Why We Share Our Annual Survey Results with Residents
CCRC Resident Satisfaction Survey
Why We Share Our Annual Survey Results with Residents
By Keith Grady, Executive Director
Surveys often baffle me. You take the time to read and respond to the queries, turn in the document, and usually never hear another word about it. Ever. It makes you wonder why any of us even bother.
Here at Applewood, we distribute a Resident Satisfaction Survey to all of our residents every year, produced by Holleran, a consumer satisfaction survey firm who maintains one of the largest measurement databases for continuing care retirement communities throughout the country.
Applewood CCRC *Holleran Benchmark and Key Drivers
The key drivers most highly correlated to resident satisfaction include:
- Overall Satisfaction
- Effectiveness of Administration
- Daily Living
- Community Environment
- Dining Services
Applewood resident survey results are benchmarked against comparative CCRC factors on both a regional and national level, which include the most innovative senior living providers in the U.S. The anonymous annual questionnaire, consisting of 44 multiple-choice questions and opportunities for comments, includes categories such as:
1) Rate the fulfillment of expectations as promoted by marketing.
2) Rate the administration’s responsiveness to questions and complaints.
3) Rate the variety of dining service menu options.
4) Rate the availability of weekend/ after-hours medical care.
5) How do you rate the value for price paid at Applewood?
By providing this mechanism to the resident body, we measure and assess the community’s strongest attributes and where and how we can improve. Our 2015 survey garnered nearly 500 verbatim responses from residents consisting of both opportunities for improvement and expressions of praise and satisfaction.
How Applewood Management Responds to the Resident Survey
In contrast to many surveys where the recipient never sees the results, we share the survey results in its entirety with our residents every year, without fail. The results are presented at the monthly resident town meeting. Printed copies of the annual survey are made available to all residents and additional copies are available in our community library.
But that’s only the beginning. Next, we take action.
Once the results are in, the management team and I dissect the results, question-by-question, evaluate and discuss all the comments. Collectively, we conclude what we are doing right and where we need to improve.
The verbatim comments are divided into similar categories and separated by department; each department manager is responsible for addressing comments using the STAR program (see below).
We then create a project management strategy to implement changes and improvements, if necessary, supported by measurable results:
S-T-A-R Program
- Situation: How can we improve?
- Task: Action items and timeline.
- Action: Implementing the improvement plan. If funds are needed, how will they be fiscally allocated?
- Result: What is the measurable result/outcome? How has this improvement been communicated to residents?
Each STAR is reviewed with the residents at our Monthly Town Meetings and subsequently addressed each month, until the issue is satisfactorily resolved.
A Unique Lifestyle Program Exclusively for Today’s Seniors
Here at Applewood, our unified goal is to provide the framework for our residents to surpass even their own expectations by discovering firsthand how fulfilling senior life can be. We’ve created a community that addresses the interests and needs of today’s more active and engaged adults, who are ready to fully enjoy their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and far beyond.
To learn more about Applewood’s exclusive Engaged Living™ lifestyle or to stop by for a tour, call 732-303-7416.
*The Holleran Benchmark is a collection of comparable factors from Holleran’s proprietary database containing nearly 58,000 independent living surveys from 256 retirement communities in 36 states.