How Cedarhurst’s Marketing Team Uses Caremerge to Improve Census and Drive Family Satisfaction

In senior living, communication is the cornerstone of care. But getting through to every single person in senior living communities – from staff to residents to family members – is an ongoing challenge.

Cedarhurst Senior Living has done a lot in the past year to ensure they get vital information out to everyone, every day. With the help of Caremerge, Samantha Prinster, Cedarhurst’s Director of Marketing and Communications, has centralized the operator’s communication strategy to keep all community members updated about COVID-19, staff changes, resident well-being, and more. 

Here’s how Samantha’s team uses Caremerge almost daily across all 50 of its communities.

Caremerge Broadcast Streamlines Staff Communication and Vaccine Education

Samantha was a CNA for years and worked on Cedarhurst’s clinical team before she stepped over to lead marketing, so she knows the importance of having all staff members aligned on community protocols.

Any time Cedarhurst leadership needs to update its full staff quickly and securely, they’ll send out an announcement through Caremerge Broadcast that goes straight to staff members’ email and text. This saves leadership a ton of time manually sending out updates, and it keeps staff briefed about key caregiving updates even as situations change fast during the pandemic. 

Most recently, Cedarhurst leveraged Broadcast to execute a COVID-19 vaccine education campaign for staff members. Samantha’s team put together a thoughtful Q&A to make sure all staff members understand and comply with Cedarhurst’s vaccine distribution procedure. 

Residents Can Get Updates through the Channels They Prefer

Some residents like to receive community announcements in the mail, some want to listen to them over the phone, some prefer to read them on a tablet. 

Cedarhurst’s philosophy of person-driven care is about serving each resident’s unique preferences, and senior living technology makes that possible. That’s why Cedarhurst uses Broadcast to drive resident satisfaction.

Prior to using Broadcast, Samantha’s team had to send letters, make phone calls, and knock on doors to get the message out. Now, Samantha says she saves at least two hours each day because she can send a text, email, and voicemail all at the same time on the Caremerge platform.

Cedarhurst sends Broadcast updates to residents to… 

• Notify residents about a positive COVID-19 test in the community.
• Share updates from the organizational leadership team.
• Provide information during an emergency, such as an electric outage.

Samantha’s team also uses Broadcast to send out yearly resident satisfaction surveys. The tool has helped Cedarhurst collect substantially more responses than when they had only sent them out through mail, and it’s much easier to file responses digitally. 

Caremerge’s Family Engagement App Gives Families More Peace of Mind

With the same ease that Cedarhurst sends out updates to staff and residents, the operator is able to keep each resident’s family updated about everything they’re up to.

Cedarhurst uses Caremerge’s Family Engagement solution alongside Broadcast as a content hub for community info and resident events. Samantha says the team will send an email through Broadcast, post on the Family Engagement app, then follow up with a text. The multi-channel approach ensures each family stays in the loop.

Staff members can use the Family Engagement app to securely share photos and videos of residents with their families, too. 

While these two solutions have been useful in keeping families updated about COVID-19 and keeping their census high in their communities, Samantha says the biggest value they add is that they bring families comfort knowing their loved one is safe, happy, and healthy. 

“It’s great that families can see, ‘Oh, Mom went and played bridge with her gal pals today. It helps ease the guilt factor children have in not being able to see their parents all the time.”

Cedarhurst Leverages Caremerge for Market Differentiation and Brand Credibility

Thanks to Cedarhurst’s first-rate communication, the communities have started receiving higher NPS (Net Promoter Scores). Now Cedarhurst is incorporating the senior living technology into their marketing strategy.

“If we get a high NPS rating, we’ve trained our community staff to reach out,” Samantha says. “We ask to share their experience on Google, and we also use NPS ratings in our own marketing pieces.”

Here are two great Google reviews Cedarhurst has received about the communities’ digital communication through Caremerge:

“My mother moved into the community in June at the height of the virus. They go the extra mile to help us communicate with our mom and keep us informed through their various communication methods. It has brought great peace of mind.” – family member of a Cedarhurst at Beaumont resident

“I can’t say enough about the staff at Cedarhurst of Breese. During this time of quarantine, they have taken their services up yet another notch and have provided Facetime and Skype as communication options in addition to continuously keeping families informed through emails, calls, and texts.” – family member of a Cedarhurst at Breese resident

Samantha knows that highlighting Cedarhurst’s digital-first communication is a boost for the operator’s marketing because for the new generation of residents and their families, technology can be a deciding factor. Cedarhurst has already started showcasing its digital communication in ads for the communities.

Cedarhurst spotlights its connective technology with Caremerge in ads for prospective residents and their families.

“Having Caremerge is a great selling point,” she says. “The senior population moving into our communities today uses a lot of tech, and their children rely on it. It’s what they’re searching for when they look for a senior living community.”

Learn more about how Caremerge can transform senior living communications.