Differentiating Your Home Care Agency with Tech in a Competitive Market

Differentiating Your Home Care Agency with Tech in a Competitive Market

00:00:09

Hi listeners, my name is Carolina Gonzaga, your host today for our episode of CareSmartz360 On Air. The senior living landscape is evolving and technology is the key differentiator. Today we’re joined by John Wright. He’s the founder and CEO of Sanus Lifestyle Solutions and brings over 21 years of experience in leadership. John is a proven executive who excels at integrating technology to optimize what’s really important, optimal care and operations. So, his company helps home care agencies and communities alike

00:00:41

to reduce stress and accelerate occupancy by utilizing innovative solutions for safe and healthy aging. Really marrying those two parts of senior living together. I really enjoyed my conversation with John and I hope that you do, too. Okay, so here we are. John, I’m so happy that you were able to join us right with the business of the holidays. We’re thankful that you could log on today. >> Thank you. Thank you for having me. >> And I’ve enjoyed learning, you know, talking to you before, you know,

00:01:08

pressing record, learning about what you do and and what led you, you know, to build your business today. But something that I loved is knowing that we come from kind of the same place, the same passion. So I come from senior living. That’s where I started. and it sounds like you kind of did too into leading to this company that we’re going to talk about today. So, if you don’t mind, John, I’d love to know about your journey where the senior living um I’m not going to call it a bug. That’s not

00:01:36

the right word. The passion, we don’t like that. Post pandemic, but the senior living passion kind of started and then what led you to bring um Sanus to life if you don’t mind? >> No, not at all. And great question. You know, I think the thing and and it truly is a passion. You know, you have to have passion to serve because that’s ultimately what you’re doing in this industry. Um, I actually cut my teeth in senior living uh just like you back in 2001 with a company actually locally

00:02:05

where I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin called Direct Supply. So, and not only did I learn a lot about the industry, but I also had some great mentors there and great opportunities to learn about the industry, why changing it matters, and how to provide the best quality of care equaling quality of life for individuals. So, I worked with them for about five years as part of their uh construction and project management team. And I had 17 states that I was responsible for in the southeastern United States and half of California. So

00:02:35

it’s just kind of how they broke it up, but that is what it is. So >> busy state, lots going on there. So huge responsibility added. Yeah. >> But but I loved it and I and I loved the opportunity. I didn’t know much about it prior and when I got in, I just couldn’t learn enough. >> Excuse me. Um so that led me to learn more about what we refer to as the continuum of care. All right. So often we’ll talk about you know independent living to assisted living then there’s

00:03:03

memory care and skilled you know so often people in our industry look at that as the continuum of care when the reality is it actually starts at home. So you have to look at the inhome caregiving team and a lot of times that handshake or that you know transition from the home to the senior living side of things um can be a little bit dicey. Nobody technically wants to go into a senior living community because most folks still have a stigma of what it is, right? They remember that in their mind they’ve got this picture of a long

00:03:33

sterile, you know, straight hallway with m VCT tiles and everything else you remember seeing about it. So, kind of breaking that stigma, but also making that transition as easy as possible. So moving on from that, I got my certified agent in place specialist. Helped individuals like modify and maintain their homes in a way where they could keep that independence at home and live where they wanted to be as long as possible until they had to transition over. Um, which ultimately led me to create my own business, Sanus Lifestyle

00:04:03

Solutions. And uh, Sanus is Latin for health of mind, body, and soul, the whole body. So, uh, it was very, very appropriate. And >> funny side story, when I, um, moved and, uh, went to a different high school, they had Spanish and German, and they said, “Oh, but we have Latin, but nobody takes it.” All right, I’ll take Latin if nobody’s taking it. So, it’s kind of how I came up with that. And so, >> and you were top of class, of course, was no comp. >> Well, yeah. I mean, I wasn’t the only

00:04:30

one in there, but it was it was a little bit of a struggle, but quite frankly, it served me well moving forward because it really is a root language of a lot of different languages. So, Um but with SAMs what we try and do we try to operate within the senior living uh continuum and that includes inh home care but we really focus on three major things. One that’s building and operational efficiencies for um inhome care companies or senior living communities sales and marketing strategies helping uh put together

00:04:58

programming for training and mentoring salespeople through sales plans. uh developing acceleration to occupancy, brand stickiness, helping create programming that identifies a better and different story for them. And then for the overall uh company as a whole, we look at how do we impact net operating income. You know, whether it’s your business, a community operator, whatever that looks like, we focus on those three silos in particular. So, when people reach out to us, they’re either struggling with occupancy, uh having

00:05:27

operational issues, whatever the case may be. Um, but a lot of what we did, uh, you know, really went around technology and how we can utilize that to, um, you know, help springboard people to these goals. And it’s interesting, and people will hear me say this all the time. I’m more hightouch than high-tech, which is kind of funny because I play in the tech space quite a bit. But you you’ll never get rid of that human interaction, nor do you want to because that’s ultimately um where

00:05:56

the true bonding’s made, where the true impact is made. And we need to leverage technology to allow caregivers to have more time to interact and engage with individuals, if that makes sense. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I apologize. It’s a little dry. >> Oh, no. I’m in the same boat. I mentioned to you John I got a six sixy old t the seasonbody to all of our listening to those who celebrate. Yeah. You know so when you so initially working in direct supply which is such a diverse you know offering um and you

00:06:28

probably uh you know learn quite a bit there and then starting Santa lifestyle solutions. It sounds like the three pillars or the three silos that you focus on really came from a need that you sensed uh from the industry and your conversations. And so I’m wondering how you’ve seen when did you start Sanus by the way? What what year did you begin operating? >> Yeah, about seven years ago. >> And I I’ve worked in senior living communities too. So this is not just me thinking I think they need this and this

00:06:58

will work. I’ve seen firsthand, you know, what the what the issues are and how to solve for X, if you will, and why that’s going to make an impactful difference across all fronts. >> Yeah. I’m wondering how you’ve seen the conversations about technology change in seven years. And from my experience, I started you know in the industry 21 years ago and technology was I mean they were just transitioning to uh you know electronic charting you know the daily ADLs I mean it was all

00:07:33

new and my mother being you know an RN and the in Canada we call long-term care. >> Yeah. Uh, I remember that transition of like now they want me to turn on a computer and I remember working in sales and marketing within, you know, the retirement private pay space and and having our general manager say we’ll never have an Instagram or a Facebook because that would be uh that wouldn’t respect, you know, the privacy restrictions. We wouldn’t be able to advertise that way. My gosh, John, what

00:08:01

a change. Uh, and that comes with a lot of complex. So can you tell me kind of in general what are some of those biggest transitions you’ve seen in the past seven years? So even in you know seven years is a lifetime with technology right so and and to what to the point that you just brought up I don’t think there is a successful senior living community or business in the senior space that isn’t utilizing social media right >> so I I I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all I actually encourage it because it’s

00:08:30

an opportunity you have to remember when most people are actually getting into the space with their loved ones there there’s some form of guilt around it right so they want to know real life stories they want to see what’s actually going on and the way technology has evolved over that time even from the charting. I know some some communities that still do it manually, believe it or not. >> It’s a shock. >> Yeah. I I I was in one of them about six months ago and I walked back and I was

00:08:56

meeting with their uh director of nursing and clinical team and they’ve got these piles of paper. They’re doing their charting everything. I’m like thinking, “Oh my god, your life could be so much easier.” But >> you know, it is what it is and I think some people um eventually adopt that. um as as long as they’re still providing good care, you know, gods speed to them really. Um but >> the way technology has changed, I I think it all comes down to adoption,

00:09:21

right? So in senior living, it’s been my experience that with technology um people senior living is one of the most fickle uh you know industries when it comes to adopting technology. Okay? Or it has been but once it’s in everybody has to have it if that makes sense. It’s kind of that ultimate keeping up with the Joneses. Once there’s a good use case and a good proof of what the tech does, they’re ready to move forward. So, I think the thing that you have to be careful of with technology and senior

00:09:50

living and even with the change as it’s, you know, there’s definitely that hockey stick where it’s kind of gone up over the past few years, there are a lot of people entering the space. So, it’s being able to differentiate what’s what’s good, what’s actually useful, and what’s going to make sense. And even if it checks all those boxes, how is it impacting, you know, the resident care, quality of life, everything has to point back to does this give me more time to

00:10:13

spend with the resident? Does it save time and building efficiencies in my workday? And does the is the ROI there? So, >> I think you’re seeing more and more smartly aligned technology companies that realize that is the real focus for senior living and they’re adjusting to that on the fly. So a lot of what you’re seeing now is definitely checking off the boxes that should have been checked when technology was kind of in that early adoption phase for senior living. >> Absolutely. Taking it to, you know, my

00:10:42

thoughts also come to what you said earlier of that senior living includes the home care space, you know, which is the the space that we focus at um with the company I work for, CareSmartz360. >> Yeah. >> But it’s curious. I don’t know if it’s curious, but it’s almost a Eureka moment just listening to you talk about how remote and fragmented home care can be. >> And so, it’s kind of surprising that it’s taken this long, but now, you know, in the past few years in the United

00:11:10

States now, you know, uh, electronic visit verification is now mandatory. Um, we have technologies like AcuShield where folks are wanting to needing to identify themselves not only to make that check in or arrival process nicer, less paper, but also for safety, etc. So, >> how do you see home care and technology? Do you find that the home care piece of, you know, the senior living space has followed in kind of the communal living or have they been pretty parallel or uh have they led any thoughts on that? Uh,

00:11:49

a a little bit of all and and I’ll kind of give you an example. I I was hired to do some consulting for an inhome care company that provided both medical and non-medical care. And two of their biggest issues that they wanted to solve for was the first one is how do I make that initial living room visit more memorable than the other four in home care companies that are coming in. What’s my better and different story? And the other one which I was a little bit shocked by because you provide that

00:12:14

you know you say we provide companionship for your loved one. We’ll do some chores. We’ll do some meal prep. We’ll do all those sorts of things. Caregivers were they had a 4-hour block for say for example they’d go into the home. They’d finish their chores. finished the meal prep everything else and with an hour and a half left they were calling say I’m done with everything can I leave so it’s great that you’ve got all that done but now you’ve got this hour and a half worth of

00:12:36

time that is a in my opinion the most meaningful portion of what you’re actually there to do learn about this individual provide them comfort provide them engagement interaction eliminate the idea of social isolation because those are key contributors to the decline on our you know our loved ones that are at home so one of the things that I think you’ll see in home care companies moving through more of a tech or digital platform are those really, you know, clinically tested engaging tools that they can utilize because

00:13:09

what’s the hardest thing that you have to accomplish, right? You may have a 25 to 30 year old caregiver with a, you know, 70 to 75 year old individual. How do I bridge that generational gap? How do I provide meaningful meaningful content? I mean, the one thing that both senior living and both inhome care companies have in common, and it drives me absolutely insane. Anytime I walk into a senior living community, it seems like they have on either Court TV or the Price is Right. It’s like you have this

00:13:35

media space here where you can be providing engaging, insightful, thought-provoking content that’ll ultimately give you insights onto who these people are. You can do the same thing in home, right? It’s not just like put on the TV, let’s do our chores and everything else. So, if you have these tools that set you apart, create this better and different story about why your company is the one to do business with, and then I don’t I don’t think that they realize, but they’re starting

00:14:02

to realize that makes the handshake easier from home care to community care, right? So, now you can say, “Listen, I’ve got John, right? He’s coming to you. Um, I know he loves sports. He went to New York. He was in Time Square when he was young. and everything else. That transition or onboarding or discovery that they call it for senior living is worth its weight and gold because when somebody moves into a senior living community, it’s how do I make them the most comfortable? How do I take them out of

00:14:30

the only place they’ve lived in for the past 40 years and provide comfort, support, and get them to really just a peaceful place if that makes sense. So I think what you’ll see uh in home care companies do a lot more is utilizing technology to engage better, interact better, and let’s not forget the underlying issue that all of this provides for the individual you’re providing care for that bond now. Now you now you don’t want to call and say, “Can I leave?” It’s it’s I have this

00:14:59

connection now. I have this bond with this individual now. You know, and you have a way to catalog that interest in what’s going on and even convey that or push it out to the family. We talked about X, Y, and Z today. And that’s not an extra step in the process, but just something that you can do for the family. You’re really checking every box that’s out there, but you’re providing a great benefit to the individual that you’re providing care for. >> Absolutely. So, earlier you kind of

00:15:24

introduced kind of the three silos or the areas that you really kind of this is what Santa’s kind of beats to when you’re having conversations and setting goals with your clients. I’m wondering in my experience, you know, a lot of times in senior living, well, it’s changing now, but the the department head or the corporate leader of that one silo would make a decision on the best CRM for sales and the best, you know, the best maintenance software. Now, we’re seeing more integration. I’m

00:15:54

hearing the same conversations now that I’m in the home care space of, you know, tech vendors that play and are open to playing with one another are really going to be more successful because then um, you know, an organization kind of almost write their own story of what their tech stack looks like. Are you finding that integration is becoming a bigger part of the conversation? um you know because there’s so many solutions out there that think they’re the best. But I wonder yeah how you see

00:16:25

integration and you know open API and just like the openness of working together if that’s going to make a vendor more successful you know going into the future. >> Yeah. So Carolina, great question and I’m I’m actually glad you asked it because that there’s so much opportunity for people who are doing things serving the same people to come together and provide a more robust comprehensive product to serve the greater need of all. Um, interestingly enough on the sales and marketing side of things with

00:16:52

whomever I deal with it a lot of it comes down to programming like what programming can you provide us? What can you do to make our community culture and lifestyle better? So a lot of people think, you know, intuitively that it comes down to life enrichment directors, you know, and that sort of thing and that’s the silo. That’s not the reality. If you have a concept or product that you can lay out and show how it impacts sales and marketing, how it impacts operations, and let’s just look at

00:17:18

staffing. That is the number one issue facing our industry. Whether you’re in senior living or in the inh home care market, staffing is critical. How do we provide the best engaging content that gives us insights into an individual’s life, utilizing technology and not removing but giving more time to the human element and saving saving money, you know, saving money. Show them how it impacts operations. Show them how it impacts sales and marketing. Show them how it interacts at human engagement. So

00:17:47

now they’re not just pulling from one silo. You’re checking boxes across the board and everybody wins. But to your initial point there, there are some great products out there and and I try and connect people whenever I can. I say, “Hey, you need to talk to so- and so or you you’re already over here doing all of this. You need so- and so on your platform and here’s why.” So, it kind of helps from the standpoint that I’ve been vendor uh tech agnostic. Um, I get a chance to see of a lot of the things

00:18:12

that do and that don’t work. So when I do have different tech companies or programming and engagement platforms which I deal with quite a bit that come to me I’m able to say you should talk to so- and so they’re you they’re already in the space they’re an x amount of things but this would really enhance their offering also enhance their uh footprint and as a byproduct of that would do the same thing for you. When I think about home care and the technologies that I see a lot when

00:18:37

you’re walking down that aisle at a conference, a lot of it is so normal for for us as we’ve grown, you know, grown up in this really intense time of innovation and technology. um things like I’m thinking of a few names Noi lamps or um ponto sense or these kind of sensors maybe cameras maybe not cameras >> and you think wow how effective to help me understand if my loved one is falling or is in bed all day or is getting up in the middle of the night or empowering the nurses that are working at night in

00:19:09

a facility to know where to spend their time and then you think oh cameras sensors seniors attitudes >> how are you navigating these two very different conversations knowing that there are still I mean the the the people are alive now that don’t remember any technology and then now we’re just used to all of this. How do you manage those conversations and attitudes because it’s just complex >> it’s it’s really complex and honestly the simpler you can make it the better.

00:19:36

You can get lost in the details of big I get lost in the details of some of this big tech. Oh, it’s a 4D wave. Does this heat set like like just tell me what it does and how it works and and you know, I’ll I’ll tell you why I think it’s, you know, essential to, you know, somebody’s care. But you have to keep it simple. And I think anybody that understands change, it’s easy to point back to, just take a car for example. Back in the 70s, 60s, even early 80s, you had to pump

00:20:04

your gas before. We’ve got fuel injected cars now. You turn your key and it goes on. Technology should make life easier and should not be a burden. I think there’s certain ways of implementing and integrating it into the home and you’ve just got to break it down simplistically. We’re not watching you. This is a device that’s actually going to let us know you’re getting up to go to the bathroom typically one to two times a night. Now, we know you’re doing at 5. That might tell us that you’re

00:20:28

either um having some kinds of issues if you’re a fall risk or you might have a UTI. Either way, it gives us technology gives us a way to get away from the old react respond method and move into a predict prevent method, which is really what it should be doing. So, the change in technology just has to be easily understood and you have to be able to explain it in layman’s terms. I try and break everything down into >> if I was talking to my fifth grade self, how would I need to hear this to

00:20:56

understand it most effectively? So, I I just try and keep it super simple that way. But I I think people uh who haven’t grown up with the technology because that that’s the demographic we’re talking about, right? They’re more open to it. You know, the grandkids are like, “Oh, it’s my iPhone. This can I send you email?” I mean, it it’s more and more of a thing. And just because that’s how, you know, society has evolved. So, you’ll see a lot of different companies

00:21:21

coming in, hey, it’s Tech Tuesday. We’re going to teach you how to do XYZ or this that or the other. Those are very well attended programs. You know, those are very, you know, interesting. You know, one thing I find about our seniors, not only do they have a lifetime of stories that if you just sit down with them and talk to are brilliant, they want to learn, they want to experience new things, they want to understand the new things. So, the the more that you can get out there and give them information.

00:21:47

They are hungry for information. You know, it’s just that generation. They they acquire different information differently, but they still want it. So, tech is not a bad thing. And I think I think you see the dynamic of our industry shifting that it’s more acceptable than it may have been during the advent of tech early on maybe 10 years ago. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um but again, I’m always shocked when I go into a in a community and they’re using little paper chips to write down to write down the

00:22:14

orders. Um, a part of what you do is, you know, helping organizations decide, you know, what the focus is and how the how the how the company will evolve based on those goals and those wants of increasing ROI. Um, what are some of the ways that these projects can fail? Is it kind of that decision being made in that top silo and not kind of including, you know, um, more front line? like what are the the pitfalls of adding in technology that you’ve seen with the best intentions from leadership?

00:22:50

>> Well, you you have to show them a realistic use case, you know, and part of that comes down to the consulting phase of what we do. So, we’ll go in there and talk and it’s, you know, it’s an in-depth conversation. Are you struggling in sales and marketing? Are you losing money over here in this bucket? Are are your residents engaged? You know, like what is your length of sale? I mean, we’ll go into like all kinds of details that’ll give us a holistic picture of what’s going on. So

00:23:13

when we do make an a recommendation, we already know that we’ve checked a lot of the boxes. I think one of the things that I benefit from and the people that I work with, um, we’ve worked in this industry. We know this industry frontline, executive level, mid-tier level, we’ve we’ve seen it firsthand. So a lot of what we do and a lot of what we recommend is built out of life experience and understanding of what optimizes efficiencies for senior living communities across the board. So,

00:23:42

usually by the time that somebody decides, hey, I’ve got a problem. I’m willing to talk to somebody who understands what these problems look like and how to fix them, we’re usually in pretty good shape. >> Yeah. >> Adop listen, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t in a community when things are getting deployed. I’ll never use that. Or and th those people typically become your biggest advocates because they realize, oh, I’ve got time to do or I don’t have to do this anymore. like you

00:24:06

said, they’re not walking around writing stuff down or they have more time to actually provide care. You know, our caregivers and staff in this industry have the biggest hearts in the world. You know, they they get into this by and large because they want to help people. They had a loved one who needed assistance, whatever it is. So, it’s we’re doing them a disservice by not taking as much non-essential things off of their plate and allowing them to spend time with the people that matter

00:24:33

the most and that is the person they’re providing care for, but also eliminating a lot of that day-to-day stress that they deal with. Um, doing things in a less efficient way and technology has some really great solutions for all of that. Earlier you mentioned the biggest challenge and I think that it’s you know unanimously recognized as the you know short short staffing caregiver burnout. Um so are you finding that in your conversations that you know leaders of you know home care homeare seuite uh

00:25:05

senior living seuite given enough time are seeing that technology can help with and and directly address this not only by creating more opportunities to have meaningful work rather than redundant work but in other ways too. Are you finding that those conversations are evolving and changing and there’s more of kind of a belief in this investment could actually lead to alleviating some of your biggest concerns as an organization? >> Yeah, I really am. And I I think you kind of hit it on the head when you said

00:25:35

the word evolving, right? So, it’s ever changing. A lot of uh senior living operators or just business owners that having home care companies, but let’s stick on the senior living side of it for right now. Um they see a lot of well this has always worked so we’ll continue to do it. let’s not stray too far from the course. You know what I mean? It’s just that’s our industry. You know that they’re they’re comfortable with what works. They’re happy in their comfort

00:25:57

zone and they don’t realize how better it can be on the other side of the page. All right? So, I think from a standpoint of you want to really look at three things for a senior living community to be successful, right? And from a resident standpoint and alleviating the time and energy from a stress standpoint for the staff, you want to look at nutrition. It’s critical. cognitive enhancement and engagement and physical activities and those all fall under the bundle of programming. If you can provide those

00:26:27

things, do them well and make them enjoyable experiences for residents that really impact their quality of life and allow you to make changes to even the therapeutic or emotional care plan of individuals based on their own experiences, you are so far ahead of 90% of the people that are out here running these senior living communities. So it a lot of it comes back to programming because that goes to culture and that goes to uh happy employees, less stress, more time on their hands to deal with residents which should be the typical

00:26:58

driver for why they’re in the business anyways. And it usually is. >> Yeah. And you would hope so. And I think you’re right. >> Um I just remember before my transition onto the tech side, more operations side is hearing the word resident less and less in a leadership meeting and wondering like where where it all went. And it’s funny when you think about census or occupancy on both sides of senior living, home or in community, I’m sure like even though you come in as an

00:27:24

expert of technology, it’s also like well you you really what you’ve said is you really just can’t forget why we’re here in the first place. >> 100%. Think about it like this. Once operators stop addressing the symptoms and start addressing the problems, >> you’ll find that alignment becomes so natural and so easy and you’ll have that I can’t believe we didn’t do this sooner moment. >> Absolutely. So tell me when our listeners, you know, come across the

00:27:49

podcast or some of the clips that we’ll inevitably share, how is their best way to connect with you? Um do you usually go to conferences? Do you are you uh is it email? How how can they find out more about Sanus and and and what you guys do there? >> Yeah. Well, this is actually perfect timing because we’re updating our website and branding right now. So, you can find us there, but you can also email me at johnhn at sannis sus lifestyle.com or you can call us at 262-9304435. And is there ever and I know you

00:28:27

mentioned your experience in the past with direct supply and like a certain catchment area. Are there any areas of the United States that you focus on? Are there any limitations of the size of an organization or footprint? No. >> No. None none at all. Listen, it our the people that we serve and I truly mean that. You know, I just want what’s best for everybody. They come in all shapes and sizes. It could be one community. It could be one individual. It could be 130 communities who wants a complete

00:28:55

organizational and cultural, you know, overhaul. We can do all of that and help you with your issues. So, >> hey, well, that’s amazing. So, to all the and again, I love that we’re really connecting the home care and the community aspect. I think that you know and and tell me I guess we’ll end on this loaded question >> is don’t you think more home care companies and senior living uh organizations if they thought beyond the walls of that home or that community that there would be more that it should

00:29:26

be less thinking about them and us and more of an integration there. Don’t you think that all of our companies would be so much more fruitful and and successful? Would you say I >> I’d say that 100%. And I think you see it’s very evidence-based in our industry already. You have senior living communities that may be short staff that are using these inhome care companies to actually come in and help. But you’re also seeing the other side of it. You’re seeing some more forwardinking senior

00:29:53

living communities that want to capture that entire ecosystem. So they’re providing home health and home care. So they’re actually that that’s truly making that transition seamless. But I think if you find inhome care companies partnering more with senior living communities and sharing the resident experience with each other, it just makes everybody’s life a lot easier. Uh it makes integration a lot easier. And it also allows them to work with each other for opportunities. Hey, I’ve got

00:30:21

somebody coming here in six months, but they’re going to need help at home. Or hey, I’ve got so and so here. You know, we’ve had them. They’re going to be moving into a senior living community. I know we share the same vision path that uh you know >> can’t even apologize same vision you know passion for the industry and everything else and they subscribe to the same some of the same technology because it works that you do it’d be a great fit can we talk so it’s truly

00:30:44

mutually beneficial that way and uh those types of reciprocal relationships that are based out of those types of you know ethical and um passionate you know ways in which we treat our seniors are really what makes sense at the end of the day and they need to occur more often, you know. >> Absolutely. And I keep thinking of, you know, just that situation where you want to keep a resident where they are. You know, they’ve got to transition to a higher acuity level, but you can’t always do that. That space is not

00:31:11

available. And then you can call on your homeare partner to say, you know what, we need you to piece this together for now. And now we’re all working together to kind of grow that business. But when you talk, I love the way that you say what makes us different. What is the exact way that you say it that that one kind of indicator of what >> what’s our better and different story? >> What is our better? Yep. Here’s why we’re better and here’s how we’re different. And honestly, it can all be

00:31:37

boiled down to that at the end of the day. I mean, you have to execute on that. You can’t just say it. >> But if you are invested in being better and different, >> you’ll sit ahead of everybody else out there because as I mentioned earlier when we first started, senior living stays fairly static for a good portion of it. this is the way we’ve always always done it. This is the way we’re going to continue to do it because we know it works. It’s when you find that you need to change and shift to actually

00:32:01

get better results, that’s when the light bulb goes on and they call somebody like me to help them get there. >> Well, I really enjoyed talking to you. If the next time you see me, John, I have a tattoo of better and different, you’ll know that I have you to blame. It’s something that’s going to stick with me. And I appreciate your time and and everything you do. And I do hope everybody that even if you’re just curious, give John and his team a call. He would love to talk to you and help

00:32:24

you. >> Sounds great. Carolina, thank you so much. Hope your daughter gets better soon. Pleasure speaking with you.