December 2014: 3, 2, 1 … HAPPY NEW YEAR! Are you ready for 2015?

New Year’s Day is only days away. It’s time to plan your marketing for the year and make sure you’re increasing your presence in your community. Effective marketing strategies are the key to keeping your agency’s name top of mind and ensuring you’re the agency of choice when it’s time to make a referral.

  • Contact local senior centers, assisted living facilities, church groups, retirement groups and other local groups with a large senior attendance. Work out a schedule for your agency that will allow you to regularly reach out to these groups by hosting a series of community education classes. Find done-for-you classes that don’t require participation by a clinician, complete with handout and promotional materials at www.tagwebstore.com/healthmatters-education-series.php.
  • As you craft your marketing plan for the year, use the power of variable data campaigns to get a specific message to a specific audience. Reach seniors, referral sources or potential employees – all by name – with a personal message that is relevant to each. Learn more at http://itargetcampaigns.com/.

January is National Bath Safety Month. Did you know that the bathroom is one of the most common sites of falls among the elderly? It’s also one part of the home where a few modifications can easily prevent a disabling or even life-threatening fall. Spread the word this Bath Safety Month about the importance of fall prevention — in the bathroom, as well as throughout the home.

  • Present a free community education class on fall prevention at your local library. Educate participants about the need to stay safe throughout the home. You can even distribute small items emblazoned with your agency’s name and logo, such as nightlights for the bathroom or non-slip adhesive strips for the bath. Find a ready-made class that a non-clinician can teach at https://www.tagwebstore.com/healthmatters-education-series.php.
  • Show referral sources and patients that not only are you serious about fall prevention, but you have a strong program in place to ensure your clients are safer at home. Patient education guides focusing on fall prevention are a great way to present important information to patients in a concise manner, and they’re also a great way to show physicians you have your act together. Find them at https://www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.
  • Another way to prove to referral sources that you can back up your fall prevention efforts this month is to present your Home Health Compare scores as they relate to fall prevention. Presenting these in a clear format and showing how they compare to state and national averages is strong and persuasive evidence that your agency is up to the task. Find ready-made fall prevention brochures for physicians and seniors at https://www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-physicians.php and https://www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-senior.php.

January naturally has Americans placing a little extra emphasis on living well and healthfully. That may be why National Healthy Weight Week is set to start Jan. 18, and Women’s Healthy WeightDay is Jan. 29. Encourage all those in your service community (and on your staff) to do what they can to live better, more healthful lives. Focus on education as you kick off the year, and show the community your passion for health.

  • Just a few extra pounds can have serious health consequences. Set up a booth at a local mall and distribute information about the importance of exercise in warding off harmful health conditions. Find helpful health care flyers on topics such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and physical therapy athttps://www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php.