Building Census is About Building Relationships

As we continue to move beyond the census challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic , old routines have shifted—and building census is no exception. For Admission and Marketing professionals, prioritizing relationships in every aspect of the role is essential.

First, strong internal relationships are the foundation. Building trust with your nursing department—especially your Director of Nursing—is critical. Understanding your clinical capabilities and maintaining open, ongoing communication ensures a smoother admissions process. When residents and families have positive experiences, they leave positive reviews, strengthening your facility’s reputation within the community.

When Admission and Marketing Directors are asked about relationship-building, many immediately point to discharge planners. While that relationship is vital, it goes far beyond dropping off cookies or snacks. True relationship-building means mutual respect, collaboration, and a shared commitment to what’s best for the resident. Understanding the discharge planner’s goals and making transitions as seamless as possible benefits everyone involved.

Visiting residents in the hospital is another powerful way to build trust—not only with the resident and their family, but also with hospital staff. These interactions allow you to address concerns, answer questions, and provide reassurance during what can be a stressful transition into a nursing care facility.

Building multiple referral relationships takes time, but it is time well spent. Relying too heavily on a single referral source can leave you vulnerable to “census mirroring”—when their census drops, yours follows. Diversifying your referral network helps ensure a steady flow of admissions.
Treat all referral sources with equal respect, whether they send a few referrals or many. Consistency and trust are the cornerstones of strong, lasting relationships—and ultimately, a stable census. Remember: relationships and trust take time to build, but only seconds to damage.

The Affinity Advantage
Are census challenges affecting your facility’s performance? Affinity’s skilled marketing and admissions professionals have years of experience helping CCRCs, skilled nursing facilities and personal care homes meet and exceed their census goals. Our WE CARE customer service training will help your team build relationships and trust in the community so you can drive growth and maximize occupancy. Call us today at 877-311-0110 for a free consultation!