OSHA and Safety Requirements for the Cannabis IndustryLocation is everything – it’s true for real estate and it’s true for senior care facilities. If you want efficient senior care services and happy residents, you need to consider how the location will impact your services, activities, and care.
Consideration #1: Proximity to Your Other Facilities
In many industries, you want your branches to be spread out. For example, if you own a chain of restaurants, you’ll probably put establishments on opposite sides of town, not right next to each other. Senior living is different: you want a new location to be close to your other facilities. In fact, being next door can be a huge advantage.
It’s important to have a full calendar of activities, as activities keep residents engaged and happy. Since relatives also care about activities, having a constant rotation of movie nights, art workshops, and other events can make your facility attractive – and for good reason. Among other benefits, the National Institute on Aging says older adults who engage in activities may be happier, have better cognitive abilities, and live longer.
However, organizing activities requires time and resources. If you have multiple facilities that are far from each other, you might have a hard time maintaining a full event schedule at all your locations, especially if you’re struggling to keep your facilities well-staffed. By opening facilities next to each other, you can pool resources.
For example, you might have one facility that caters to higher-need residents and is well-staffed. You can host movie nights there. Next door, you have another facility with lower-need residents – you can invite them to join you for movie night. Other activities could include bingo, cookie baking, and exercise sessions.
Having your facilities next to each other can help you pool other resources, too. For example, you might make food at one facility and then take some over to the facility next door. When your locations work together, they all perform more efficiently.
In addition to making it easier to offer activities for everyone, this solution supports a seamless transition from a facility with a low level of care to one with a higher level of care. When residents need to move into a new facility, they’re already familiar with the location and will be able to continue seeing their friends at the old facility.
Consideration #2: Proximity to Youth Groups
Since inviting young people into your facility is a great way to keep residents engaged, it makes sense to be close to schools and youth groups. Offering this type of activity also helps people feel good about choosing your facility for their loved ones.
For example, a local youth choir might sing for residents, an art class might show off their paintings, and a science club might hold a robotics demonstration. Many seniors love watching youth performances, as they don’t need to do anything other than sit back and enjoy the show.
Of course, supervision and safety are essential, but this can be an excellent opportunity for community engagement. According to a report from Stanford, when older adults and young people come together, both age groups benefit. Young people receive mentoring and attention while the seniors learn about technology and trends and simply enjoy the energy young people bring.
Consideration #3: Proximity to Medical Care
As your residents will need medical care occasionally, proximity to medical facilities is important. Consider how long it takes to get to the nearest medical facilities and whether those facilities provide high-quality care for seniors.
Transportation is another issue. If your residents need to go to a doctor’s appointment, what safe transportation options are available? For example, is there a Dial-A-Ride service?
Making sure your residents have easy access to medical care will help keep them safe and healthy. It can also reassure family members who are worried about their loved ones.
Consideration #4: Proximity to Workers
You might be able to find a cheap property in the middle of nowhere – but how will you attract any workers?
Keeping senior living facilities staffed can be a major challenge. You don’t want to make this any more difficult than it needs to be. When considering your location, make sure you’ll have a local workforce to draw on.
Location Matters
By choosing your location carefully, you can build more efficient senior care facilities for happy residents and reassured loved ones. However, you’ll still need a solid insurance program to manage your risks. We specialize in insurance for residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. Contact us to learn more.
