Seven Key Operating Principles for Assisted Living

I. Active Participation in the Community

• Serve as a community resource offering elder health education and other programs
• Act as an information referral resource for families and seniors
• Encourage and recognize volunteers; encourage intergenerational activities

II. Excellent Quality of Care Standards

• Make competence and compassion the hallmark of all staff hiring decisions
• Conduct regular staff training sessions utilizing internal and external resources
• Provide the fullest level of assisted living services reasonably permissible

III. Commitment to One Mission: Helping the Frail Elder to Remain as Active and Independent as is Safely Possible

• Respect the individuality and dignity of each resident
• Help each resident to remain fully active both physically and socially
• Remain focused on the uniqueness of the mission during marketing activities

IV. Prudent Financial Management

• Prepare detailed budgets based on conservative estimates of income and expense
• Track and report budget variances monthly and quarterly
• Maximize third-party payment utilization for nursing care and other services

V. Accessibility to Elders in Financial Need

• Serve the whole community
• Conduct community outreach as part of the marketing effort
• Exercise advocacy leadership on affordable assisted living in public forums

VI. Staff Teamwork

• Hire from within the community whenever possible
• Cross-train for efficiency and to foster appreciation of the roles of co-workers
• Ensure consistent and open communication among departments

VII. Professional Marketing Approaches

• Articulate our mission clearly and consistently in marketing materials and public relations activity
• Treat everyone as an important part of the marketing team
• Allocate marketing resources with cost-conscious efficiency