Interest in pursuing new marketing strategies was discussed at the first meeting of the Knox County Nursing Home Committee.
Committee members heard an update on the census of the facility before the discussion began on ways to improve marketing.
An idea presented to the board would be a virtual tour of the nursing home from interim administrator Donna Motz. She said she was approached by a representative for a marketing company about doing the work.
“What they’ll do is come into the nursing home and it’s kind of a live shot,” Motz said to the committee. “Where we can get this setup on our website to where somebody that is searching – looking – for a nursing home can push the button and it’s a live video.”
Motz said that she was told it would cost about $500, which is well within the marketing budget of the facility.
No action was taken, but board members did brainstorm different marketing ideas.
One suggestion from committee chair Tara Wilder was to get Motz or a representative from the nursing home out to hospitals and doctors offices to meet with potential residents.
“One thing I’m going to start asking for is month-to-month you report to me how many times you visited the hospitals, how many times you visit the doctor’s office. Just because I’d like to see more of a presence. I work in healthcare myself, and I see other places knocking doors down we need to be doing that too.”
Wilder added that she believed there needed to be a better marketing effort to increase the number of residents on Medicare up.
Aside from that, the purchasing of small promotional material bearing the nursing home’s logo was suggested by committee members.
