Category: Senior LivingUnited States

Senior Living Providers Focus on Resident Experience in Face of Pandemic Concerns, JD Power Finds

2020-11-09

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Amid continued worries about COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities nationwide, the families of assisted living/memory care residents are generally very satisfied with assisted living/memory care operators. The JD Power 2020 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study^SM, released today, evaluates resident satisfaction with the top independent living providers as well as family member satisfaction with the top providers of assisted living/memory care communities. The study also highlights areas in which these providers can improve, from better access to executive leadership to deeper community engagement.

“This year, the nation’s major senior living providers have continued to focus on the resident experience, while also addressing pandemic-related health and safety concerns,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality intelligence lead at JD Power. “For independent living residents, factors such as activities, dining, staff and cost are of similar importance. For family members of assisted living/memory care residents, cost is twice as important as dining or activities. This indicates that assisted living/memory care providers need to emphasize the value of their services to family members who are often financially responsible for their loved one.”

Following are some key findings of the 2020 study:

• Room to improve on staff engagement in independent living communities: Among independent living residents, staff interactions have the second biggest positive effect on overall satisfaction with the community. Despite this high level of influence, just 44% of independent living facility residents indicate that staff members periodically inquire about their satisfaction.
• Executive directors need to be easier to reach: One of the biggest opportunities to improve family member satisfaction with assisted living/memory care communities is easy access to the executive director or general manager. Nearly half (48%) of family members say the executive director or general manager is not very easy to contact when needed.
• Personalized attention matters in assisted living and memory care: Not surprisingly, family members have high expectations for staff members’ attention to their loved one.  Overall satisfaction scores among family members increase when community staff members show they care for residents on a personal level. For example, when staff ensures the resident feels part of the community, satisfaction climbs 142 points (on a 1,000-point scale). When family members know the staff understands their loved one’s medical history, overall satisfaction increases 153 points.
• Assisted living/memory care community response to pandemic: Families of assisted living/memory care community residents give facilities an average rating of 8.24 (on a 10-point scale) for their overall response to COVID-19. Among the most frequently recognized pandemic-related efforts are an increased focus on cleanliness, change in procedures to promote social distancing and offering advice/guidance on how to deal with the pandemic.

Study Rankings

Brookdale Senior Living and Senior Lifestyle rank highest in a tie in family member/decision-maker overall satisfaction with assisted living and memory care providers, each with a score of 843.

Life Care Services ranks highest in independent living resident overall satisfaction for a second consecutive year, with a score of 855. Five Star Senior Living (778) ranks second and Brookdale Senior Living (764) ranks third.

The JD Power U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study measures resident satisfaction with the nation’s largest providers¹ of independent living for seniors and family member/decision-maker satisfaction with the largest providers of assisted living/memory care services. Overall satisfaction is measured across six factors of the senior living experience (listed in alphabetical order): community buildings and grounds; community staff; dining; price paid for services received; resident activities; and resident apartment/living unit. The study is based on 4,992 responses from residents living in an independent community—or from family members/decision-makers on behalf of residents of assisted living/memory care communities—within the previous three years. It was fielded from June through August 2020.

For more information about the U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, visit http://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/senior-living-study.

JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, JD Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on JD Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

JD Power is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The JD Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, JD Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
John Roderick; East Coast; 631-584-2200; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

¹Independent living providers included in the study must have had at least 9,000 living units and could not solely operate entrance-deposit communities. Included assisted living/memory care providers must have had at least 12,000 assisted living and/or memory care living units. Living unit data based on the Argentum Largest Providers Report, 2019.

 

JD Power and Senior Care Provider Association, LifeSpan Network, Team Up for Senior Living Community Certifications

2019-06-04

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COSTA MESA, Calif.: 6 June 2019 — JD Power today announced an alliance with LifeSpan Network, a Senior Care Provider Association, to promote JD Power’s Senior Living Community Certification, ensuring all facilities work towards achieving its Senior Living Certification.

The JD Power Senior Living Community Certification program was launched in 2018 to recognize contributions that senior living communities have made which exceed resident expectations and provide consumers with vital information necessary to make more informed decisions when choosing a senior living community.

“This is a win-win because LifeSpan is known for bringing solutions to its members that help meet the needs of residents and increase occupancy, and one of our strengths is using data analytics to identify senior living communities that can easily be differentiated,” said Greg Truex, Managing Director of the Healthcare Practice at JD Power.

“The JD Power brand is recognized globally for its identification of excellence, and LifeSpan is thrilled to partner with JD Power in Maryland to acknowledge and celebrate member and nonmember senior living providers who are committed to outstanding customer service and performance,” said Kevin Heffner, President of LifeSpan Network. “As Maryland’s largest and most diverse senior living association, LifeSpan looks forward to working with JD Power and our other trusted partners to continue to shine the light on service excellence, and to assist providers in their efforts to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive environment.”

Members of the LifeSpan Network will receive a member discount off the certification investment.

For more information about the Senior Living Certification, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/certified-senior-living-community.

JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable JD Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, JD Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Lifespan Network is the largest senior care provider association in the Mid-Atlantic, representing more than 330 senior care providers in Maryland and the District of Columbia. LifeSpan’s membership includes not-for-profit and for-profit facilities providing care and services to seniors across the continuum of care, including: independent living, assisted living, nursing facilities, continuing care retirement communities, subsidized senior housing, community-based and hospital-based programs.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; JD Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
Lesley Flaim, LifeSpan Network; Columbia, MD; 410-381-1176 x261; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

 

Three Five Star Senior Living Communities Achieve JD Power Senior Living Community Certification

2019-02-20

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COSTA MESA, Calif.: 21 Feb. 2019 — Three senior living communities managed by Five Star Senior Living are the first to achieve JD Power Senior Living Community Certification by passing a rigorous on-site evaluation covering approximately 174 operational best practices. The three locations are Five Star Premier Residences of Hollywood (Hollywood, FL), The Horizon Club (Deerfield Beach, FL) and Five Star Premier Residences of Boca Raton (Boca Raton, FL).

JD Power’s Senior Living Community Certification was launched in 2018 to recognize the contributions senior living communities have made to improve quality of life for both older adults and family caregivers, while also providing those same consumers with vital information necessary to make informed decisions when choosing a senior living community. The certification process is conducted in partnership with Andrew Carle, JD Power senior living industry consultant, who is also President of Carle Consulting and Adjunct Professor and Founding Director of the Program in Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University.

In total, 93 Five Star communities rank among the top 20% in overall customer satisfaction, as defined by the 2018 JD Power Senior Living Satisfaction Study,^SM which captured residents or decision-makers’ voice and quantified community performance across 17 metrics and 14 key indicators.

“These communities have undertaken a comprehensive effort to measure the Voice of the Customer and undergo a thorough on-site audit that demonstrates their commitment to service excellence and exceeding customer expectations,” said Greg Truex, Managing Director of the Healthcare practice at JD Power. “These three Five Star Senior Living Communities have achieved something that other senior living communities across the country will strive to accomplish.”

“Five Star Senior Living is proud to partner with JD Power in its efforts to help customers identify the top senior living providers,” said Katie Potter, Chief Executive Officer of Five Star Senior Living. “We are delighted that the first three senior living communities to achieve this certification are part of the Five Star Senior Living family, and we look forward to building on this success at our communities across the country.”

For more information about the Senior Living Certification, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/certified-senior-living-community.

JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable JD Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, JD Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Five Star Senior Living Inc. is a senior living and healthcare services company that owns, leases and manages over 280 senior living communities, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s/Memory Care, Healthcare Centers with Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Services and Continuing Care Retirement Communities throughout the U.S. Five Star is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; JD Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
Rob Poyas; Five Star Senior Living; Newton, MA; 617-796-8266; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

 

JD Power Senior Living Community Certification to Help Consumers Identify Best-In-Class Customer Experience

2018-07-23

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COSTA MESA, Calif.: 24 July 2018 — Building on the trust consumers and brands have put in JD Power studies for decades, the marketing data and analytics company announced it is launching the JD Power Senior Living Community Certification Program^SM this month to recognize communities that provide an exceptional customer service experience.

“As our population ages, consumers will have more choices and senior providers will face more competition,” said Greg Truex, Senior Director of the Healthcare practice at JD Power. “Certification from JD Power will give consumers peace of mind that a community has their best interests in mind and enables those communities to separate themselves from their competitors.”

The certification program will reflect the commitment and dedication of senior living communities to provide their customers with a residential experience that meets or exceeds today’s customer expectations. To that end, demonstrating their commitment to exceeding resident expectations, Five Star Senior Living is the first organization to pursue certification from JD Power.

As the first qualification criterion, communities must rank among the top 20% in overall customer satisfaction as defined by the 2018 JD Power Senior Living Satisfaction Study.^SM JD Power will capture residents or decision-makers’ voice and quantify community performance across 17 performance metrics and 14 key performance indicators.

In addition, qualifying brands must pass a rigorous, on-site evaluation of 140 operational best practices developed by JD Power and senior living industry expert Andrew Carle, President of Carle Consulting and Adjunct Professor and Founding Director of the Program in Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University.

“The U.S. senior living industry has grown rapidly in the past 30 years, today serving more than 1 million residents in more than 40,000 independent, assisted living, and memory care communities nationwide,” Carle said. “This certification recognizes that growth and the contributions such communities have made in improving quality of life for both older adults and family caregivers. It also recognizes the need to provide those same consumers with valuable information to make an informed decision when choosing a community.”

The best practices include, but are not limited to: community mission, culture and structure; licensing and safety; community staff; resident relations; resident services; and sales, marketing, and move-in coordination. Once certified, the organization will receive a certification icon for their community and have the option to promote its achievement for 12 months through online marketing collateral and in-community displays.

For senior living communities interested in signing up for the program or to receive additional program information, please visit http://marketingforms.jdpa.com/SLCProgram.

JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable JD Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, JD Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. JD Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.

Media Relations Contact
Geno Effler; JD Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

 

Senior Living Community Selection Driven by Convenient Location; Satisfaction Driven by Quality Staff, JD Power Finds

2018-02-09

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COSTA MESA, Calif.: 12 Feb. 2018 — The classic rules of residential real estate also apply to senior living communities. According to the JD Power 2018 Senior Living Satisfaction Study,^SM convenient location and quality staff are the key drivers of satisfaction—far outpacing cost—among residents and their families.

The inaugural study measures resident and family satisfaction with the nation’s largest providers of residential communities for seniors. Overall satisfaction is measured across six factors of the resident experience (listed in order of importance): caregiver and staff; services and activities; cost given services; rooms, building and grounds; food and beverage; and service setup and new resident orientation. Satisfaction is measured on a 1,000-point scale.

“With the oncoming ‘silver tsunami’ of Baby Boomers eventually flooding the senior living marketplace, independent and assisted-living providers are gearing up to exceed customer expectations, while expanding their portfolio by building and acquiring new assets,” said Greg Truex, Senior Director at JD Power. “This inaugural study defines the performance metrics and behavioral patterns to reach operational capacity in the near term, while identifying critical long-term needs and demands. This is achieved by standardizing performance metrics, identifying resident expectations and behaviors, and creating a clear road map for providers by sharing a clear vision of today’s customer expectations.”

To conduct this study, JD Power surveyed residents of senior living communities along with individuals who make decisions on their behalf, such as spouses, siblings, adult children and friends. The study was conducted in partnership with A Place for Mom, a leading source of senior living industry consumer information and behavioral data tied to researching, selecting and moving into a senior living community.  JD Power partnered with A Place for Mom to invite seniors and families who had recently transitioned to senior living communities to participate in the survey, which was independently administered by JD Power.

“We believe assisting families to fully understand their options through the independent information provided by JD Power and sites like SeniorAdvisor.com, or the support of a local A Place for Mom Senior Living Advisor, allows families the opportunity to fully understand their senior living options and make the right personal decision for themselves, or on behalf of a parent or loved one,” added Charlie Severn, Vice President of Marketing at A Place for Mom.

Following are some key findings of the study:

• Community staff is most important to overall satisfaction: When looking at all the factors that make up the senior living experience, caregiver and staff significantly stands out from the others. In fact, the staff is nearly twice as important as the cost given services factor in driving overall satisfaction.

• Location, location, location: Convenience of location is the top reason a community is selected (60%), followed by quality of staff and service (45%) and the variety of services offered (44%).

• Exceeding expectations is key for communities: Communities that provide exceptional service are rewarded by their customers becoming brand ambassadors, positively speaking about their experience with an average of seven friends, relatives and colleagues. For those that fail to meet expectations, customers turn into brand assassins, speaking negatively about the brand to an average of 13 friends, relatives and colleagues.

• Service agreement consistency is key to increasing satisfaction: While 89% of customers indicate there was consistency between what was listed in their service agreement and the actual service received, overall satisfaction decreases 300 points when the experience differs from what is included in the contract.

• Referral services: Excluding respondents who utilized A Place for Mom as their referral service to avoid introducing bias, 21% of respondents used a referral service to find their community. Satisfaction among those who used a referral service during their search is 16 points higher than among those who didn’t use such a service.

Study Rankings

Sunrise Senior Living ranks highest with an overall satisfaction score of 802, driven primarily by high scores in caregiver and staff; services and activities; rooms, building and grounds; food and beverage; and service setup and new resident orientation. Holiday Retirement (792) ranks second and Capital Senior Living Corporation (780) ranks third.

The study is based on responses from 2,539 residents (or their decision-maker) living in an independent or assisted-living community within the previous five years, and was fielded in October-December 2017.

For more information about the Senior Living Satisfaction Study, visit http://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/senior-living-study

JD Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable JD Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, JD Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. JD Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.

A Place for Mom is a leading source of senior living industry consumer information and behavioral data tied to researching, selecting and moving into a senior living community. The Company partnered with JD Power to invite families who had recently transitioned to senior living communities to participate in the survey, which was administered by JD Power. For more information about A Place for Mom, visit www.aplaceformom.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
John Roderick; St. James, N.Y.; 631-584-2200; [email protected]

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info