As we’ve said countless times before, marketing home care is just different. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone, whether it’s a senior or the adult child of that senior, who starts shopping for home care services before there is an immediate need. Why? How often do you think about yourself as a frail, elderly person? Probably never, right? And why would you? You’re going to be strong and healthy and running marathons well into your 90s! That’s what we all want to think, isn’t it? There’s such a stigma to aging and to needing help, that most people willfully deny their own needs or those of their loved ones until something big happens, like a fall or an illness.

While it’s true that most people don’t want to need help, it’s also true that those same people want home care (or would if they understood it better) more than they want to move into an assisted living facility, because home care gives them more flexibility. So, from a marketing standpoint, how should you approach selling something that people either don’t want or aren’t prepared to buy?

1. First, we have to see senior care through the eyes of the consumer – the older adult, the adult child, referral sources, etc. No one wants to see themselves or their loved ones as “old,” and most people, referral sources included, are so disconnected from the world of home care that they see it as something only extremely frail people who cannot thrive on their own use, and they don’t really understand all that it has to offer. It’s important for home care agencies to gain the trust of these seniors, family members, and referrals, and assure them that home care does not equal a loss of independence, but an enhancement of independence.
2. Next, focus on the customer experience and make it great. Being so engrained in the home care world, agency owners and operators can often lose sight of what the research and buying experiences are like for their potential clients. Take that journey yourself by mystery shopping yourself and your competitors to find out if the experience would impress you as a potential home care client or make you feel at ease that your loved one would be in good hands. At corecubed, we offer mystery shopping services for agencies to help them gain a better understanding of their process and that of their competitors so that they can better tailor operations to meet the needs of their clients.
3. Finally, make your marketing positive. Aging is changing. With the growing population of older adults, better care options are becoming available, and people are living longer and better. Home care helps with that, and your marketing should reflect this new generation of older adults and their lifestyles. Resist having only photos of very old, frail people in wheelchairs and inject some positive images and messages into your marketing, too. Showcase how home care enhances life for older adults and allows them to maintain the lifestyles they want longer.

Marketing home care is a challenge. Selling services that people don’t know they want or need is never easy, but with time, effort, and a little help from the home care marketing experts at corecubed, you can reach your target audience in multiple ways and start to increase your sales. Contact our team today to learn how!