way “or” the another. Instead, it forces us to think in terms of “and” to find the best from the old and the new. 

Creating the next normal is never easy, but we will survive, maybe even thrive, if we take control of shaping our destiny. Every operator, every provider that serves this industry must start mobilizing around these changes, keep innovating us forward, and ready us to weather future disruptors. I know that is what we are doing at K4Connect and K4Advisors. Join us!

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As always, contact me with questions or ideas at Cindy.Phillips@K4Advisors.com, or to learn about technology that supports the safety, well-being and engagement of older adults, go to www.k4connect.com.