With the US experiencing increasing numbers of aging and ailing, and people living with disabilities due to defects at birth or accidents, there is need for increased long-term care ( Harris et al., 2016). The Medicare Trust Fund has improved healthcare, which has increased life expectancy, although the cover does not cater for patient care beyond the hospital. Long-term care facilities are becoming more common, so advertising is essential to ensure competitiveness and new market penetration. The US has a high population of proletariats who opt to place their old parents, people with chronic diseases, and those who take longer to recovery under long-term care (Kane, 2016). A strong marketing campaign based on efficient and cost-effective campaign strategies is imperative in ensuring recruitment of residents as per the required capacity of a long-term housing facility.
Marketing is crucial to keep the facilities running since potential customers do not know the services offered unless they are reached out to. The advertisement brings the necessary information to the most relevant population ( Reeves, 2017) . Convincing people they need to move from their comfortable homes into a long term care center for some types of long term care needs good relationships. Targeting a specific population is therefore important to attain maximum returns from an advertisement. Taking an example of home care housing, they target the elderly who have a moderate income. The care is offered at home, thus advertising brings information to those who do not often go out. Individual interaction with potential customers by verbally explaining the services offered by the facility helps them choose their preferred center, based on their condition. To aid verbal communication, brochures and pamphlets could be included. The services offered by the center must also be target-specific, depending on the prevalent conditions among the population (Kane, 2016). For instance, visiting a cancer ward increases the chances of meeting a potential customer for a long term care facility that takes care of chronic illness patients.
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Advertisement in the long term care arena also ensures customers remain loyal ( Reeves, 2017) . Centers are continually increasing, thus once a family member has been admitted into a facility, the management should keep advertising, especially targeting that family to increase their chances of referencing a new client to the same facility. Long term care housing utilizes the already formed connections to reach out to prospective customers. Long term care housing has formed a narrative that connects it to new clients through their unique values. The already established ties largely pay off as referrals.
Advertising also creates awareness among medical practitioners. A facility being known among professionals in the medical field means that it gets suggested in cases of patients who need long term care, which outdoes competitors. The more the facility puts into an advertisement, the more visible to becomes, which increases its chances of being recommended by a practitioner. Long term care housing utilizes the doctors their staffs meet during house calls to pass the information on their services. If the practitioner finds it appropriate, they are likely to send in new clients.
In conclusion, long-term care facilities are becoming more common in the US due to a busy working population, increased cases of lifestyle diseases, and an aging population. Long term care facilities have lessened the burden of home care for families with terminally ill or aging members. The number of people willing to be placed under long-term care is also increasing since, in the centers, they get to interact with others in support groups. The burgeoning number of patients in need of long-term care comes with a reciprocal increase in the number of long-term care facilities. Therefore, there is a need for the care facilities to adopt and implement advertising strategies that will increase their revenue by outdoing competition. Marketing strategies commonly used are referral of residents by physician and nurse practitioners, referral by other residents, use of print and audiovisual media.
References
Harris-Kojetin, L., Sengupta, M., Park-Lee, E., Valverde, R., Caffrey, C., Rome, V., & Lendon, J. (2016). Long-term care providers and services users in the United States: data from the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, 2013-2014. Vital & health statistics. Series 3, Analytical and epidemiological studies , (38), xxii.
Kane, R. A. (2016). Long-term care and a good quality of life: Bringing them closer together. The Gerontologist , 41 (3), 293-304.
Reeves, R. (2017). The reality in advertising . Lulu. Com.
