Richard Ambrosius, PRAXEIS Vice President of Communications

The destiny of mature adults is to continue to grow and develop. Becoming more today than yesterday – more tomorrow than today.

Time for a Positive Change

The graying of America created an unfamiliar territory for those experienced in traditional CCRC’s. A world in which tens of millions of active and affluent older adults are now seeking involvement, intellectual stimulation, personal challenge, significance and opportunities to make a difference. What has either been ignored or unrealized is that consumer values, desires and aspirations are not being met with traditional models.

Much a child outgrows their toys, today’s mature consumer has outgrown yesterday’s pre-package “retirement community” where they were fed, entertained and cared for. Likewise, the anti-autonomy, medical model of most long-term health care centers has long outlived its usefulness and is being replaced by the innovative Eden Alternative and similar concepts of the long term care pioneers.

Today’s consumer is seeking a home where their opinions matter, their ideas are appreciated and their contributions are welcomed. They still value the inclusion of high quality long-term health care as a part of the package, but want it provided with a focus on prevention, optimum independence and holistic well being.

New Gateways

To stay competitive, communities must provide gateways to adventure, learning, community service and meaningful life experiences. At PRAXEIS, we coined the term Life Fulfilling Communitysm as a metaphor for this new business model. We spent over two years developing and testing systems and processes necessary to successfully develop, market, and operate the community of tomorrow. It has taken time and more than a few missteps, but our vision slowly came into focus as we learned to apply the guiding principles of positive aging and value based marketing.

We began with a goal of creating “next generation”, upscale, resort style communities, following the conventional marketing and sales strategies. While sales fell in line with industry averages, we considered them disappointing and became committed to creating unique sales, marketing and operational systems that could become a new paradigm for the industry.

As we analyzed data and dialogued with consumers, we discovered that many of those attracted by this new brand of community already had very fulfilling lives, and therefore were not attracted by the typical “features & benefits” sales pitch that was standard in the industry. They were more interested in a wellness oriented, “positive aging” culture, opportunities for lifelong personal growth, enrichment, and autonomy. They wanted a quality home with conveniently located, member-driven services in a secure community where they could pursue future plans, dreams and aspirations.

Due to years of stereotyping, there is a public perception that “retirement communities” are places for the “very old or those in their declining years”…places most mature consumers “just aren’t ready for yet”. On the other hand, a Life Fulfilling Communitysm is a place where wisdom is revered, autonomy is celebrated and personal significance increases with advancing years, rather than declining. LFC’s do not have “residents” willing to step aside; enjoy a “worry free life of leisure” until they need long-term care. LFC’s have active and involved “members” or “citizens”.

This is not to minimize the importance of incorporating high quality long-term health care services as a part of an LFC. The Type A CCRC contract ads value and is especially appreciated by the affluent well-educated planners. Quality health care is a key component of a well-planned community, but should not be allowed to overshadow the life-fulfilling culture. If properly developed, communities for older adults will be viewed as gateways to a longer and more fulfilling life instead of “exits” from playing meaningful roles.

Overcoming Obstacles

A major obstacle had been overcoming decades of negative stereotyping of older adults as people who want to be catered to and cared for – people living out their “retirement” years with little or nothing to offer society other than providing customers for money market accounts, cruises, luxury cars, pharmaceuticals and health care. Unfortunately, it is not just the prospects, but all of us have been victims of this stereotyping.

To change that trend, we began by eliminating terms like senior, senior citizen, resident, life care, continuing care retirement community and elderly from marketing materials and the vocabulary of sales persons, operational staff, contracted advertising and public relations firms. As we identified terms that have developed negative of demeaning perceptions, we replaced them with a life-fulfilling vocabulary.

As we evaluated past approaches to planning, designing and operating new communities, we began to listen with the end in mind. As a team, we began designing the foundation of an empowered culture well in advance of groundbreaking. Then, with an eye to restoring the role of elder docent to teach us how to successfully grow older, the concept of a Life Fulfilling Communitysm began taking shape.

While others were focusing on the creation of “resort type” communities full of amenities and services, we are focusing on the creation of an environment driven by community members – not paid professionals. Places where people can experience all life can be…according to their individual values, needs and aspirations. We involved community members in everything naming streets and rooms to planning future activities to lay the groundwork for a community where prevention is a priority and members can even fully participate in their own health care plans.

Form Follows Function…It’s an Inside Out Process

From the marketing to operational team training, PRAXEIS is developing systems and processes that will make Life Fulfilling Communitiessm very special places. We are currently studying and adapting the best wisdom of the hospitality, long term health care and property management/maintenance industries while slowly molding a philosophy of servant leadership. We are creating a synergy between systems and processes to provide efficient operations and a unique environment for both community members and the self-directed teams that will serve them.

Sales personnel, called LifeWise Advocates, are trained to connect with the values of older consumers from their very first visit to the Preview Center (sales office). Rather than promoting features and benefits, LifeWise Advocates begin by focusing on a on what matters most to them using a consumer-centric process we call the Crossroads Planning SystemSM.

Since re-positioning activities began, the average age of households applying for membership is almost 5 years younger than the national average age of CCRC applicants (74 vs. 79 years of age) and declining. These consumers are just as interested in the prevention of health problems (i.e., physical fitness and wellness) as they are in assuring nursing care for future frailties. Certainly, the ease of access to personalized and high quality health and medical services will remain a strong “value-added” component, but for most, the health provisions are just the “icing on the cake” which make their life-fulfilling reasons for choosing an LFC even more attractive.

In the next year, the PRAXEIS team plans to accept only two new clients interested in starting an LFC. We will however be offering symposiums on the critical elements of an LFC such as servant leadership, positive aging and values based marketing using the Crossroads Planning System. The basics of these models will be featured at the scheduled D&O Conference scheduled for March 6th and 7th at the University of Florida Convention Center (Doubletree Hotel) in Gainesville, Florida. To register, go to www.praxeis.com or call PRAXEIS at 904-861-0010.

Richard Ambrosius is Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications for PRAXEIS in Jacksonville, FL. He has over 25 years marketing and management experience and is considered by many as a visionary planner for an aging society. Contact by calling 904-381-0433 or email at rambro@mindspring.com.