How to Increase Occupancy in Assisted Living Communities

One of the most significant challenges in the senior living industry is the need to increase occupancy in assisted living facilities. This is where making real human connections can make a huge difference in whether or not people choose a particular community, because without a real emotional bond it is almost impossible for communities to differentiate themselves. You know the feeling: that new colleague is from the same hometown you are, and you immediately start sharing memories. A new acquaintance with the same alma mater? You can’t wait to compare notes on college life.

Human connection is a powerful force and a fundamental element in the senior living resident experience, and any chance you have to cultivate and encourage personal connections among senior residents and prospects within your senior living community is an opportunity to boost your bottom line. Beyond social activities, how can you do this? The Resident Match feature of the Glennis Sales CRM solution is a logical place to start. This unique feature, part of our comprehensive senior housing CRM platform, benefits your community in three important ways: the sales process, the resident experience, and operational and financial performance. And it all starts with using technology to find common points of interest to build connections.

Introduction

It all comes down to quality management for senior living. When seniors and their families are shopping for the ideal community for themselves or their loved ones, they’re looking for a warm, welcoming feel—a place where they can feel like they belong.

The Glennis Resident Match function serves to foster this personalized experience by integrating—and making accessible—personal information such as hobbies, occupation, veteran status, religious affiliation, pet preferences and more. By gathering this information from those who are considering your community, your sales team can proactively introduce the prospect to residents with similar interests already living there.

The system makes matching simple. Users simply input preferences during the discovery conversation. Those responses are automatically synced with interests of current residents. This gives the sales director a way to further nurture the relationship and a connection to the community by introducing a prospect who happens to love dogs to other residents who love dogs. By offering opportunities to personalize the prospective resident’s experience, you increase their chance of making friends and finding comfort and fun in your community—laying the foundation for improved occupancy and revenue.

How resident occupancy affects assisted living communities

All humans are biologically wired for social connection. Because so much scientific research has been published on the topic, the general population is becoming more acutely aware that the lack of social relationships is as strong a risk factor for mortality as are smoking, obesity or lack of physical activity.

Life in a senior living community surrounded by others of a similar age provides a natural support community. This positive environment is enhanced when seniors find others with whom they have a lot in common.

The Glennis Care solution offers everything your staff needs to help improve and maintain quality of life for residents: digital assessments, incident reporting, task assignments and medication management. But this unique Resident Match feature of the CRM solution opens the door to personal connection, friendship and improved emotional health.

Seasonal trends of occupancy in senior living

Residents move into senior living facilities throughout the year, but some months are busier than others. It's essential for senior living executives to build their sales campaigns around these critical milestones so they can reach seniors and their families at the moment they are beginning their searches for new living arrangements. And even though occupancy rates are rising across the United States, they still haven’t reached pre-pandemic levels. This puts extra pressure on sales teams to double down on their efforts, leveraging senior living sales software and other digital tools to maximize the number of residents who move in.

Strategies to improve resident occupancy in assisted living

The latest research from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) shows that the average occupancy rate for senior living communities in the U.S. is 83%. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the total number of occupied units exceeded 574,900, an increase of about 7,000 units over its previous record high in the first quarter of 2020, according to Senior Housing News. These are strong numbers after several years of pandemic-related decline, but there is no single magic button that will get senior living communities to 100% occupancy; but there are a number of strategies that increase the likelihood that prospects will select a particular facility.

1. Prospect / Resident Connections

One of the best ways to increase occupancy rates is by converting short-term residents into long-term ones. By building trust during an initial visit, senior housing communities can create positive feelings and move to the head of the line when it comes to making decisions about long-term care. Software that helps facilitate connections between prospects and current residents, can be an important tool in helping cultivate friendships.

2. Programming

One of the biggest complaints the residents have about senior living facilities is a lack of activities and programming. Communities that offer field trips, cultural activities, and other events are often perceived as being better and therefore become destinations of choice for seniors and their families. Assisted living apps can be integrated into this effort by showcasing the activities that communities offer to residents.

3. Social Media

Even though seniors are increasingly active on social media, it is just as important to reach their families and loved ones online. Senior living communities that go the extra mile when creating social posts can differentiate themselves from their competitors when it comes to visibility and reputation. Integrating social media into marketing campaigns can make a big difference when it comes to lead generation.

Conclusion

We know that resident satisfaction is linked to revenue. So, it’s no surprise that focusing on a more satisfied resident—one who finds connection through shared backgrounds and interests with other residents—will result in an increased likelihood they’ll remain at your community and make positive recommendations to others, boosting your revenue opportunities.

Senior living owners and operators are continuing to find new ways to deliver a healthier and happier resident experience. With the Glennis CRM and Resident Match feature, you can take a small—but important—step in that direction.

Glennis offers a complete solution for helping to solve the resident occupancy challenge in senior living. Want to find out more?  

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