Networking facility events Example: "Turkey Shoot", is a networking event held annually at Thanksgiving we look forward to this special holiday each year, coming up on November 25th, 2010. So you might want to have your gathering the week before. "Turkey Shoot" is for health care professionals to gather, exchange business cards and attempt to shoot a dart across the room sometimes to a bulls eye and sometime over a line across the floor and win a 15 lb turkey to grace their Thanksgiving table. The event is usually held after work on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Entertainment, refreshments and comfort foods are served. Sponsored door prizes are awarded and a dozen or so turkey’s are given away. 

Another Example: "Flashback Party" There are more and more television shows that are taking us back to the 70's a time that we have thought was forgotten. Invite your health care professionals to attend this party and encourage everyone to dress according to the 1970's disco era, gangsters, big hair and bell bottoms just to name a few idea's. Check into renting 4 gaming tables (blackjack/poker) Pokeno machines and a couple of roulette wheels. Get some chips or invite FALC and we will operate your casino program whereby we give prizes for the chips they buy. This could become a fundraiser whereby we give each guest $5000 chips to start playing and then whatever chips they buy we match with free chips. The chips will help raise funds for our senior and disabled adult Outreach Program. The food would be light snack food, prizes and awards for best dressed will be given out and with a little creativity you have a wonderful night to remember and your facility and the guests get to have a great time, while helping the Florida Assisted Living Coalition, Community Outreach program.

On site CEU Training's: Frequently hosted on-site training's are offered to Physicians, Nurses and Dietary Staff. The opportunity affords the property to recruit employees and to showcase your community for future referral.

Hosted off site occasions: Annual Boat Parade, Forth of July Neighborhood Float in Parade, Fishing Tournament, Breast Cancer Walk, Little League Team; Are all sponsored events that a facility participates in becoming more a part of the fiber of the community.

Theme parties: Each week the Administrator or Dietary Manager will work with the Life Enrichment Manager (a/k/a Activities Director) to produce outstanding theme parties for residents, such as a red hat club. The meals for that particular day is enhanced. Advise staff to wear costumes complimenting the theme. Award prizes to the residents and a gift cards to staff engaging.

Frequent Referral Rewards Program: a catalog is produced of gifts available to those health care professionals who make frequent referrals to the community. Gifts are anywhere from children’s clothing store gift cards, travel rewards, fuel cards, dining club options, etc…

Accessories/Promo materials: Trade show, Florida Assisted Living Coalition Annual Expo & Conference, health fair and other opportunities need pens, lancets, clips and stress squeeze items to help promote the property. T-Shirts, Mugs, tote bags, Post-it Pads and water bottles are a few other give away items all with your logo & telephone

Direct Mailing/DVD/Literature: Tours available on DVD give family members and potential referral sources a good idea of how good we look. Attractive, vibrant literature that jumps off the page when thumbing through the piece are wonderful forms of literature. A compliment to your marketing material – there are a variety of brochures and pamphlets to use

Test Drive:Marketing a retirement community is selling a lifestyle, an image and an expectation. It is like buying a truck!

 Kick the tires & take a test drive, advocate for a prospect to try your community for a week, a month or a lifetime. Promote that there is never a long-term commitment. Encourage that the prospect can take your community for a test drive and start living the good life!  This option is ideal for anyone thinking about making the move to a retirement community, but are not sure if they are ready to make the commitment.

·         Take advantage of a Short-Stay and think about it as relationship building. This gives the potential long term resident a chance to stay for just a week in one of your furnished apartments – or stay with as long as it takes to fully experience the pampered lifestyle.

·         Always refer to your rooms as apartments. Advocate that the new resident bring personal belongings to make the apartment their home to ensure that they don’t want to leave.

·         Share with the prospect that they will receive the same services all residents enjoy – home-cooked meals, scheduled transportation, customized Service and Care Plan and more.

·         If a potential client is being discharged from the hospital or nursing home, but still needs rehabilitation, “Test Drive” is the perfect option, offering the appropriate transition from hospital to home.

• You can arrange with your favorite home health agency to offer onsite physical therapy on property, feature a fitness center which doubles as rehab for someone just getting back on their feet and into familiar routines.