Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility

Filling your assisted living facility is not difficult. Properly advertisng your assisted living facility is not difficult. Quality ALFs are always in high demand. It’s one of the sad parts about being human, but our bodies have a limit.

Everyday, someone makes the decision, or has the decision made for them, that they need some sort of assistance with life’s daily activities.With proper marketing and advertising, your ALF will always be full of happy residents.

Where to Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility

Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility in the Newspaper
Use or Install a Lighted Sign in Front of Your ALF with "Assisted Living Facility" Spelled Out
Billboards
Car Top Signs
Networking at Hospitals with Social Workers
Paying a Professional Resident Referral Company
Contact Organizations Like the V.A.
Online Classifieds

Who to Market and Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility Towards

Adult children have become the primary decision makers in ALF selection in many families. It may help to imagine how difficult it must be to place a parent in an ALF.

Heck, if you’re lucky enough to have one of your parents still around, imagine “putting” your mom or dad in a “home” as it is often times mistakenly referred to as.

Below you’ll find a list of the Top 50 Questions you, or most likely your administrator, can expect from each and every potential resident of your ALF. I have also included possible answers to the questions.

These questions and answers will also help you plan the operation of your ALFs, even if you’re not going to be the one answering them.

Small dogs and cats are ok, but you will find many people with allergies. You may have to worry about Fido taking a nip out of one of your residents too. On the other side of the coin, pets are supposed to be good “therapy” for people with all sorts of conditions. If you have more than one house you’re going to convert into ALFs, you can have a “pet friendly” and a “no pets allowed” ALF.

Q: What types of meals are offered by the facility?
Consider nutrition, choice, appearance, variety, and taste. Your CNAs and ALF administrators will be the one’s answering this.
Many of your residents will have diets they follow anyway.

Q: Can residents bring their own cars?
Big driveways are a plus if you’re going to allow this. These days, people are driving well into their 80s, so parking is an issue.

Q: What are the facility's visiting hours?
Visiting hours are set by your administrator. They are sometimes set per state law.

Q: What types of accommodations are available for visitors?
Bathrooms come to mind here. Many ALF residents have devices to assist them in the bathroom, and many people do not want to use them.

A bathroom for staff and visitors is a good idea.
If there’s a den or “extra” room, you could furnish it as a sitting room so your residents can have a little quiet time with their guests.
It’s just another little perk to make your ALF stand out in someone’s mind when making that big decision.

Q: Are there any restrictions on having guests?
This is up to you, your administrator, and possibly state regulations.

Q: Is the staff friendly and courteous to residents and each other?
They better be, or they won’t be working in any of your ALFs, right?

Q: What is the participation level of residents in activities and outings?
I do not believe in micro-management. I’d stay out of this area. Unless you become your own licensed administrator, and unless of course, if you really enjoy that type of work.

Q: What are the admission requirements?
You will have this in a packet most likely prepared by your administrator or operator.

Q: Are exercise facilities and amenities available to the residents?
These are those “perks” we mentioned. It could be a swimming pool where they work out with water floats with a CERTIFIED and bonded therapist. Of course offering exercise machines would require a trip back into your state’s regulations, and your insurance agent’s office to make sure you’re covered.

Q: Is the facility equipped to support any special needs of the residents?
This is how you get the top dollar. If you were a casino, you’d be after the high rollers. You need the certifications or you need to hire people that have them depending on your state’s regulations.

Q: Is extra storage space available?
Here’s where storage sheds and big garages become an extra source of income. If your state allows, you can charge your residents rent for the extra storage space. You can also add this into the resident’s monthly rent, or offer it as a free “perk”. They can rent a whole storage shed in the backyard, or you can have individual storage “cages” made out of 2 X 4s and chicken wire in a big garage.

Q: Is the facility located close to shopping centers and/or entertainment?
Location, location, location.

Q: Do the units have a telephone and television?
This is standard, and should actually be changed to HDTV and Wii™. Hey, if any one knows someone from Microsoft™ and Wii™ please tell them they owe me $234,232 for the advertising and endorsements I gave them in this book.

Q: How is billing handled?
Push for monthly direct deposit if possible. You can set up an internet account where you can invoice whoever is paying your resident’s rent.

Q: What is the monthly cost of the facility?
If you did it right, $4000 +, but its your ALF.

Q: Is a deposit required? Is it refundable?
Yes, Push for first months, last month, and half a month’s security deposit, refundable.

Q: What services are included in the monthly cost?
This is where your ALF administrator or your training comes in.

Q: What types and what amounts of personal belongings is a resident allowed to bring?
This is going to depend on the size and layout of your ALF.

Q: When can care services be terminated, and what is the refund policy, and what are the payment, billing, and credit policies?
Have these in writing, and require potential residents or their guardians to sign a copy of all polices.

Q: Are intercoms installed in each room?
This is required by most states, however, baby monitors pass most state requirements, and they are only around $30.00.

Q: Is there a 24-hour emergency response system accessible from each unit?
Panic or medical alert alarms are inexpensive and required in most states and by all insurance companies.

Q: What is the level of safety in the facility?
We’re not talking about getting caught in the crossfire between the Crips and the Bloods. We’re talking about the tendency for some patients to wander off not knowing where they are. In most states, you need special certifications and security measures to offer housing to people who have these tendencies due to certain conditions. Of course, you can make more money offering these services.

Q: Are there hand rails, emergency pull-cords, door alarms, and does the facility have handicapped access and accommodations?
Better be yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Q: How close is the nearest hospital?
You better know this, and so should each member of your staff. ALFs located near hospitals are always full and usually have a waiting list.

Print out this list. Answer all the questions on this list in writing, and take it with you when you’re doing rehab work on your ALF.

You do not have to go over the top unless you’re opening an ALF for old A list celebrities.

There’s an idea if you have a property in an exclusive “celebrity” neighborhood. Let me know if you need a consultant.

Your staff may know of people who would consider living in your ALF, especially the one’s who have been in the ALF business for a while.

Don’t forget other residents. They may have come from a place they didn’t like, but, they may have left friends who would be more than happy to move.

WARNING: Be very, very, very familiar with your state’s resident or patient referral laws.

Some state and federal laws prohibit you from offering certain rent discounts, commissions, and employee bonuses. You do not to want to unintentionally (or intentionally) break any laws or regulations when a staff member sends you a referral. Make sure you know if you can pay your staff members for doing so without breaking the law.

Assisted Living Facility News Links

How To Open An Assisted Living Facility

Advertising Your Assisted Living Facilty

Where to Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility

Who to Market and Advertise Your Assisted Living Facility Towards

WARNING: Be very, very, very familiar with your state’s resident or patient referral laws.