To make that unerring assessment that will guarantee a successful placement in your retirement community you need to recognize the various archetypes of potential residents. You need to develop the ‘antennae’ of a good marketer so that you can determine who will be a good fit.
Last time we looked at the “tire-kicker”. Today we’ll get to know “the mom who seems to please”…
Mission accomplished
Susan snapped her Blackberry shut. ‘There, last bit of flight info – my middle sister’s coming in tonight’. The family conference had been planned for ages. Mum’s fall was four months ago; the broken hip, the surgery, the rehab hospital and then a respite stay at a retirement home. It was clear that she couldn’t go home, and she seemed to be loving the retirement home, so this week was earmarked for designing her permanent suite, choosing what the girls would take home, and selling the rest. ‘We have three pieces of paper to sign – the sales contract on the house, the resident agreement for the home, and the pre-planned funeral, then we can all go home, leaving Mum all set!’
They duly met at the family home, stickers in hand, and made short work of their parent’s old bedroom. ‘She’ll need the bedroom set, two chairs from the den, sell the rest, right?’ The yard sale went well, the consignment seller came and went, the for-sale sign went up, and everyone got ready to go home. One final task –the movers taking Mum’s stuff to the home tomorrow morning– no worries.
Not so fast…
Next morning, Blackberries are buzzing – Mum won’t enter her new room. ‘I did what they wanted and stayed for awhile, but now I’m going home – you’ll just have to take that furniture back home, and call me a cab, too’. Uh-oh.
Maureen, the Community Relations Manager on duty that day, received the SOS call from Susan, went upstairs to see the hubbub and found Mum – Mrs. Lediard – sitting calmly in the respite suite with the crossword. ‘Have those movers gone, dear? Is my cab downstairs?’
Demographic Clues
Maureen had actually never spent time with Mrs. Lediard. She had come directly from the rehab hospital at its recommendation, and the retirement home had not actually done their own assessment. This is not unusual, and because she seemed to have blended in so well, staff had never really thought twice about the next phase of the placement, being the permanent suite. The adult daughters, all brisk and efficient, had defined the needs and made the arrangements by long-distance, and in fact no one had asked Mrs. Lediard for her opinion at all. What clues were available to learn about what make her tick, and she values, and what would make a successful placement?
Maureen called down for coffee and muffins and sat down in the respite suite for a chat. She noticed several framed family photos, and started to ask about the handsome man and children in the pictures. A business-executive husband, family groups at the cottage, Christmas dinners and supper parties; clearly Mrs. Lediard was a hostess and mother extraordinaire. Other clues – aged about 75, beautiful sweater-set, pearls and smooth coiffure, gorgeous diamond rings. Listening to her talk, Maureen recognized a combination of Betty Crocker and Betty Draper, a model 1950s mom who had mastered the art of getting her way while letting everyone else think they’d won. It was a fine art, carefully honed by many non-working wives of the time – ‘behind every great man is a woman’.
In their conversation, it became clear that Mrs. Lediard, slightly intimidated by the hospital experience and her daughters, had found it easier to co-operate with events, ‘but then things got away from me’. She felt that she was losing control, having others make decisions for her. The tipping point was seeing such a tiny part of her beautiful home come bumping sadly through down the hall; the realization that her home was now empty and for sale had never hit her before. No one had actually told her the details, assuming, or hoping, that she either know or was compliant. Her only defence was to dig in her well-shod heels.
Empathy
Maureen had to think fast —there was another client coming into that respite suite tomorrow! She poked her head into the hall – good, the movers were still there. Time for Mrs. Lediard to hit her stride once again! ‘The movers are completely confused – can you direct them? How did you want your suite set up?’ Step aside – here she comes, back in her element! For the next few hours the crew moved and re-positioned every stick of furniture until Mrs. Lediard was satisfied, then they carted her photos and clothes down the hall from the respite suite. Housekeeping and maintenance were summoned to deal with some minor repairs, cosmetic tweaks, setting up the phone and arguing with the cable-guy until everything was perfect.
Mrs. Lediard sailed serenely down to dinner and returned to pick up various frantic voice-mails from her daughters. ’No, I couldn’t call back, I was busy – now what were you so alarmed about, dear?
Well done, Maureen – ‘Ah, it’s all in day’s work’.
Tune in next issue for the dreaded ‘bottom-line watcher’!
About Pat Irwin
