How to attract private paying care home residents

The private care home market is competitive. If you want to stand out and attract private paying care home residents, it’s important to make sure your care home stands out from the crowd.

Know your audience

Knowing your audience is absolutely essential if you want to attract private paying care home residents. The people you’re looking to attract are different from those who choose to live in long-term care homes funded by the government or the NHS.

It’s important to ask what private paying residents value most—comfort, affordability, excellent service quality, food choice, activities? How much control over daily activities do they want versus how much assistance do they think they’ll need? You should also consider what concerns might be keeping them away from living in your care home—and then figure out how to address those concerns through clear communication and information!

Keep your website relevant and up to date

A website is a great way to attract residents, but it’s not enough. You also need to keep your site up-to-date and relevant—even if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to it. Here are some tips for keeping your site current:

  • Update the content regularly. Your website should always feature the most recent information about the care you provide. If there’s something new going on at the Care Home or in the community that would be of interest to potential residents, consider posting content about it on your site. Regularly updating your news with new articles can also help bring in more traffic from search engines like Google.
  • Make sure any links you include are working properly so people who click on them know they’re still valid!
  • Add testimonials, video content and pictures of real live action from your care home environment.
  • Is your website mobile friendly? The vast majority of people search the internet using their smartphones, so if your site is locked to a standard desktop screen size, you may find private paying residents won’t. hang around to read your content.

Get your name out there – video and social media

You’re probably aware of the power of video and social media to spread your message. You may even have a YouTube channel or Facebook page dedicated to your Care Home, but this is where it gets interesting: if you haven’t set these up yet, now is the perfect time to get started.

A video tour is a great way to show potential private paying residents what they can expect at your care home. The more people who see your videos, the better chance you have of attracting new residents. Social media can be used as an extension of this idea by encouraging followers to share their own experiences through photos or videos – all in an effort for them to see what makes you special!

Develop A Digital Brochure

A digital brochure is a digital document that displays your care home’s information and has the ability to be shared by email or across social media. The benefit of this is that prospective residents can look at your facilities, learn about what you have to offer, and contact you directly through email or your website.

There are many ways to create a digital brochure; some companies specialise in creating them for care homes while others will help with any aspect of the process. The most important thing is that it highlights the best parts of your care home, including its location, amenities (such as pet-friendly rooms), activities offered and more.

Use testimonies

Testimonies are another great way to attract private paying care home residents. Testimonies are real people telling their stories, and you can use them to show the quality of care that residents receive as well as the quality of your facilities.

Here’s an example: “I have been living at [Care Home name] since 2005, and I could not be happier here. The staff members are all very friendly and helpful, and they make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Be responsive to enquiries

When it comes to attracting private paying residents, responsiveness is key. You should aim to respond to enquiries within 24 hours and use a CRM system (customer relationship management software) to track all enquiry contacts. If you have an existing database of potential residents, it’s also worth keeping in touch with any who have expressed interest in your home but haven’t made a decision yet.

Use referral websites

There are a number of websites that allow you to post information about your care home and promote your service through a variety of options.

  • Carehome.co.uk is one of the most popular sites for private paying residents looking for care homes in the UK (there are many more). You can advertise your home as part of their directory or advertise directly to potential residents with an advert on their homepage.
  • Trustedcare.co.uk also has a comprehensive facility which allows private paying residents to search for suitable accommodation by specialism (elderly care, learning disabilities etc).

Integrate with the community

Being visible in the local community is one of the most effective ways to attract private paying residents. The best way to do this is through media, advertising and events.

  • Invite school and community groups into your Care Home to develop social connections and support your activities programme.
  • Contribute to local radio, message boards, and local newspapers, and distribute your brochures to the local GP surgeries
  • Promote your care home using online media like social media, websites, blogs and discussion forums (see below).
  • Attend community events that attract people who might be interested in your services (e.g., food festivals or charity fundraisers).

Consult your existing residents and their representatives

When you consult your existing residents, ask them for their feedback. Ask them what they think of your care home and its website. Ask them what they think of the brochures you send out to potential residents and their families. Get a sense of whether or not those pieces are resonating with them, and if not, why not?

If possible, ask the representatives of those residents who have already moved into your facility what they thought of the process as well. You want to make sure that prospective residents are treated well throughout their experience with you—and this includes being treated exceptionally before they even move in!

Conclusion

We know that your care home is amazing and that you want to attract private paying residents who will enjoy everything you have to offer. Sometimes, all it takes is just a few simple steps and changes to help your care home stand out from the crowd.

The Team at Candykite are always ready to support you with your marketing needs – use the form to get in touch.