Do You Have Happy Campers?

There’s no question that older adults will speak their minds if they’re not completely satisfied with the overall experience of living at a senior living community. They may absolutely love interaction with the staff, but don’t like how certain meals are prepared. They may not think a swimming pool is necessary, but clamor if you don’t provide covered parking. There are countless details involved in operating a community, and “keeping the peace” is a 24/7 job.

Here’s the good news. Overall satisfaction ratings at senior living communities are quite high. According to Holleran, a senior living research firm, 86.6% of residents would recommend a Continuing Care Retirement Community to family and friends. And most of those — 84.1% in fact—rated their long-term confidence in a CCRC as good or excellent.

Every senior living community should use satisfaction surveys. They help provide a report card to leadership on how well the community is meeting and exceeding expectations. It goes without saying that the more satisfied your residents are, the more likely they are to provide referrals — they gain neighbors who are friends, and you keep your occupancy levels up.

How often does your community conduct surveys? You might have heard the saying, “Happy campers buy more marshmallows.” In this case, they bring more residents. With that in mind, if a resident satisfaction survey isn’t part of your marketing plan this year, maybe it should be!