In my research, I was struck by the observations of families and caregivers about how essential it is to personalize your approach to language. Everyone is an individual with a different comfort level. Try to listen carefully and understand the context of comments that on the surface seem belligerent. Think about it from the resident’s point of view. It is very embarrassing to have to admit that certain activities are just too hard to perform anymore. “Say what you mean and mean what you say” just isn’t an option for some long-term care residents. At the same time, consider your own word choices and the underlying implication (often unintentional, but there nonetheless) an elder or family member might hear.

Karen Schoeneman, a senior policy analyst in the Division of Nursing Homes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, has published an excellent list of outdated or potentially offensive terms used when conversing with elders. Here are just a few examples (www.pioneernetwork.net/CultureChange/Language/):

Old habits are hard to break, but now is the time for change.

Speaking respectfully is always a good business practice in any occupation.  Why should we care about speaking courteously?

• Because we are professional, dedicated individuals with a passion for serving seniors.
• Because we genuinely care about the people we are responsible for and respect them regardless of their physical or mental status.
• Because it is good business practice.
• But most of all, because in doing so, we become part of a cultural change that respects and honors older adults.

Talking nicely can brighten someone’s day.  It empowers persons with little control over their circumstances to make informed decisions for themselves.  It increases cooperation.  It will make our clients “honored friends.”

This year’s color trends are taking their inspirations from nature. The greens are deep, rich, and lush. (Time to say good-bye to the yellow-tinged greens of the past!) The blues are a calm reflection of water. Reds are saturated and graduated. Neutrals this year are subtle, and influenced by raw materials (think sand, stone, wood).

New colors can quickly and economically enhance and update your space. A few things to remember:

• Always work with your existing upholstery and carpet; everything needs to coordinate.  An investment of a few hours with a professional designer will assure the right selections.
• Think of the mood you want to conjure. Warm colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) are exciting and energizing. Cool colors (blues and greens) are calming and relaxing.
• When in doubt, test the color on a 4 foot x 4 foot sample sheet. Don’t paint directly onto the wall—that could affect the final color. Attach your sample to the wall you’ll be painting and examine it during different times of the day; as the lighting changes, your color often changes as well.
• Beiges can be the trickiest hues to select—what looked perfectly neutral in a sample can go red or gray in your room. I recommend always looking at a large sample in the space it will be used. The lighter the color, the more it will reflect the colors surrounding it. One of my all-time favorite beiges is Duron’s “Botany Beige.” It’s just about perfect in most spaces.
• Want to make just a small change? Try color blocking one wall with your color.
• Not everyone is a skilled painter; it is a gift. If you don’t possess that particular gift, it’s worth it to invest in someone who can do quality work.

Enjoy yourself, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The world is full of wonderful colors!

John Andrews of McKnight’s Long Term Care (January 3, 2012) recently compiled a list of furnishing trends for 2012. It is encouraging to know that the overwhelming consensus of my peers is that the American architect Louis Sullivan was right when he said (in 1896) “form follows function.” The furniture first and foremost must be structurally strong, with a firm seat; it must be easy to clean and must fit the needs of its intended function. Manufacturers are listening and providing options and styles that meet these criteria as well as the aesthetic qualities required for the Senior Living home.

The biggest change that we have seen is the move to a more transitional style of furnishings. This made Andrew’s list as well. This style allows the space to maintain its overall traditional feel but not become too formal. We are hearing more and more often that our residents and their families want a more comfortable, relaxed, inviting home. As one gentleman put it, “I don’t want to wear my coat and tie to dinner every night or all day long.” A secondary benefit to this style is that the grandchildren feel more at ease and comfortable while visiting—and after all, isn’t that what space is really for? The relationships within.

In an industry that is given the privilege of providing homes and spaces for our elders there are so many missed opportunities to care!

Details matter. They communicate quality; they show consideration for others; they tell the story. Visual cues of cleanliness, the correct paint color, seasonal flowers, a smile, and a moment to listen—all these little things add up to one fundamental value: they communicate respect for each other.

As to the tables mentioned above, after many discussions the manufacturer will be on site today to remedy the issue. We need to encourage each other to do the right thing.

A furnished marketing model provides talking and memory points, evokes emotions, and generates a reason to revisit the community. A well-designed model excites and inspires, and allows a prospective buyer to imagine living in a similar space. The model is considered one of the most effective venues for converting a prospect into sales; the savvy consumer expects them.

Conventional wisdom has long-held that a vacant home takes longer to sell than one that is furnished.

In order to create an effective model, it is important to understand one’s market. The current buyer for the senior living independent community is from the “Silent Generation” (those born during the Great Depression and WWII).  Their average age is 78 and they will live in the new community about nine years. Most buyers (58 percent) are single, 54 percent are female, and they are generally quick to recognize economic opportunities. Their purchase decisions are focused on quality first, and they will furnish new homes with family items. Most (72 percent) have some college or an advanced degree. They prefer dogs to cats and more than a third will bring their pet to their new home.

In the Fall of 2011, Design Source, Inc. conducted a survey among marketing directors of retirement communities in the Mid-Atlantic region which revealed the following:

• Sixty percent use a furnished model.
• Anecdotally speaking, 100 percent believe it is easier to sell an apartment/villa by using a furnished model.
• When a model was available, positive comments from potential purchasers were made about color palette, furniture styles, furniture layout, and the accessory details.
• In the current economy using a furnished model, the sell cycle was:

• The average community spends between $10,000 and $20,000 to furnish a two-bedroom, two-bath model. (This range includes the use of existing pieces of furniture.)
• The cost of creating one model (two-bedroom, two-bath) is approximately 7 percent of the gross sale of one home. (The contents of which could be moved to another location when model is sold)
• The cost of creating one model in  Assisted Living is approximately 8 percent of the gross sale of one home.

It is clear that a model that thoughtfully reflects the ideals and lifestyles of prospective buyers is pivotal in the marketing of senior living housing. Today’s consumers recognize value and appreciate quality; a tasteful, furnished model is proven to be a persuasive selling point. Further, the investment required in developing a model is quickly offset by the resulting sales.

Especially in a challenging economy, long-term living community executives affirm that partnering with professional interior designers experienced in the senior housing market can produce increased sales through the power of polish.  Anecdotally, the building industry claims as much as a 30 percent faster selling rate of furnished apartments over empty spaces.

Knowing how to meet the needs of a market where “one size” definitely does not “fit all” requires special finesse and marketing sophistication on the part of elder housing executives.  Leaving the family home can be wrenching for some older adults, while others breeze through a change of address.

“We are reaching out to two different demographics,” says Richard Williams, Vice President for HHHunt, Blacksburg, VA.  “First, seniors, and then second, their adult children, who can influence the buying decision.  We are equally excited to make the move happen when we can appeal to both groups.”

Furnished models encourage wavering potential purchasers to come back to the community to firm up their preferences in competitive markets, proving “seeing is believing.”  Attractive elements in models offer talking points to sales and marketing teams and help differentiate between one community and another.

“Models are excellent ways to continue the marketing process, by inviting prospects to visit after the initial contact.  And at that time, we can eliminate any possible objections to the sale.  We want them to feel welcomed and comfortable, ” continues Williams.

Effective designers bridge the gap between old and new during this transitional time.  Dynamic,  richly colored spaces with varied finishes and textures illustrate how mature, discerning individuals and couples can thrive in an assisted or independent living community.  While respecting traditional design elements such as crown moldings, striking artwork and current color palettes dispel any expectations of stodgy, predictable environments.  Models with coyly placed knitting baskets or too much clutter that suggest an “old person lives there” have no place in the minds of active seniors or their children.  Instead, style-conscious consumers shopping in higher-end communities expect to see granite countertops, dramatic red or plum “statement” walls “that everyone can’t stop talking about.”

Marti Miller, Marketing Director, Cedarfield Retirement Community, Richmond, VA concurs.  “We want to present a space where the client will say, ‘This is beautiful, I could move right in.’  But it is a very fine line between up selling slightly and taking them where they can’t see themselves living.  We want our prospective residents to be comfortable from the very, very start.”

Well thought out models further achieve multiple design and sales goals by showing how furniture sizes “work” within a given square footage.  Full-sized or queen beds, and a reading chair in the bedroom demonstrate a space with ease to move about and show purchasers that they can bring some of their cherished belongings to the “new home.”

“The children want to see mom comfortable and safe, and the parents want to know they could actually live here,” adds Sally Spielberg, Executive Director, Spring Arbor of Salisbury.

Savvy interior designers also incorporate flexibility within their furnishing plans for the benefit of community sales teams.  As models sell and floor plans get tweaked, items inevitably get moved and rearranged.  Quality furnishings and accessories with consistent or complementary colorways and styles can be re-used cost-effectively and keep their value for the owners.

Scenarios of kitchen cabinets stocked with food boxes, dining tables with china and placemats, and closets containing trendy sweaters and stylish flats help seniors mentally create a storyline or “emotional piece” to the shopping decision.  These attractive settings add a warm, human element to even the most sophisticated marketing package.  Absolutely, the “financials” are important to any purchaser.  But so is that sense of “fitting in” that only a stack of well-thumbed books, colorful artwork, and well-appointed furnishing say “you should live here.”

Re-print from September 2010 Long-Term Living Magazine.

… to our clients for providing projects and enduring relationships that allow us to practice our passion, creativity and craft,

… to our colleagues and team partners for challenging us and making us the best we can be,

… to vendors and suppliers who continue to provide quality products,

and especially…

… to our creative team of designers and production folks, and

… to our beloved families and friends who have supported us like only they can.

I look forward to the next ____________!!

 We will be launching our new blog in January.  Please come back to visit!