Nobody can argue with the fact that the Covid 19 pandemic has been especially tragic for care homes and their residents and for other home care operators. Seniors have fallen victim in high numbers - which is just so heartbreaking that it is difficult to even think about. And so it follows it has been an unimaginably painful for resident families.
At times like these, it becomes even more important to focus on the future. Care managers must handle the day to day, but middle and senior management have to be the ones to think a little further ahead, having full faith in the survival of the business and ensuring 'we' are still there to care, well after the current pandemic is behind us.
There have been lots of cycles in the care homes business. Massive growth. Followed my financial and regulatory pressure. And so it follows that, more than ever, care home companies have been able to be ahead of the curve when it comes to sales and marketing, working harder than ever to build a sales pipeline that is robust and causes move-ins at the rate that is needed.
Because of the demographics of the UK, the view is often that there will be a plentiful supply of older people requiring care...more and more so as we all age more... and that local authorities will pay some if not all of care fees. Even private pay companies have appeared to be somewhat disorganised when it comes to sales and marketing functions. Why? because care homes are a special case and you simply do not need to invest in outbound communication to any master scheme. Why invest, when the return appears to be there anyway?
The private pay sector has become more and more competitive in recent years, and the mid-market operators are just trying to enter it too. Amidst government pressure to keep people at home, too, and DCA's becoming cuter with their marketing the market becomes more and more competitive.
Getting a nice new responsive website is one thing. Developing a category-beating strategy that differentiates and drives interest in you homes is another matter entirely. This is going to be a key sector that will see some real winners and losers based how effective they are at communicating best (as well as delivering the best care).
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