Business View Magazine - March 2016

112 Business View Magazine - April 2016 Business View Magazine - April 2016 113 ferrals. So that helps us, as well. And then last, but def- initely not least, is our community involvement. We’re part of the Chamber, we do a lot of sponsorships, we try to get our name out at a very grassroots level, and just stay very well-connected. It’s a small community, here. Everybody kind of knows everybody else, and that makes it critical to consistently stay community- minded.” In addition to offering its own assisted living and healthcare services, Kelley sees New Port Inn as an important informational resource for families in the area who are looking for senior care options. “Even if they don’t choose us, these adult children have no working knowledge of this industry. And it can be a full-time job to find mom or dad the right place,” she explains. “So, we really wanted to make it very clear in all of our advertising and all of the collateral that we send out: ‘just come to us.’ Even if you don’t choose us, you can tell us specifically what you’re looking for. I’ve been in the area twelve years and I know all the buildings. I know the small ones, the big ones, and ev- erything in between; all their price points and all their services. So we’re happy to spend the time with the families and get them on to the right place if we, for any reason, aren’t it. We know the local elder care at- torneys; the places to call to get the VA assistance; or if they need to talk to someone who can assist with Med- icaid processing; etc. Whatever it might be, we can, at least, jump start them and they can do that one-stop- shopping here versus walking into a place, walking out, and starting all over again. And that’s worked out for us because it’s helped build our relationships with other properties.” Of course, Kelley always hopes that New Port Inn is, ul- timately, a family’s choice and she is more than ready to state the reasons why: “We’ve tried to really create a family culture and atmosphere” she states. “We try to do multi-generational things like bringing in small children and comingling the generations when we can. The staff and the residents are professionally close and we try to keep those relationships open so that it feels like home. And we try to foster longevity with our staff. I think that’s very important for the seniors when they move in somewhere – to see the same fac- es. Industry-wide, unfortunately, there’s a fairly high turnover; we’re really working hard to keep some sus- tainability with our team members.” Kelley says that while no major expansions of the Inn are being planned for the immediate future, there are constant improvements being made to the property. New Port Inn’s Executive Director understands that, even though the facility’s mission statement may be “Quality Focused Care, One Resident at a Time,” its ability to stay in business so that it can offer that high quality care - and offer it consistently - must be based on a sound business model that includes continual property improvement, staff retention, and proactive marketing. “The biggest thing for any assisted living facility,” she says, “is to build and stabilize your cen- sus with a good pay source and to keep your numbers steady as time goes on.” PREFERRED VENDORS First Choice Medical - www.fcms.com