| Retirement communities seem like a great idea on | | | | tour, and call them later for a personal chat. They will |
| the surface: like a cruise ship for seniors. Social | | | | tell you. Most workers, and local property leadership |
| opportunities, wellness opportunities, fine dining, | | | | in these companies are disillusioned too. Or they have |
| special holiday functions, maintainence services, | | | | darker motives for staying in silence. |
| housekeeping; some have nurse stations, and some | | | | There are many things I discovered in my tenures, |
| have full time LVN's represent a picture of complete | | | | that have turned me off to retirement communities |
| care just waiting to put it's arms around your aging | | | | as a viable future option for aging adults. I have not |
| parent. | | | | even touched on the average direct care-giver to |
| You and your parent tour a facility. The people are | | | | resident ratios of 1 to 20 :at the very best. This ratio |
| so nice. The place looks like a fine hotel. Everyone is | | | | is at the very root of the problem. Try caring for |
| so happy to see you. It must be heaven. Oops, | | | | twenty parents with two hundred challenges daily per |
| trying to avoid that! But as the last stop on route, | | | | parent, and you will get the picture. The cloth just |
| except of course for some of you, not a bad place | | | | does not stretch to cover the need. |
| to hang your silk scarf, and support hose. | | | | Higher corporate costs drive operational changes that |
| "That beautiful apartment is how much?" $5,000 | | | | should concern adult children seeking quality residential |
| dollars a month..."and up!!!!????" You swallow. Subtle, | | | | solutions to caring for their aging parents. I do not |
| but hard. Your parent imagines friends,fun, privilege, | | | | believe that all upscale retirement communities really |
| bridge players, and chocolate. So where does your | | | | fulfill their care giving promises: and today there are a |
| rent go? I will give you a hint: it is not dining services, | | | | lot of other alternatives you should also consider.For |
| or housekeeping, or maintenance, or capital | | | | this much rent ( and more), similar services, are |
| improvements of health care, or activities. In many | | | | offered for this inclusive price: you should, and do |
| upscale senior living communities, you may be | | | | expect five star level housekeeping, fine dining |
| surprised to discover that over 40-50% of the | | | | complete with special holiday programming; wellness |
| operational dollars go to marketing and not to | | | | programs that focus on fall prevention, strength |
| services that directly benefit your parent. | | | | training, and balance education for your parent; |
| The reason is simple, senior residents move into | | | | maintainence (toilets do have their problems, so do |
| these communities when they have an average of 5 | | | | air conditioners/heaters, elevators). |
| years left to live. Sad, but factual. So inherent in all | | | | If you are still considering an upscale independent |
| "retirement communities" is alot of resident turnover, | | | | living community of 100 to 500 occupants, consider |
| even when residents are content within their | | | | this: every year, you can expect a cost of living |
| community. Just imagine the numbers, when the | | | | increase of 5-9 % in these communities: whether you |
| residents are not content. | | | | like it or not. And trust me, the corporation can |
| When a resident dies, an apartment becomes empty, | | | | always defend the reasons for the increase. You will |
| and corporate revenues shrink. Some corporations | | | | have only the choice to pay or move. |
| have silent partners (investors), who do not | | | | Are independent living communities really full of |
| appreciate declines in occupancy levels. Less | | | | independent living seniors? Retirement communities |
| occupants, less profits. So a tremendous amount of | | | | usually bill themselves as housing for independent |
| your rent dollars are spent attracting a continual | | | | living residents: those with minimal mobility and |
| stream of new residents. 40-50% of the yearly | | | | functionality issues. But in the last twelve years, I |
| budget at the property level is spent on marketing, | | | | have seen less truly independent residents, and more |
| and the recruitment of future residents. There is | | | | highly dependent, borderline assisted living or early |
| even greater turnover, of course, when the services | | | | dementia type residents move in. The corporation is |
| are so-so. I was given $2.40 per person per meal, | | | | motivated simply by the drive to keep the place full. |
| based on two meals per day in one such upscale | | | | This creates a great demand on service personnel, |
| retirement community in La Jolla California, as recently | | | | often untrained. If your parent is very independent, it |
| as 2007. Marketing first, nutrition? Somewhere much | | | | can be depressing. Your high functioning parent may |
| farther down the list. | | | | be seated in the dining room, at dinner, with |
| The caretaking mission represented by these | | | | someone with incontinence issues. Or worse. |
| corporations is really not their mission. Profit, not | | | | So before you sign that rental agreement, remember |
| people, again is the mission. The mission of most of | | | | what I have shared with you : current and future |
| these communities is NOT to keep your parents | | | | residents are hunted constantly by full time marketing |
| content with cruise ship five star services, no matter | | | | people to keep the building full. We had 140 residents, |
| what they say to you, during your "free" marketing | | | | and two full time marketers: they were each required |
| tour and lunch. The corporate mission is to keep the | | | | to make 50 phone call contacts each day to |
| building full, create large revenues, make tremendous | | | | "prospects". Be comfortable but observant, when |
| profits,purchase more properties, turn them in to | | | | taking a marketing tour of a community: observe the |
| more goldmines. Oh, the hours spent in departmental | | | | care giving ratio; study the interaction of the |
| leadership meetings, working on the shape of the | | | | residents with each other, and with department |
| spin. | | | | heads, peak into administrative offices, talk with the |
| Until late 2007, I functioned as the Dietary Director | | | | maintainence director and the dietary director about |
| for one such "for-profit" corporation. This Carlsbad | | | | the challenges of their positions. Call them later to ask |
| company, proudly announced, at the 2006 dietary | | | | about what they didn't say. Find out about the |
| conference for all dietary directors, that they made a | | | | property's budget: anyway you can. Look at the |
| NET profit of $11 million dollars with their 23 | | | | food served; tour the kitchen, look in those walk-ins. |
| properties nationwide. More shocking is the fact that | | | | Fresh, homemade preparations or commercial |
| some of their properties went much of the year | | | | preparations? Sit down at lunch with a random group, |
| below full occupancy. You can just imagine the profit | | | | and not of the marketer's choosing. Always try to |
| at full occupancy. Al ot of profit for a company that | | | | take an 'unplanned' tour, to get the most honest |
| on my campus, outside of dining services, had a lot | | | | insight. |
| of resident turnover, unhappiness with other services, | | | | In conclusion, you may get more services, of a |
| and four executive director turnovers in two years! | | | | better quality, in smaller board and cares, than you |
| It is only about occupancy folks. The rest is | | | | will in large retirement communities. Retirement |
| marketing. | | | | communities do have a huge socialization advantage: |
| I am not alone in my understanding of just how | | | | a lot more prospective playmates for your parents. |
| senior living communities operate. But, people on the | | | | But they are not for everybody. Make sure to take |
| inside of the industry, do not speak up because: they | | | | an industry savvy professional along with you while |
| are care-givers, and need these jobs. Some, like me, | | | | you are touring, and examining what you really ARE |
| become disillusioned care-givers, and leave the | | | | getting for your rent. |
| industry. Find the honest broker on your marketing | | | | |