“A multi-channel communication strategy is nothing new, but in the chaos of COVID-19, it was easy to get scattered and start communicating in a very disconnected way.“

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

June 2, 2020

The K4Community Hotline is just what it sounds like – a recorded message line that keeps callers informed on the latest information in a community. The Hotline accomplishes two things that are critically important right now:

• Informs residents, families, and staff about the latest COVID-19 information (for skilled nursing, that is now a C.M.S. regulatory requirement and may be for AL/MC); and
• Offsets the time caregivers are spending fielding those repetitive calls (see previous article for examples of how to use Hotline for communication beyond COVID-19).

While the Hotline has been a simple and easy solution to implement during this unplanned COVID situation, communities now have time to ensure it fits into their overall, multi-channel communication strategy (see figure below).

A multi-channel communication strategy is nothing new, but in the chaos of COVID-19, it was easy to get scattered and start communicating in a very disconnected way.

Here are three steps to ensure your K4Community Hotline is part of a more integrated strategy:

1. It is essential to identify the key stakeholders you plan to reach and second, what are the best ways to reach them. Most of our communities set up two Hotline lines, one for internal audiences (residents and staff), and another, external Hotline for families, prospects, volunteers, etc. You can of course pull out any one of the audiences – for example, prospects, and customize the message specifically for them.
   
   What I specifically like about the internal Hotline, along with digital signage or your TV insertion channel, is that it provides an easy way to reach low-tech residents, so that you can limit the amount of paper you have to send out.  Another approach to simplifying access to a Hotline is deploying Amazon Alexa devices (via our K4Community Voice platform), allowing for residents to utter a simple voice command to listen to an updated Hotline message.
   
   
2. Content is the driving force in communication. In crisis, it must be created or assembled in a single place. Messaging must be tailored to the various stakeholder groups, and then distributed to each channel in a timely and consistent manner. But if the Hotline is not part of your overall communication strategy, or if you try to cover too many groups with a single message, you are likely to miss the mark. See our best practices video for recording an effective Hotline message.
   
   
3. Frequency is the final component. Communication (especially during times of fear and uncertainty) is most effective when it is predictable and at a regular cadence. If you are trying to reduce unproductive calls to staff, you must build a habit for your audience to check in regularly, knowing it will have new information on a specific day or time.
   
   Making this Hotline part of the audience’s daily or weekly routine will increase usage. Not surprisingly, a review of our active Hotlines revealed the highest number of calls (per living unit) came from those updating it daily, or on a specific day of the week.

Additionally, publishing the Hotline number initially and including it as a reminder in subsequent communication, or alerting the community in a K4App notification are both best practices to increase effectiveness.

A mass notification tool like K4Connect’s Hotline can mean the difference between a crisis or incident that is controlled and one that threatens your community reputation, resident or staff morale, regulatory compliance, and your marketing and sales efforts. Having one is the first step but integrating it into your overall communication strategy is equally important.

“At K4Connect, our belief is senior living has reached a crossroad with technology and innovation. Let’s be honest, this industry has not always rushed to embrace technology or change.“

By: Cindy Phillips | Managing Partner, K4Advisors

February 21, 2020

Last week, I announced K4Advisors and our mission to partner and help senior living operators leverage as much as they can from each step along the journey of digital transformation – we know it’s not an easy endeavor. 

Late last year, F. Scott Moody, our CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Member Advocate, said “Innovation by nature is a journey with no destination — it’s constantly evolving.”

In this article, I will define that journey looks like from my perspective, how technology will both enhance and disrupt the longevity economy, and how the steps align with the practice areas of K4Advisors as we get started.

Digital transformation is not a new term, it has been floating around for at least 20 years, albeit with different meanings. This is one of the better definitions I’ve seen lately, courtesy of the Enterprisers Project, “digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.”  

I like this one as it encompasses K4Advisor’s philosophy that technology alone will not make us better, it is how we introduce it, how we implement it, and how we use it to improve our business processes that will determine our return on innovation and investment.  

At K4Connect, our belief is senior living has reached a crossroad with technology and innovation. Let’s be honest, this industry has not always rushed to embrace technology or change.  Moving to Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is probably the best example, “Organizations are slow to change,” says Tom McDermott, vice president at Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Yardi. “Most people would rather get a root canal than change software.” 

But with the national trends showing higher expectations from residents, ongoing caregiver shortages, declining margins, and an increasingly competitive marketplace, community operators must turn toward technology for a part of the solution. In fact, it may even be a lever for new revenue streams as more services are aimed at those wanting to stay home and age in place a little longer.

The good news – digital transformation is not a one-size-fits-all journey. The bad news – it can be complex and overwhelming at times. While many communities have already begun, some have stalled, and others are still planning how to get started. K4Advisors can help. At K4Connect, we made that less daunting by the creation of our own roadmap to help assess and capture whatever phase you may be in. We are working with many client communities at each of the early steps of our model and have been successful in helping to sustain their journey. We know not every community has the time, knowledge or resources to figure it out alone. 

K4Advisors was started to fill that gap. The above model has been a great tool to plan next steps and to guide the strategy to achieve them. It is now the foundation for our practice areas:

• Infrastructure Planning
  • Building your Technology Plan
  • WiFi Networks, VoIP or other Bundled Services
  • Integration of other Systems (work order, point-of-sale)
• Communication and Engagement Strategies
  • Engagement from Prospect to Resident 
  • Integrating Voice, Digital Signage & K4App Functionality   
  • Creating a “Virtual Front Desk”
  • Extending to other Communities or Levels of Care
• Leveraging Smart Home/Smart Living
  • Risk Management/Resident Morning Check-in
  • Energy Savings and Building Analytics
• Data Analytics and Decision-Making
  • Building a Custom Dashboard
  • Advanced Analytics

No matter where you find your community along this continuum, rest assured becoming a Smart Senior Living Community is meant to be aspirational. Reaching that ultimate state of digital maturity is when an organization uses technology to support and re-invent its core business processes and is agile in adopting new features and functionality as they emerge. It may take 5-10 years to get there, and K4Advisors brings the experience to see that you do. 

Look for a future article with examples of what it might look and feel like in a senior living community that is “transformed.” As always, you can reach me at Cindy.Phillips@K4Advisors.com, or (910)477-1556.  Keep doing good work!