As the aging population in the US increases, more senior living operators are looking for customer leads, while families want an easier way to find the best care for their loved ones. Technology, which continues to make its mark in senior living, is helping make referrals easier for administrators, families and prospective residents, alike.
One new software-as-a-service platform, ZNest, has launched a beta version of its online service to help senior living operators find leads and make the housing search for families simpler.
The ZNest platform lets people search for long-term care communities in a national database of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities. Senior living operators can then access these customer leads free of charge, which the company says is how their platform stands out from competitors in the marketplace.
“If we can reduce referral fees, operators can focus on providing better service,” ZNest Founder and CEO Bennett Kim said in a statement. “Because we don’t make money off referral fees like other websites, we can expand lead-generation services to everyone — from the smallest five-bedroom care homes to the largest multi-use communities.”
Other similar referral sites on the market include Referah, which takes a “dating-profile approach” to finding the perfect senior living community match. Launched at the end of last year, the service links prospective residents and their families with “family connection agents” who ask them about requirements like health, finances, geographic location and social interests and match them with a top 3 list of prospective senior facilities. Participants incur no charge for these services. As the older adult population in the US continues to grow, services like this could make a real difference for senior living operators and their families. About 22% of the country’s population will be 65 years and older by 2050, compared to 17% in 2020.
