Nursing Home Carez Advocacy, Inc Marketing Plan

MM522 Marketing Plan Of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. Sherry Y Montique December 11, 2011 Marketing Management 1. 0 Executive Summary Where would you want to live if you needed daily assistance? In your home, of course. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy aims to be a guiding factor in transitioning you or your loved one into that new home. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become an indelible part of our health care landscape. These facilities provide 24 hour inpatient nursing and supportive care to residents whose disability or condition necessitate the availability of nursing care on an extended basis. It is estimated that over 40% of Americans will use one of these entities at some point in their lives. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Through specialized training and experience, of the two personnel the operation of NHCA is to assist the unwilling aging and disable population with the unwanted transition of being admitted into a nursing home or assisted living community. Because this of life altering process can be deemed traumatic because of the unfamiliarity, many of the residents are confused and unhappy with the impending experience that lies ahead. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be there to walk the resident and families through this process with as less stress as possible as they adjust to their new home with as much pride and knowledge possible. As the services of NHCA are uncharted there will be critical issues to overcome however; to ensure that the business is successful Nursing Home CareZ will create an aggressive market strategy to include direct marketing, networking, and creating community relationships to continually garner referral sources. Staying on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population and following the Medicare and Medicaid regulations will keep Nursing Home CareZ aligned with the target market. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy’s marketing mix will comprise the approaches of pricing, product, promotion and distribution. The 1st years start up cost to include the integrated marketing communication budget is $13,320. 00. Market research showed the need for this service because of the continual growth of the aging population and the inability of family members being able to take care of their loved ones at home. With this reality, long term care facilities will continue to be the place required to provide the care to our seniors and persons with disabilities or short term medical care. The marketing plan will assist NHCA in the following areas to gauge performance: * Revenue and Expenses monthly * Customer satisfaction * Success of community involvement and relationship building Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. will position itself as the premier first line of contact to long term care transition. The positioning will ensure leveraging to gain a competitive edge in the industry with knowledge, integrity and a passion to help others. NHCA, expects to become profitable by the end of the 1st year, and has projection of $240. 000 in gross revenue for year two. 2. 0 Situation Analysis: Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. time line for inception is immediate, with a targeted goal of 6 months to 1 year. Issues facing the successful creation of this company would be the lack of education and knowledge of long term care and regulations, laws, rights and processes of Medicare and Medicaid. The community partners could contribute to the critical issues if social worker and community case managers and such failed to refer potential consumers to the company for services. However, the management skills, experience and vast knowledge base of NHCA, Inc. will provide a solid base for the target market to have a successful transaction into any long term care facility. 2. 1 Market Summary In this century, the rate of growth of the elderly population (persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the growth rate of the population of the century as a whole (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). In the comparison, the total population, as well as the population less than 65 years old, tripled (U. S. Census Bureau,). Under the Census Bureau’s middle series projections, the number of persons 65 years old and over would more than double by the middle of the next century to 80 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). According to the U. S. Census Bureau, it reported the aging population of persons 65 years and older, numbered 39. 6 million in 2009. They represented 12. 9% of the U. S. population, about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72. 1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. People 65+ growth will report as 19% of the population by 2030. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011 and Administration on Aging, 2011) Today’s census reports that the total US population in 2010 was 308, 745,538 up 9. 7% from 2000. Of that number 13. % are persons 65 years and older. This is makes up for more than 50% of the adult population. The Census Bureau projections seem to be heading in the right direction. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011) Shirley Chisholm once said, â€Å"Service is the rent we pay for the time we live on this earthâ€Å". (Women’s History, 2011) Changes in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may force older adults to ma ke unforeseen changes in their lifestyle in order to remain independent. Long term care is an option that most dread due to the lack of affordable and accessible placement options available to them. Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). With this impending implosion in growth of baby boomers, nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of our elderly. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much to take in and they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill be there to assist those residents and family members with understanding the woes of the transition into their new life and hold their hand through the process. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis Strengths: * 20 years in the health care industry with 10 years of strong middle management experience * 5 years in the long term care industry as a Business Office Manager * Vast knowledge of what is needed for successful transition/admission and s tay at nursing homes * Strategic alliance with hospital case managers, social workers and community agencies and lawyers * In house Notary Public Strong knowledge base of existing governmental regulations as they relate to long term care Weaknesses: * Company has no brand recognition * Owner has very limited experience as a full time advocate in this field * Low to no financial capital; limited startup funds * Owner is not a licensed social or case worker * In home startup business * No establish network connections for community resources Opportunities: * Expand business to cover larger geographical area * Possible growth potential to bring on employees based on need and experience * Find location and create building space to accommodate larger client base * Potential growth through use of social media and client referrals * Potential contract/ referral source with existing long term care facilities to act on their behalf Threats: Recessionary economy means the potential clients may not be willing to spend * Target market financial resources may hinder their ability to seek the services of the company * Competitive market of existing adult and aging services may prevail because of brand name * Governmental rules and regulations may change and the need for advocacy may diminish * Nursing homes and assisted living organizations may employ staff to provide the same services 2. 3 Competition The Department of Health and Human Services under the guidance of the Security of Health and Human Services, created Medicare and Medicaid programs with grant funding to assist families of all ages to live and survive on a dignified level. With our aging population, the need to focus on their care came to the forefront, so Medicaid State programs were created to pay for home health services including skilled nursing care, home health care, personal care, chore services, and durable medical equipment. (Center for Medicare & Medicaid 2011) The target market can qualify for Medicaid in order to receive the following services through the referral source of Aging and Adult agencies. Depending on the needs of an individual, the target market may receive help with personal needs such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and cleaning from a home health agency while at home with family members. Because of certain insurance guidelines, licensed healthcare workers can only give these skilled nursing services and other medical services. Skilled nursing care ncludes services and care that can only be performed safely and correctly by a licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), or physical therapist. Most seniors and families are unfamiliar with these types of services and do not have a clue how to obtain them. That is where organizations such as those listed below come into play. Aging and Adult Services, located in Norristown, Pa offers their services to the residents of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, is one of the compe ting agencies that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. (NHCA) has to contend with. AAS offers many different services to the senior market such as care management, family caregiver support program, domiciliary care, nursing home transition, and protective services to their clients. 2 services that AAS provide which are direct threats or competitive to the existence of NHCA are the Information and Referral (I&R), and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, and Pre-Admission Assessment services collectively. These services assist the community with the pre-knowledge base of the potential admission into nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The Information and Referral service attempts to link consumers with appropriate resources. I & R are available to the consumer by calling or visiting any of their agency’s five offices. (MCAAS. montcopa. org 2011). The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and the Pre-Admission Assessment services offer the consumer assessments to determine whether they are appropriate for placement into long-term care facilities and at what level. With these services Aging and Adult can then refer the consumer or their loved ones or families to nursing facilities in their geographical areas. They then can provide them with a list of items that will assist them with this new change in their life style or transition. (mcaas 2011) COSA is the other agency that will be a threat to NHCA as it provides very similar services of Aging and Adult but, to the consumer or residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Their mission/goal is to provide or enable senior citizens to maintain their independence and dignity, while living on their own with community resources available to them. (COSA 2011) COSA receives federal and state funding because they serve as Area Agency on Aging. COSA is slight different from Aging and Adult services because their main goal is helping the senior population to remain in their home as long as possible, even when they are eligible for nursing home care. They are encouraging the families of the senior to help provide the care that is needed in a home based as opposed to in a long-term care facility. COSA is an informational resource service for person of any age needing assistance on benefits and services available to the older person. COSA 2011) With each of these two organizations services they offer many community based services for seniors and their families, but with Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. , it will provide the personal one on one care that the resident and family need to make the transition into the nursing home or assist living. Nowhere in the market research was it uncovered that this type of service is offered or provided with Aging and Adult or COSA. Now, is there a possibility that there is a potential for th is service to one day be added, yes. However, the target market is plentiful enough to allow for this. The population of the aging adults continues to grow which will allow for the need of referral resources, which the aging and adult program will continue, just as NHCA can expand and grow with the population. With researching potential competition to this new company, it was found that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in association with Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) sponsored the Nursing Home Transition Demonstration Program which is designed to provide transition options to nursing home residents who wish to move back into the community. The grant funded service was given to 12 states in 1998 with Pennsylvania being one of the state’s fortunate to participate. (ASPE. HHS. gov 2011) This type of service is not considered a threat to the organization however, it is very similar but works on the back end of residents that are living in nursing homes or assist living. These are great resources to return into the community to continue to live happy and productive lives. 2. 4 Product (Service) Offering Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. s an independent company that will be there to assist those in need of understanding the process of being admitted into a long-term care facility. This process is considered life altering and many people are confused and unhappy about what is about to happen to themselves or their loved one. Services being offered are designed to help alleviate the stress of dealing with the pressures of this change. The service will assist families and the target market while transitioning and adjust ing into a new phase of life. There are many questions and situations that come with moving into long term care nursing and often the families and residents are not prepared and need someone to hold their hands during this process. Families of newly admitted residents into nursing homes, find themselves unknowledgeable of what to expect and thus unprepared to place their loved one in the home. Because of this they make decisions that could backfire and cause damages or add additional stress of the move. Some families have a power of attorney, some are guardians and some are just the family and they are not sure what they can and cannot do for their loved one. Through extensive research it was determined; there is a need for this service. Experience and working practice of the potential owner of NHCA revealed the need was great and something was missing from the target markets’ transition process into the long term care facility. Intervention was required to assist the consumer so the business solution was created. As the Business Office Manager of a nursing home, the target market and families come into the facility with questions as to the appropriate way of handling the admission process according to the guidelines and rights set by Medicare and Medicaid. The major concern often that residents and families have is related to the financial aspect of being admitted into the long-term care facility and how to handle the legal process. Nursing home admission personnel and the social workers of the hospital are often unknowledgeable of this aspect and cannot provide the correct answers. When the medical need for a person to transition into a nursing home or assisted living has been determined, the referral process beings by searching for an appropriate facility based on the need of the resident. One factor that comes up in the search is the cost of the facility and most importantly, who will pay for this stay? This question can easily be answered with throwing out numbers or by saying; â€Å"you will not have to pay for a thing, your health insurance will cover it†. Well, the truth is, that is not totally correct. This is where the expertise of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill come into play. Explaining this process in detail and walking the client through the steps is a part of the benefits of the company. There is more to transitioning into a long-term care facility, then health insurance. The consumer has to have an assessment done to determine if the resident was appropriately placed and for how long. Once this happens then the resident can be made a ware of the financial responsibility. There may be internal personnel that can assist residents and families with this information, but they can only intercede to such level, because it becomes a conflict of interest. Nursing homes can only assist to a point without affecting the rights of the resident. With NHCA, the resident will have the personal care of someone being there to help gather all of the necessary items, to make the stay at home successful. This would not be limited to, use of a notary public a minimal or no cost. Direction and assistance on completing Power of Attorney request. Help with completing the Medical Assistance Long Term Care grants and gathering of the documents needed to ensure eligibility of the grant. Residents often require a guardian over their person and medical needs and NHCA can assist with locating attorneys to assist with this process. Some of the target market have homes or apartments in the community and they are assessed as appropriate to return to the community after a short stay in the home and they are unsure of how to handle the payment of household bills while in the nursing facility, NHCA services can explain the most helpful way of approaching this obstacle by contacting those vendors and arranging the most appropriate solutions. Listed below are some examples of the services Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. will provide, to the target market: * Medicaid long term care grant application completion assistance * Notary public * Financial Management assistance * Power Attorney guidance * Guardianship Process assistance * Hands on assistance with documentation gathering * Notification to community vendors of residents’ inability to pay * Assistance with selling of home in the community and placement of personal possessions * Personal banking assistance Assistance with setting up transportation for personal needs outside of nursing facility * Referral source for family services to cope with the stress of loved ones being in the home * Attend resident medical care conferences with the family to provide additional support * Referral source to personal care aides while in nursing facility * Home Modification assistance (designed for return back home to community) * Question filtering (provide answers to all qu estions or direct to local answers) When doing the market search development, it was discovered that this need was not totally being met. Two examples were: Rosemarie has a sister who recently entered into a nursing facility and the sister has a trust fund that determines her to be a private pay resident for about one year. Towards the end of the year, Rosemarie will need to complete a Medicaid application for her sister and she truly was confused as to what was needed and the steps to follow in completing the application. She requires assistance to complete the application and she had many questions. The nursing facility was only able to assist to a certain degree, but Rosemarie still needs help. This is where Nursing Home CareZ Advocate Inc. could assist Rosemarie to help her sister to continue to receive the care she receives and deserves while in her nursing home. Another, example is Virginia. Virginia has been admitted into a nursing home with her medical insurance as her primary payer source. The consumer was given the information that her insurance will cover the stay in the nursing home for the entire time. The resident found out that the information was false. The health insurance decided to stop paying in the middle of the stay. The consumers’ personal finance was not as those of Rosemarie’s sister. Virginia did not have the money and thus she needed to apply for a Medical Assistance grant for the nursing home. She also did not understand her responsibility and was not comfortable with the staff of the nursing home to provide her with the correct information for her benefit. Again, this would be a great opportunity for her to utilize NHCA, an outside neural party, to walk her through this process while providing her comfort in knowing she is secure in making her decisions. 2. 5 Keys to Success For Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. to be successful, the company must continue to stay on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regulations are very important to the viability of long-term care services and NHCA must be able to provide services that align with the rights of said target market. This being said means, having a vast knowledge of the regulations and the rights of the consumer once in the nursing facility. The main selling point is being available to answer any and all road blocks that the target market may encounter. Having the resources and referral knowledge is a critical piece to the success of the business. The competition provides a huge referral base to the target market, so NHCA will need to keep the networking window open to expand the knowledge offering. Another factor NHCA will need to be success is to maintain a high level of ethics, trust and moral character while working for and with the target market. The aging population came from a time when your work ethics and your loyalty meant something. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. ill be based with the desire to help the target market of the aging population and make the transition and stay in the long term care facility as comfortable as possible and stress free as possible. Communication will be another key factor to success. 2. 6 Critical Issues Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. as a service based company will need to do the following items to get the word out and advertise its’ benefit to the potential target market, the aging population. The marketing strategy will begin by utilizing the internet by creating a web page describing the company’s service ability. It will also utilize networking with nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and continuum care facilities, local hospital social workers and community case workers, community event planning, in-services’, visits to senior centers and adult day centers, and by creating relationships with the community areas on aging referral agencies. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is to focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The children would like what is best for their parents and loved ones along with peace of mind, and relief from guilt while assisting them with the transition into long term care nursing. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc can provide this service to them and more while ensuring their loved one maintains their existing quality of life, dignity, respect and pride. NHCA is able to address the questions and concerns of the market segments because, of the compassion it possesses and the vast knowledge foundation of long term care services. . 1 Mission Statement Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Founded in 2011, NHCA’s vision is to provide assistance, guidance and knowledge to the desires of long term care bound individuals. Nursing Ho me CareZ strives to challenge the perceptions of long term care. The NHCA team passionately pursues excellence, and accountability in providing future residents and families the tools necessary for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility. With the goal of arming the clients with the knowledge required to promote independence and self-esteem, the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy team will help people live better lives, one life at a time. Values are fundamental to every organization’s success. It is with this in mind that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will effectively demonstrate the core values of respect, integrity, pride, compassion, responsiveness and dignity. These principles will guide the actions and foundation of its existence. We strive for a nurturing atmosphere that encourages this organization as it ensures these values are touched by all in the community it serves. 3. 2 Marketing Objectives * Build Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc Name Recognition in the community and among referral sources. * Become #1 choice among referral source with assisting families in transitioning into assisted living or skilled nursing services * Focus on relationship marketing techniques Develop/implement marketing ideas to increase professional referrals * Inform target audience (those needing immediate in-patient nursing care) about features and benefits of our product and its competitive advantage, leading to a 10 percent increase in sales in one year. * Develop campaign/program to build the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy brand consisting of (but not limited to) special events and relationship-building tactics. * Increase a steady stream in marketing pre sence * Maintain positive and strong growth each quarter (based on hospital and assisted living census) 3. 3 Financial Objectives * Raise adequate funding for start-up Begin development implementation for the on-going funding needs of years two and three * To acquire 60 to 70 clients/potential residents within the first six months of start-up * Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter (based on hospital census) through effective marketing relationship with community based organizations To fund the start up cost Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has secured a low interest loan for $20,000 and pulled personal finances of $10,000. One of the largest items that NHCA will acquire in the start of the start-up budget is a computerized medical records system to track the client base. The other start-up needs are minimal in cost and can be managed. The cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 00 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year would bring in $120. 000in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet the goal of the first six months target of $60,000, the client base will need to be at least 60 residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, the business would be on track for its goals if the six month mark would come in at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case. If the business begins on this track, the target goal of 1% in the 3rd and 4th quarter will be met. 3. 3 Target Markets The overall populations we wish to serve are older people (65 and older), in need of daily assistance, who value community and the contributions of their peers. According to the US Census Bureau the 2010 census poll reported persons 65 years and older to be 1,959,307. (US Census 2011) â€Å"The percentage of the population over 75 is growing rapidly, thanks to better nutrition, preventative health care, and living conditions in our country over the course of the last century, not to mention the Baby Boomers. At the same time, the increasing kinds of career opportunities for women, and the growing cost of health care, have contributed to a nursing shortage which threatens the quality of professionally-provided elder care. † (Bplans – 2011) â€Å"Almost half the workforce today is female, meaning that most workers male and female have no one at home to provide care to older ailing or infirm relatives. † (Bplans 2011 – â€Å"Moen and Yu 2000†) As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. The Census analysis of the 20 mile-radius of the business base area indicates a large concentration of individuals over 65 years of age (38. 5%). This target area will include a cross over into two adjoining counties; Montgomery County and Delaware County. This is a combine population of the 1,388,853 county residents in Pennsylvania. Total population in Montgomery County in 2010 was 799,874. Demographics include 79. 0% Caucasian; 8. 7% African American, 6. 4% Asian, 4. 3% Hispanic or Latino and 2. 0 % of persons reported as other race or two or more races. 51. 5% of the population was female. 8. 5 were male. 26. 1% of the target market lives alone and 9. 95 living with others (family members). The age breakdown of seniors is 60-64(4. 0%), 65-74 (7. 4%), 75-84 (5. 5%), and 85 years and older (2. 0%) totaling 165,924 persons. (US Census 2011) Total population in Delaware County was 588,979 in 2010. The demographics include 14. 3% persons were 65 years and older. The age breakdown for seniors is 60-64 (5. 3%), 65-74 (6. 7%), 75-84 (5. 1%), and 85 years and older (2. 5%) totaling 109,394 persons. 52. 1% was female and 47. 9 were male. 72. 5% of the population was white; 19. % was African American; 4. 7% was Asian; 3. 0% was Hispanic or Latino and 2. 2% was persons of other races. Median household income in 2009 was $61,848 and home ownership was 72. 2%. Persons below poverty level reported at 9. 3%. Persons aged 25 years and older with graduate degrees reported 34. 4%. 27. 4% of the target market in Delaware County lives alone. (US Census 2011) Of the 275,318 potential target market needing the services of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, has been reduced by 60% given the factors of persons healthy enough to care for themselves and having family member to care for them. The number becomes 96,361 persons 65 and older in both counties. This number may appear low but in actuality it is significantly high. These people will need nursing home care or already receive care base on their medical needs. The target market of 96,361 can become potential clients/customers in need of answers and solutions to the process of admittance into a long term facility. Of these potential clients who live in sub-counties which are within 12-16 miles of the home office, it is estimated about 35 %( 26,499. 28) will have the means $250 to $1000 ($68,333. 50 average Median income) to pay for the services. Based on the 2010 census data from US Census. com) The target market also refers to the influencer, the family member of the persons needing long term care services. An Adult child of the prospective resident, 35– 70 years of age, married with children, and lives nearby or in another city or state. He or she currently provides some assistance to the parent and their s earch for a long term care facility is prompted by an incident or recommended by healthcare professional. Their need is quick and they are usually on a schedule – most often come to us in a crisis mode. (phdmkt. om 2011) During the research process to zero in on the target market, it was discovered the market could be expanded to cover persons aged less than 65 years of age, because of the mounting need for nursing home services based on medical needs. Based on marketing conversations there are persons who live alone and are unable to care for themselves or require more than a home aid every so often to care for them. NHCA has the potential to expand the market base to include those persons. This market group could produce a quick turnaround by getting well faster and discharging home, thus allowing for new clients. Medical care needs will never cease and long term care needs will always be at a forefront therefore, Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy can easily develop a large client base and expand to more counties inside Pennsylvania within the next three to five years. 3. 5 Positioning Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will position itself as the premier first line contact of long term care transition. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging NHCA’s competitive edge: existing industry experience and knowledge, integrity, community relationships, and a passion to help others. NHCA is a hands-on resource service that aims to assist the elderly population with transitioning into the long term care phase of their lives with ease and self respect. Dealing with health issues is worrisome as it is without having to enter into a nursing home or such, and not understanding all that is involved in the process. With the impending implosion in the growth of baby boomers, and unexpected medical needs, nursing homes and assisted living communities will continue to become an option of the future. With this being the case, the management team of NHCA will be able to use its vast industry knowledge, practice skills and personal passion for helping others to assist the clients gain the understanding required to help the transition into long term care become a difficult free and dignified occurrence. 3. 6Strategies The single most important objective of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is to position itself as the premier long care term advocacy informational provider, serving the elderly and medical needs targeted market even if they are not in the age bracket of the senior population. The marketing strategy of NHCA will focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The company will focus on creating customer awareness concerning what services are being offered, which will support in developing the customer base. The point that NHCA will seek to communicate to its target market is that it offers the best education and personal service to the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Providing future residents and families of long term care the tools essential for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility is the primary goal. This message will be transpire through a variety of methods. The first will be the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Web site, which will provide a source of service information and offer the consumer the opportunity a free consultation to discuss their concerns. Time will be devoted into ensuring the site will provide as much information about the company, the owners, and its professionalism so the customer will come away with a since of comfort n knowing that they will be taken care of during this unexpected time in their lives. Other avenues of marketing methods will be local advertising. The target areas will be local nursing homes, community resource services, hospitals, senior center, and day programs and doctors offices. The goal is to leave brochures, business cards and leaflets with the social workers, office managers o r care workers of each entity. Information will also be sent out at the request of those who viewed the web site. The cost to produce the printed literature will be minimal as it will be on the need bases and much will be found on the web site. Another method will be the use of the social media. This is where the cost of advertising will be the least to non-existent. Social media sites of today have thousands of people on them and it will be a brilliant way of promoting the service and the company. Word of mouth will also be an excellent communicator. 3. 7 Marketing Mix Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc’s marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, product, promotion, and place/distribution. Pricing – The pricing strategy used by NHCA is a mix between penetration and psychological pricing to capture a gain in the market share and once this is achieve the price will increase slightly. This will also be based on a sliding scale of financial qualification and the service needs of each client. When the idea was created it was determined that the focus was not on high profits, rather on serving the greater good and those who require assistance at living a more. It was mentioned that the cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 0 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year will bring in $120,000. 00 in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet this target goal at the end of the first fiscal year, the client base will need to be at least 120 potential residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, business would be on track to cover its expenses and still maintain a place in the market if at the end of the six month the rev enue is at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case per month. As the business grows, the revenue budget can increase to double in year two to $240,000. 0 which constitute additional 120 clients or more based on the service needs required. Place/Product – Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will be a direct channel service provider. With the sensitivity of medical care and needs, which are private and personal in nature the market segment for NHCA, as consultant of services will be best suited at handling the distribution of service. Many of the clients will come through referral sources. The location of the company is a home office, set up to accommodate 2 desks, a conference table for 4 and seating for 3. The approach to potential clients will be hands on. After receiving the referral of a person requesting help or has concerns with transitioning into a long term care facility, they will be contacted via telephone to introduce the company, determine the need and set up a meeting. For those families that are unable to come to the office for a meeting, NHCA will go to them. Meeting the resident at the hospital or nursing home will never be an issue. Assuring the resident or family is extremely comfortable with the process is important. The outcome of success knows, the client has a full understanding of what happened to them or their loved one and the transition was smooth and done with dignity. Educating and empowering the client is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as the client is walked through the move. Once the client accepts the services of NHCA, the next step is answering all questions, assist with paperwork required for the admission process or with the Medical Assistance application based on financial need. A transition into a long term care facility can be nerve raking, confusing and full of anxiety for the strongest and healthiest person however, with that being said finances always becomes an issue. Past knowledge and statistics show that nursing homes or assistant living facilities have gained reputations for taking everything from their residents upon admission to their facilities. Educating and empowering the client on their rights and responsibilities is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as they are walked through the new phase of life. If the resident requires assistance with banking, guardianship or contacting community vendors, NHCA will be there to handle this for the resident or family member. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will assist the resident or family until all matters have been conducted and the residents’ stay is secure and free of financial concerns. IMC Promotion â€Å"Your way home is through our caring hands†. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be dedicated to providing the highest level of quality service with compassion and commitment through exceptional standards for the aging population. It is the hope of NHCA, that the residents and families who seek assistance will receive thoughtful, quality care today and tomorrow. Integrated Marketing Communications Budget Quite a few advertising efforts will be used to promote the business. The marketing mix will consist of direct marketing, social media, the company’s web site and some advertising. Promoting the business will start with promoting myself as the owner and founder. Creating a bio to hand out to the local referral sources will begin the promotional stage of getting off the ground running. Exposing the business to Special Events, Open Houses, Healthcare Fairs, Senior Expos, etc, identify local groups, churches, senior groups, etc. nd build Nursing Home CareZ’ reputation as â€Å"source† for aging issues through seminars/lectures, and educate the local communities about senior living options. The promotional process will follow as: * Print advertising * Direct mail * Broadcast advertising on radio (or Internet sites or social media) Advertise by visiting the local hospitals, senior community centers, local churches, the area M edicaid public assistance offices and adult and aging organizations to introduce myself and hand out business cards, flyers or brochures. There is minimal cost in visiting with the exception of handing out business cards and brochures. Cost of purchasing 5000 business cards is $55. 00 and the creating custom brochures cost is $800. 00. Advertise on several of the social media sites to utilize the word of mouth affect. Face Book, Twitter, Blogs, Linked In, Biznik and on Craig’s List. The social media has been prone to take the smallest post and spread it like wild fire. Even though many of these sites are young than the target market target, they can still reach the families of the target market and those you may work in the industry of which NHCA is catering to. Advertise by hosting or attending several community events that are geared towards healthcare services. * Participation in community projects * Fairs – Health Fairs or Job Fairs * Give-a-ways of pens or pencils, and post-it notes * Coupons at the bottom of the flyers giving a 20% discount within a 2 month time span * Trade Shows – local convention centers host shows which the target market or family members attend such as arts and crafts, flowers, cooking lessons and pet shows. The cost of attending the community events will be $3000. 00. Most community fairs for free to participate as many are awareness driven. The cost to purchase custom pens, pencils and post-it note pads to distribute are as follows: 2000 pens $365. 00, 500 pencils $227. 00, and 500 post-it notes $230. 00. The coupons does not generate an expense and the cost of trade show for 2 days at 7 hours each day averages $2000. 00 Advertise in The Times Herald daily newspaper weekly newspaper and on the web viewer ship: 1/4 page 6 columns x 5† inch ad for 2 months, then monthly for two additional months. Cost: $1100. 00. Advertise in The Delaware County Times daily newspaper, weekly: 25 words per week for 12 weeks. Cost: $900. 00. The company’s website will be utilized to advertise and promote the business by informing them of the services. The target market will have basic information designed to peak their interest enough to want to place a telephone call to inquire further. Building the web site with the initial start up cost: $120. 00 Found a web designer and web host in one for a minimal cost. Steps taken to launch the web site are: submitting the website to search engines like Google, Ask Jeeves, and Bing and to web directories. Putting the website address in the email address, on the flyers, brochures, and on the business cards is the next step. By registering the company’s website for more than one year, will keep the search engines from classifying the company as a spam organization. Collecting and analyzing the data will assist in further developing the marketing strategy. Becoming a member of the Social Medias such as Face Book, Twitter, You Tube help strengthen the community relationship with the social workers of the hospital, assist living communities, and the referral based resources. Using multimedia devices on the website will assist in further interaction with the target market. The design of the website will be user friendly as the target market may or may not have experience with computers. 3. 8 Marketing Research As stated previously in this plan, the growth rate of the elderly population persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the previous census predictions, an as they are getting older they are requiring more medical care. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). Families are unable to care for mom or dad, aunt or uncle so the nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of the elderly. In trying to determine if this service business would be a worthwhile endeavor, the owner sat down to asked a few questions with an existing nursing home administrator, wound care nurse, community case worker and a marketing director. As a result of the questions asked such as; can you tell me when families are approached at the hospital for discharge planning as their loved one just fell and fracture their hip, what is the attitude or knowledge base of what happens to the elderly in the home? The response was; ‘the first thing that came to the family members mind was abuse or neglect, or that the home was going to rob their mother or father blind. This comment is common to many who do not have a full understanding of what happens as their loved one transition into long term care. Another most important question is how or who will pay for my loved one to stay in the nursing home? Will her rights be protected and how much say will I have in the care of my parent or loved one? The last comments that came up, was the guilt the families feels when having to decide place the mother or father into a long term care home. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much for them to take in; they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has the good fortune of being affiliated with existing nursing homes and has an excellent work history and knowledge base to have recognized the issues current residents of nursing homes were facing. As a Business Office Manager for the last 10 years, the owner has the leverage of understanding the ins and outs of admission processes of long term care and the steps taken to make for a smooth transition. In the final decision process in this impending situation, the owner of NHCA also talk with case managers, county assistance office employees and several local attorneys’ who handle the guardianship processes on behalf of nursing home. All agreed, with positive feedback, there was a problem. An outside liaison is needed to assist residents and their families with coming to terms with their new home. By offering the service, it is allowing a sense of empowerment and a sense of peace. Transitioning into a long term care facility for these residents, with a knowledge base of what lies ahead and knowing their new home will truly be their home will make it all worth it. References 1. Advanced Marketing: One Stop for Newspaper Advertising. (2011). Retrieved from https://www. le-services. com. 2. Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE). (2011). Help for People in Nursing Homes. Retrieved from http://www. carie. org/programs-services/advocacy-services/help-for-people-in-nursing-homes 3. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2011). Nursing Homes Overview and Payments 4. Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA). (2011). Retrieved from http://www. co. delaware. pa. us/depts/cosa. html 5. Department of Health & Human Services: Administration on Aging. (2011). Aging Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. aoa. gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/index. aspx 6. Eiken, S. & Heestand, A. (2003). Pennsylvania Transition to Home Program . Retrieved from http://aspe. hhs. gov/daltcp/reports/2003/PAtrans. htm 7. Green Leaf Health Care Assisted Living. (2011). Professional Healthcare Development Marketing Plan. Retrieved from http://www. phdmkt. com/images/sample%20marketing%20plan%2007. pdf accessed 8. Keller, K. & Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing Management. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 9. Lewis, J. (2011). About Women’s History: Shirley Chisholm Quotes. Retrieved from http://womenshistory. about. com/od/quotes/shirleychisholm. htm 10. Marketing Plan Objectives and Strategies. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. smallbusinessnotes. com/starting-a-business/marketing-plan-marketin