Helpful Tips for 55 & Older Community Owners

By David M. Weber & M. Christine Weber We all know it is far easier to maintain a resident than find one who will fill a vacant space within a community. This is particularly true in 55+ communities. To be great at resident retention, managers need to believe strongly in the lifestyle that has led many seniors to a manufactured housing way of life. Managers must be helpful, respectful, enthusiastic and work relentlessly to continuously improve their seniors' lifestyles. One of the measuring sticks of great managers, as well as great regional managers, is their ability to be friendly while at the same time, keeping their eyes firmly upon the objectives of the community. The responsibilities of property management are immense and sometimes thankless. It is hard to believe that any of us could add another thing to our schedules to strive for better resident relations. But we must, and we must go at it with an eager, devoted, and intense passion to be successful. The only way to achieve this and still maintain the quality of the community is great organizational skills, resident, participation and the initiative to be creative. No matter how large or small a community and its budget, the following simple steps will bring a community to its peak performance and create strong resident relations. Get the Residents Involved Make photo albums or scrapbooks of residents enjoying their community or community activities. Seniors enjoy donating photos from their past and the fun time they've had with neighbors or friends. Residents can form a photography club to take pictures of all community events, funny resident situations and neighbors helping one another. Photo clubs are a good source for pictures submitted by residents. Volunteers can help with the collection of photos and putting together the album. Display the album(s) proudly in the activity center or community lounge area for all to enjoy. Managers should look through the books from time to time to ensure quality content. Encourage residents to write positive letters or stories about the community. Resident writings can be collected in an attractive album, which is also to be displayed in the community activity center. When the letters have been submitted, ask if they may be used in the community newsletter. Pick one letter a month to exhibit in an attractive picture frame under the caption, Letter of the month" or "Why we enjoy living in this community." Create a journal to pass around the community (it may be a spiral notebook) for all residents to write in. A note stating the topic should be firmly attached on the outside of the journal for all to read before inserting thoughts. The note may ask for how long the resident has lived in the community and a short biography. Encourage the use of photos or themselves