Why can't we explain care?

It is evident that departments in Residential Aged Care don't mix, speak or educate when it comes to understanding the day to day of care within a Home. Over the past 1500 plus mystery tours we have done as a company less than 20% actually bring up and discuss how care is performed. Why? It's the core product.

We also have a health and hospital network that don't know the working of a care home and are in part wildly misinformed as to the level of competency, skill, staffing or funding mechanisms. The industry is guided by a 'stick' mentality, and this has rubbed off to this network. A network that is seen as a guide for families to be pointed to the right care.

So again why? Simply occupancy 2-3 years ago was about getting a resident in the bed. It is now getting a resident who fits the profile of that bed. At no stage have we seen a real market impact of multiple options for a consumer to make an informed choice. But this will come. Now that there is a supply and demand imbalance, and the ideal client is narrowed it will mean that there will be a choice for the person in the right profile. This doesn't mean that people who fall outside this will be disadvantaged, they will simply have less choice.

For those in the target category of right funding, right level of means and right care requirement they will need to be sold to properly. Not in a used car sales type way but a proper features and benefits method that help alleviate fear, expand on information for informed choices and set expectations.

The market (key stakeholders), such as hospitals will need to be more educated as to how the provider works and how the industry is changing. In Queensland next month Quality INSITE is hosting a forum to discuss these very things with members from the residential aged care network and staff from Metro South and Metro North. The main idea is to open better lines of communication and discovery of pain points.

We shouldn't have providers make decisions to close specialty areas of care that aged care traditionally operate within. But here we are and for one I am impressed that provider made an open call where others have quietly closed large amounts of beds.

Finally, back to the headline, why can't we explain care. As a leader of sales teams and doing this for 4 and a bit years with Quality INSITE I see it as a no brainer. Explain and set expectation of care. It is not always remembered and that is where you adjust the level of information for next time. You have to evolve this part of the admissions/tour process. If not, more and more people will be left with a less than satisfactory level of first impression and this will result in a stressful stay all round.

Features and benefits the real secret sauce.

For those that have attended our online training you would have heard a number of times reference to features and benefits and the ability of understanding that concept to handling any objections. Most know their features but very few then relate those benefits to the individual and personalise the answer. Let's look at an example,

I am really worried about Mums care, and I am not sure Aged Care can deliver this!

Recognition that this is objection is your first step.

Your feature is the care provided at your location. The benefits under this example include,

1. We are fully accredited.
2. We have mandated care and RN minutes.
3. Each resident is clinically assessed to ensure we have the capability to care for your loved one.
4. Staff training in care, social needs, mealtime, etc
5. Recording and trending - we use this data to look for change/decline.
6. Use of technology that mum would have access to at home such as Nurse call, proper lifting equipment etc

You can see in a short few items you should be able to take the fear pressure off the family member. They may throw up more objections, but these should still be tailored to the information you have collected on the resident.

If you want to know more reach out to us at [email protected]