Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in providing care to older adults, as this article in Forbes magazine mentions.
The article cites a study that Waypoint (formerly AgingChoices) published about what prospective senior living residents prioritize in today’s market.
As a Continuing Care Retirement Community, there’s a strong case to be made that the continuum of care for your residents begins well before they even move in. In the language of marketing, we refer to “nurturing” leads and prospects for a reason.
The decision to move to a senior care community is one of the most consequential choices older adults and their families may ever have to face. It requires tact, compassion, empathy, and a true spirit of service to meet this customer base where they are and guide them to their best decision. The qualities listed above are what any of us would hope for in a caregiver—and chances are, the more your senior living sales and marketing team embodies these characteristics, the more effective they will be.
Something else your senior community’s care team and sales and marketing team have in common is the need to stay organized and manage a large amount of information pertinent to the seniors under their care, whether they are residents, or are still in the prospect stage. Two common systems for managing this data are CRMs and EHRs.
The Difference Between CRMs and EHRs
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and an EHR (Electronic Health Record) are different software systems used in senior living, each with a distinct purpose.
Senior living communities most often use CRMs to manage their relationships with potential residents. CRMs enable sales teams to store and organize information about prospective residents, such as their contact information, interests, and preferences. CRM systems can also track communications with potential residents, and help sales staff follow up with them to provide personalized attention.
An EHR is a digital record-keeping system for residents’ medical and health information. Healthcare providers use EHRs to document residents’ diagnoses, treatments, medications, and other important health information. EHRs allow healthcare professionals quick, easy access to residents’ health records so they receive timely and appropriate care.
In summary, a CRM manages customer relationships and interactions, while an EHR manages health records and provides clinical support to healthcare providers. These systems may contain some overlapping information, but they serve different purposes in the continuum of care for the seniors in your community.
It’s important to note that without the right information, even the best CRM will not be much help. The best tools on the market today for greeting and guiding your senior living website’s visitors and collecting the information that matters are the Navigator and Lifestyle Quiz from Waypoint.
Senior living communities that have added Waypoint’s solutions have increased the conversion rate from their website traffic by as much as 5x.
To learn more about how Waypoint can help you make the most of your senior living community’s online presence, contact us today!