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DRAGON: Divorced, Rich, Aged 65+, Overseas traveler, Networker

If you were to ask an aging services provider what his or her ideal potential resident looks like, you’d find many different definitions. In most cases, leads are qualified based upon income-producing assets, home value and, perhaps, some additional savings and/or investments. These people are ideal leads because they meet all of the financial criteria for moving into a community.

For this reason, they are prized candidates, often being competed over by several different aging services organizations. From the point of view of prospective residents, they are evaluating the amenities and floor plans that communities offer. But, at the end of the day, the biggest determining factor for choosing a community is culture. This is where understanding the DRAGON can help you convert those high-quality leads into residents.

The idea of the DRAGON coalesced around 2014, as marketers began to identify trends in the Baby Boomer demographic. For retirement communities, DRAGONS are ideals candidates because of their demographic profiles. They are wealthy, usually working with two retirement incomes. Being aged 65+, they meet the age requirements for community entry. As frequent travelers, they like the maintenance-free lifestyle that many campuses offer and, for the same reason, are less reliant year-round on on-campus amenities, such as restaurants, wellness centers and programming. Last, as natural networkers, they become excellent word-of-mouth marketers for your organization and can sing your praises to their friends and family, who may also fit the DRAGON demographic.

Identifying DRAGONs, and understanding why they are especially important leads for retirement communities, is just the start. How do you win them over and make them choose your community over all of the other options? The answer is simple — culture. As noted earlier, individuals make their retirement choices based heavily on the culture and feel of a community. Making your community physically appealing to DRAGONs is the first step. The harder step is getting the culture right. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes and look at what might be appealing to DRAGONs.

First, they may look to more open and accepting cultures, especially in light of being divorced. Obviously, the community needs to be well-appointed and include many options and amenities. These work best in a community atmosphere where DRAGONs can spend time with friends and neighbors, where their natural networking talent shines. As travelers, they desire easy access to transportation, whether that is a train station or airport (but probably both!). Obviously, issues like location and access to transportation aren’t easily addressed by providers. In those cases, organizations should be ready to demonstrate what kind of accommodations they can make to ensure DRAGON needs are met, or alternatives offered that may better suit their lifestyle.

Take a few moments to put yourself in the shoes of a DRAGON and look at your community through his or her eyes. By doing so, you might be able to adjust your sales & marketing strategies, even if only slightly, to make a big difference in your appeal.

Recently, I had the honor of participating in the Global Aging Network conference. It was held in a simply amazing location — Montreux, Switzerland, known best, perhaps, as a mecca for jazz music. I came away from my visit to Montreux inspired and energized by simply seeing the sights in and around the beautiful city.

The conference experience represented a unique opportunity to freshen my perspective around opportunities to enhance the aging experience on a global scale. Leaders from around the world traveled to Montreux, with their own biases shaped by how their particular cultures view aging. I certainly came with my own preconceived notions about how successful aging looks, based upon my narrow worldview.

What inspired me as the conference progressed was the ever-increasing ease I saw as people from different points of view came together to solve similar issues of aging, regardless of the culture in which they lived. There are nuances within any society — and family — about how aging occurs; however, as we simply share our stories openly with those from other corners of the world, it quickly becomes evident that we are all working toward solving issues of frailty, loneliness and the ultimate commonality of our collective mortality.

Our opportunity, as aging service professionals, is to work collaboratively to enhance the aging experience for those entrusting their lives to us. I believe we can do that more effectively if we openly entertain ideas that may seem distinctly different from our own. I recognize cultural and societal differences require flexibility, but our ability to secure a global perspective on aging has never been easier.

I left Montreux with a fresh glimpse of aging in the 21st century, and I must admit — it’s invigorating to network with people who envision far more engaged aging adults, embracing life to its fullest, as they are being served wherever they call home. There are countless aging services professionals around the globe innovating the aging experience, and it is our responsibility to leverage the intellectual capital that makes this market sector so special.

My challenge to colleagues is rather simple: Don’t underestimate the power of sharing your ideas; seriously consider those ideas that seem just a bit outside your comfort zone, and find ways to rekindle the passions that drive the mission behind your everyday work. Let’s seize the opportunity before us to make aging experiences better for those we serve.

One of the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of being involved in the aging services space is the ability to look around the country (and the world) at how different organizations are applying trends in design. From the upscale, fast-paced communities of the Northeast to the eco-friendly, fitness-focused communities on the West Coast, communities are applying innovations in new and creative ways — all in an effort to appeal to potential residents and earn their business.

The most ubiquitous design trend to hit senior living in the last five years has to be the bistro — every community seems to have one. Whether it was designed from the ground up and newly installed or an existing space that was repurposed, the bistro has become as common as the dining hall of old. This has caused us to wonder: What’s the next bistro-type amenity that every community is going to have to build?

We believe that the answer is a wellness center. New residents aren’t happy with an exercise bike and a treadmill stashed in a closet being labeled as a “workout room.” They want a bright, airy space, with dedicated and trained staff members, wherein they can attend to their wellness needs, which go far beyond exercise. Progressive communities are offering the latest in high-tech fitness gear, supplemented with wellness practitioners from across the spectrum, such as yoga, Reiki and acupuncture. It is our prediction that, in five to 10 years, those communities that have failed to funnel resources into their wellness amenities are going to struggle to find residents.

As Baby Boomers continue to age into the retirement community marketplace, they bring with them a hallmark of their age group — the “Me Generation.” No longer will potential residents review a property and say, “Well, I guess we can make this work.” Rather, they are demanding the ability to customize and personalize their new living spaces. And two options just won’t do it! They want to see the gamut of materials, styles and finishes enabling them to feel like their new home is truly their own. Marketers have to adapt to these desires at a rapid pace. Where once facilities could flip an apartment for resale in a week, now it may take several months to bring a space up to the standards of its new owner. Finding creative ways to enable flips to occur quickly and economically is sure to be a growing trend.

In many parts of the country, residents are also becoming more environmentally conscious, demanding that their homes reflect their values. Recycling, the use of low-energy appliances and lights and sustainably sourced food products are just the tip of the iceberg. Communities are now looking to the installation of solar panels for energy production — not just for homes, but also for common areas. Resident gardens are also increasing in size, as dining services teams are being challenged to include the ultimate in fresh ingredients: those grown by the residents themselves, on-site. Some organizations are looking to these trends as opportunities to grow and improve, while others are struggling to keep up and find their place in the market.

As we work with our clients around the country, it always intrigues us to see who is pushing the boundaries of the current trends and who is taking extra time to evaluate what others are doing and put their own, unique spin on it. Whichever type of community you may be in, it’s our opinion at Varsity that these trends are going to be major factors in senior living design into 2018 and well beyond!

Resident entertainment is an important part of life at retirement communities. Whether you label it “life enrichment,” “activities,” “resident programming” or something else, the desired result is often the same — engaged residents. However, what residents find enjoyable and engaging today is very different from 10 years ago. This led us to wonder: What will this field look like in the future? As the Boomer wave crests, and Generation X looks to retirement, how will that impact resident programming?

The youngest Baby Boomers are about 53 years old now. That means that, in fewer than 10 years, they are going to be the target market for retirement marketing professionals. In the same vein, however, this means that the oldest Gen-Xers are also aging into the target market rapidly. Providers are going to have to adapt to these changing tastes and demographics at all levels of the business.

Let’s start with our marketing events. Today, popular events include lunch & learns, perhaps with entertainment. Common choices include doo-wop groups, Motown covers and some big band favorites. However, 10 to 15 years from now, those tastes are going to drastically change; instead of Sinatra, your events may be headed by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Are you ready to employ acts that perform disco favorites? Or maybe you’ll have a Pink Floyd experience before showing off your latest model apartments. It’ll be a whole new world.

Once you get the residents in the door, your internal activities team will take over and begin planning events that appeal to this newer generation of residents. Sure, the old favorites will still be there — arboretums, shopping trips and museums — but we can anticipate some of the new trends just by looking at the changing interests of current residents. Home brewing, wine making, model aircraft and drones, motorcycle riding and more have already made their way onto campuses. To these, you might add Lego enthusiasts, skiers and snowboarders and avant-garde film connoisseurs. No longer will you be playing “Singing in the Rain” for the Friday night films; instead, you might be screening old favorites by Otto Preminger, Federico Fellini or Kenneth Anger.

Tastes in food will also begin to morph. Communities all over the country are already implementing international cuisine into their menus for special events. This trend is going to not only grow but explode, as residents want to adventure to new places with their taste buds. Remember, Generation X and their juniors have grown up in a society where eating out is pretty common. This is sure to have impacted their tastes and preferences in dining, making them even more demanding than current residents.

The demands on your physical facility are also going to grow. Communities are already repositioning their offerings, becoming more like resorts every day. The next generation of residents will want spaces and living environments that work for them and meet their unique needs. Remember, Baby Boomers (and, to a lesser extent, Generation X) are the original “Me Generations.” If your campus doesn’t have the amenities, living spaces and extras that potential residents desire, you are going to have an uphill battle.

Certainly, it’s fun to theorize what will happen in the future — man has been doing it for thousands of years. While we still don’t have flying cars, robot lawn mowers or devices that can read our minds, we can see the immediate future — and it includes smart home technology, better wellness facilities and an increased desire for the finer things in life.

What will your campus look like in 10 years? The choice is yours, and you are making it every day.

Many of us have fond memories of going to summer camp as children. Hiking through mountains, boating on a lake, shooting archery and learning crafts are all a part of the common memories that many share. But, as we age, we leave those summer days behind, letting them create a bygone era in our mind, when summers were carefree and fun — fortunately, though, that no longer needs to be the case.

Take, for instance, Camp Meraki. Marketed as a retirement camp for seniors, the program runs in the early fall at John Knox Ranch, in Wimberley, Texas. During the hot summer months, the camp runs activities for children, but as the cooler fall temperatures approach, it welcomes a different crowd of those 60+. The activities, however, are largely the same, including canoeing, archery, crafts, stargazing, sing-alongs and more! Oh, and don’t forget the one activity you won’t find at a kids camp — happy hour! The camp runs for three days and two nights, letting campers relive their childhood memories in a fun and safe environment.

Now we’re sure you’re thinking something along the lines of, “That’s all well and good, but my community isn’t in Texas, so this doesn’t really apply to me.” Au contraire! This is an opportunity for your community to do something new and intriguing.

First, you could work with your life enrichment/therapeutic recreation staff to create a camp experience right at your community. While it wouldn’t necessarily be as involved as the Camp Meraki, it could make for a unique program that sets you apart from your local competition. Make sure to include all of the important camp activities — s’more making, campfire sings and arts and crafts!

For those who want to take this one step further, how about contacting your local youth camp and consider setting up a senior camp of your own? You could invite not only your residents, but also prospective residents. It would be a great way for them to get to know your community and could easily provide three days of marketing opportunities for your sales staff. Now that’s a quality program that will differentiate you from your competition!

We love the idea of Camp Meraki here at Varsity. It shows that older adults can enjoy activities that are more commonly attributed to youth. It also helps with memory care and brain stimulation by bringing back those thoughts of childhood and reconnecting people with skills they otherwise might have lost. It’s truly a win-win for everyone involved.

American culture values youth, vitality and enthusiasm far more than age, wisdom and experience. In contrast to this, we find Eastern cultures — such as Japan, Vietnam and Korea — where veneration and obedience to one’s elders is the cultural norm — except in the workplace. As Western influences continue to be exported to these countries, their views on the aged are also changing. EverYoung, a new start-up in Seoul, has recognized this issue and is addressing it, head-on.

Founded by Chung Eunsung, a 56-year-old veteran executive, EverYoung aims to leverage the knowledge and skill found in older workers to make Korea more competitive in the global market. The company specializes in teaching older workers basic computer skills that enable them to do work for Naver, the Google of South Korea. The workers do routine monitoring and assist with reporting and censoring information as mandated by the government. Those with advance computing skills are encouraged to teach coding classes to children.

The culture of the company is also important. Workers only have four-hour shifts, enabling them to spend time with family as they desire. The benefits package is also very rich — with special attention paid to wellness-related measures — all in an effort to keep an aging workforce healthy and active. Oh, and don’t forget the after-work social programs, such as the company rock band!

While all of this sounds nice from a personal standpoint, does it make sense for business? Initially, the company had 30 employees. Now, it has more than 400. According to government data, more than 13 percent of Korea’s current population is over 55+, but by 2030, that number will skyrocket to nearly 25 percent. In a society where workers are routinely forced to retire before they hit the age of 60, EverYoung’s model is set to scoop up talented employees that might not otherwise find work — and competition for the jobs is fierce.

In Korea, the state doesn’t provide much by way of retirement benefits, forcing retirees to rely on their young relatives for basic needs, often living in the same home with them (a very foreign concept for the Western world). EverYoung provides a source of income for this population, but it goes beyond that. It also provides a sense of worth and combats the psychological pressures of aging, such as loneliness and withdrawal.

Retirement communities in the United States are often very adept at putting their residents “to work,” offering them volunteer opportunities that enable them to contribute to their communities. However, as the Baby Boomers age out of the workforce and into the world of retirement, their demands for meaningful community contribution are going to increase. Stateside companies would do well to adopt the EverYoung model, as this “new” workforce is right around the corner and could be a great boon — both for the individuals and for business.

The 2017 Power of Purpose session is in the books, and the member organizations of LeadingAge Tennessee experienced a great conference. The speakers all delivered interesting and informative messages that helped to educate and inspire. I was able to take in several sessions during the event and wanted to share with you the three items that really struck as important takeaways for all attendees.

The unimportance of an office

I thoroughly enjoyed Duane Cummings, the keynote speaker who opened the conference. His message on leadership and putting people in the right place for them to succeed is something I truly aspire to. But one point really resonated with me: Duane doesn’t have an office at his organization. Rather, he ensures that all his key employees have their space, and he meets them there. It reminds him to be a servant leader and takes the fear out of a chat with the CEO.

While retirement communities are often dealing with sensitive information, and therefore need private office spaces, I believe his point is still salient. It speaks to the need for executive directors and C-suite personnel to get out of their offices and walk the communities they serve. It’s far too easy for us to get stuck in our daily routines and never leave our offices, processing that precious paperwork that never seems to end. Getting out for that daily walk not only makes you more present, but can serve as a morale booster to both residents and employees.

Reposition with a purpose

Tye Campbell of SCFS presented an excellent session on some of the repositioning and construction work that his firm has done in the last decade. Every one of those communities had something in common; they all worked hard to incorporate green design and local flavor into their updates and upgrades. This trend isn’t new in the aging services space, but Tye’s presentation reinforced just how important these considerations are as organizations contemplate their next move.

SCFS has also experienced a dramatic rise in the desire for common spaces in senior living. Tye noted that, in several instances, the pools, bistros and other dining areas that SCFS has built are so popular with residents that they seem too small on the very day they open. Those looking to expand should listen up on this point — don’t go small just because of budgets. Think about how much use the space will get, as it’s better to built a slightly larger space now than to try to retrofit or expand a space later.

Plants, leaves and the color green

While this might be a bit self-serving, Seth Anthony, our communications manager at Varsity, made an interesting point during our session on branding that I hadn’t previously considered. It also happened to get the most laughter and nods of agreement of any part of the presentation, so I had to include it in this list.

We, at Varsity, value our ability to bring a fresh perspective to our clients during our brand odyssey. Seth aptly pointed out one area in which aging services organizations aren’t doing a good job at being fresh — their logos! Try this exercise, and you’ll see what I mean! Go to http://images.google.com and search for “senior living logos.” You’ll notice that a large portion of logos include one of three elements: plants and trees, leaves and the color green. As organizations work hard to differentiate themselves in an ever-more-competitive market, having a logo that looks and feels much like your competitors can make it hard to truly stand out. I know I’ll be taking a more critical look at aging services logos in the future!

I’d like to extend my thanks to LeadingAge Tennessee for another great event in Nashville. Its hospitality is always spot-on, and you certainly can’t beat an evening out

You’re excited. This is the day you’ve been waiting for since that fateful date nearly 12 months ago. You’ve spent hundreds of hours planning and designing, making sure everything is right. You’ve met with dozens of vendors and have a script for how the whole day should go. That’s right — it’s launch day for your new website!

But, three months later, you’ve realized that there was a hole in your plan. That new website is starting to feel stale already. The pictures haven’t changed. The blog hasn’t been updated. Your integrated Facebook and Twitter feeds are displaying posts that are already two months old. Getting the website to launch was such hard work, you assumed it would be all downhill once it went live. However, now you realize that that was the simple part; finding time to curate content, post updates on social media, change out photos and respond to inquiries isn’t just hard — it’s nearly impossible.

We’ve seen this time and time again within the senior living space. Finding the time to actively manage the digital presence of the organization is a big challenge. Many communities leave this task to marketing or sales managers who have to choose between posting a nice photo or having a conversation that could lead to a sale. Of course, the sale will always take priority, leaving the digital presence to stagnate over time. Finding quick, shareable content may be slightly easier than you realize, though. We have three proven strategies that will help you find additional engaging content quickly!

1. Don’t be a lone warrior.
   Amazing, shareable stories are happening around your community every single day, but you’re only one person. That’s why you need to enlist the help of your employees and residents. Start creating a culture of shareable moments today by encouraging others to share their moments with you. Yes, there are some pitfalls that have to be avoided regarding photo releases, but a little bit of training with your staff and residents could produce huge dividends in the form of wonderful, engaging photographs and stories that you might not have ever heard about otherwise.
2. Think small.
   Whenever your community is holding a big event or celebration, it’s easy to find shareable moments. Veteran events, innovative programs and food tastings always make for good content. However, it’s the smaller, daily moments that really make your social presence something special. If Mrs. Johnson is always walking her poodle around your community, stop and ask to take a picture. Share Mrs. Johnson and Fido with the rest of the world. After all, they are a part of the fabric of life for your residents. Showing families and potential residents what life is like at your community, day in and day out, is really important for a long-term social media strategy.
3. Stop being a perfectionist.
   Everybody wants their organization to look its best. However, just like a person, there are going to be slight imperfections that crop up. Maybe that picture of a vibrant, exciting resident shows another resident in the background in a motorized chair. That’s okay! That’s real life at your community. Yes, in pre-planned advertising, such as print or television, you’ll want perfectly shot, model-quality photographs, but social media is meant to capture everyday life. None of us look like models every day, and we can’t expect our communities and residents to do so, either.

Generating content for social media and blogs doesn’t have to be difficult. Your social media feed should feel like someone is walking the halls of your community, experiencing what life is like. It should never feel like they are enduring a sales pitch or having a digital “lunch and learn.” Be true to your community and show off what life is genuinely like there, and you’ll soon have more content than you ever thought imaginable!

LeadingAge PA is well known for an outstanding annual conference. In 2017, it only bolstered its reputation further with a well-organized and highly educational event. The Varsity team was out in full force at this year’s conference, meeting with old friends, making new ones and keeping abreast of the changes in the senior services industry. As I reflect on the event, I find that I had three takeaways that will certainly impact how I approach those we serve and their residents.

1) Residential living will give way to more in-home services.

James Orlikoff’s presentation on the shifting macroeconomics of health care and the shifting demographics of aging services was incredibly profound. During his presentation, he discussed how the United States has become mired in the current health care system we have and what impact it will have on the future of senior services. What really drove his point home, however, was the story of his own father who eschewed a retirement community until the very last minute, preferring instead to live at home with a caregiver. Not only was this option less expensive, but it also provided the peace of living your last days in your home. This is the type of care that many are going to begin seeking out. If senior living providers aren’t taking these desires into account, they may quickly find themselves left behind. As one colleague put it, “I didn’t like hearing what he had to say, but I needed to hear it. Things are going to change.”

2) Senior living providers must become more transparent.

Over the course of several presentations throughout the week, I was struck by how often the word “transparent” kept popping up. Whether the topic was crisis communications, survey results, marketing materials or the relationship with your board, communities must work to become as transparent as possible. In today’s social climate, where surveys and 990s rule the day, organizations cannot try to hide their foibles and hope no one finds out. Recognizing your challenges up front — and providing a plan to address them in a timely manner — is what’s expected. If there are issues at your community, whether real or perceived, act now to address them and, if needed, bring in an outside professional to help.

3) Community culture can’t be forced.

Much discussion was had regarding the culture of senior living providers —from how they treat their residents and staff to the impact they have in their local communities. These cultures are often quite strong, with well-established missions, values and goals. Increasingly, potential residents aren’t just evaluating the pricing scheme and floor plans of a prospective community, but also the culture of life there. While your culture and values may be very important to you, imposing them on potential residents could quickly become a turn-off. This isn’t to say that strong values are bad. Rather, we encourage you to better understand those values and be ready to articulate how residents of any background can embrace them. As James Orlikoff said in his presentation:

“Those senior services providers were quick to tell us what they were about. They told us about their missions and values. They were proud of the cultures they created. But not one of them stopped to ask my father about his values and what he wanted. It was a ‘take it or leave it’ proposition. He chose to leave it and go out on his terms.”

We certainly enjoyed #Connect17 with our LeadingAge PA friends. Kudos to the organizers, directors and staff, who created a fantastic event that certainly will change the way nonprofit senior service providers in Pennsylvania approach resident care!

Let’s face it — no one wants to think about something catastrophic happening at their community. Fires, floods and earthquakes are all very real possibilities that communities must prepare for. In modern times, we’ve also added situations, such as active shooters, elopements and bomb threats to the canon of issues communities should be prepared to handle. With this in mind, many organizations provide extensive training to employees who would have to respond to these events in hopes that they can keep residents safe and minimize physical damage to property and systems. However, there is another more serious type of damage that communities might face — a damaged reputation from poor communication.

To be clear, at absolutely no time should any organization try to preserve its reputation at the cost of others’ safety. That’s not what I’m talking about at all! Rather, I’m focusing on the story that comes out after one of these events occurs. In the world of public relations, this is referred to as crisis communication. Being able to keep cool and relay important information in the face of adversity is a skill that most people don’t inherently have, even in the best of times. Now, imagine yourself in a highly stressful situation where you are being asked tough questions and accused of malfeasance. At that moment, how you react to reporters and interested parities can either set minds at ease or exacerbate a problem to new heights.

Most communities don’t have the luxury of having an on-site, dedicated communications person. Usually, communications is handled at a corporate level or is defaulted to an employee in an adjacent field, such as marketing or human resources. These individuals are rarely prepared to handle an emerging situation, and corporate’s ability to respond may lag for a variety of reasons. News agencies today aren’t going to sit idly by while they wait for your PR director show up and take control of the situation. They are going to start fleshing out a story wherever they can find it, probably embellishing along the way in hopes of making the situation more interesting for viewers and readers. It’s in those critical moments, immediately after an event occurs, that you need to take control of the story.

To accomplish this, we recommend that every community have the following three items in place:

1. Resident, employee and family emergency alert system — Technology today makes this very easy. If there is an incident at your community at any time, you should have a system in place to immediately and efficiently contact current residents and their family members. The communications that go out on these broadcasts should be prepared in advance (as much as possible) and speak to the safety of those involved. In an emergency, the first concern loved ones have is for the physical well-being of their family members. Addressing those types of questions is your top priority.
2. Contact information for leadership — Communities should have a list of contact information for key officials that will be more able to handle difficult questions. This can help redirect reporters to individuals that they can talk to and alleviate the stress being put on staff that might be asked to comment on an issue.
3. Training for staff — Your staff should know and understand your policies about who can and can’t make statements on behalf of the organization. Employees generally know they shouldn’t try to act as representatives, but they may be asked by a reporter about what they saw or experienced personally. Until a situation is under control, employees shouldn’t respond to these questions at all. Therefore, providing a bit of training and information before an issue arises can help to mitigate any comments that might be made later on.

Every community owes it to its residents to have plans in place for a myriad number of emergencies — and most already have done this. However, it’s important that they take these exercises a step further and imagine the role that timely communications will play in incident response. Maintenance and security might be prepared for the next calamity, but is your executive director ready? How about sales & marketing? Now is the time to address these issues, before an incident occurs.