order to lay a marketing framework. Tat’s not the chief motivator. On the other hand, solid life safety is certainly a tool in attracting prospective candidates. As a marketing tool, life safety is all
about track record: It’s not enough to tell it, you’ve got to show it. Sophisticated call systems and emergency response solutions can help to do that with real-time tracking of life safety activities.
Incidents used to be documented by
hand, if at all. Today’s systems inte- grate smartphones and tablets, sending pictures of the resident during the incident, indicating location and type of alert, says Mike Halverson, president
and CEO of Emergency Response Solutions (ERS). “Now you know who exactly has gone to that alert, what kind of action has been taken, and you send that all back to the server automatically,” he said. Tis creates a tangible track record to show families the seriousness of life safety within the com-
munity, which is a major marketing edge. Tat level of specificity is crucial. “You
really have to do that from a data perspec- tive,” Bridgewater says. “So you look at resident satisfaction surveys as a testament to the overall experience of residents. You look at outcomes as seen by a surveyor. Families want to understand what is the experience and what do other residents have to say.” Te more you can document these things, the stronger the marketing pitch.
It helps, too, to be specific about the kinds of life safety tools you’ve got in play. “Anything you have in technology, espe- cially with this first round of baby boomers who are so plugged into technology, anything you can use to make them feel safer—why not market that?” Mather says. “We have some very informed con- sumers out there today. It’s all about: What are you going to do to keep my loved one safe?” she said. “People hear that stuff, they hear that people fall and
they break bones. So they want to hear specifics—they want to know exactly what you are actually going to do to prevent that.”
Te bottom line is straightforward: Life
safety is nonnegotiable. It’s the ante for getting in the game. Do it right, with intel- ligence and deliberation, and it is possible to reap a range of tangible and intangible rewards that go right to the bottom line.
Adam Stone is a staff writer for Senior Living Executive. Reach him at editor@ argentum.org.
At Stellar Senior Living, CFO Ray Henderson is leading the implementation of a new nurse call system, iAlert. It’s not just that the company wants greater life safety. Stellar is also looking for clearer numbers. Compared to old paper systems, modern nurse call
systems “allow for quicker responses, give incredible vis- ibility to the data, and provide the ability to gather com- prehensive data on resident health and activity trends,” Henderson says. Tablets push incident data into a central repository, replacing an ancient pull cord apparatus. Because the system compiles data over time, it can help operators identify specific risks. “When they are used correctly, these systems can be a great ally in ensuring a safe environment for the resident,” he says. Such practices go right to the bottom line, by bolster- ing the marketing effort. “It is most impactful on the tour, when we walk someone through the building,” Henderson says. “When you have a prospective resident come in and you can walk them through this as an example of the care that we provide, that technology can be very reassuring. It can be a very impressive demonstration.”
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