Senior Living Experts launch first industry crisis communications solution: ResponderHub

"A perfect storm is brewing in the senior housing industry," said Debra Sheridan, president of 30-year-old IVY Marketing Group and creator of a new crisis communications solution called ResponderHub.

Alarming statistics in senior housing substantiate Sheridan's prediction. Out-of-court lawsuits average $750,000; 95 percent of all crises are the result of human error; 75 percent of the industry is infected with Malware; one in 10 elders suffers from abuse; and 3.5 million more workers are needed to serve the Baby Boomer generation.

To address this gloomy forecast, Sheridan and her team of certified crisis communications specialists have developed the first solution designed exclusively for crisis in senior housing and services. "Seventy-five percent of crises in senior housing are smoldering and could be avoided with proper preparation, training and response," said Sheridan.

This new product combines response training specific to the senior housing industry with HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based software and a real-time communications app. It hinges on three tenets of crisis communications - preparation, prevention and response - in five categories of crisis: widespread, serious, business disruption, smoldering and reputational. It is also designed to meet the new communications standards required by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) in a health care environment.

Users of ResponderHub receive on-site training including industry-specific response role playing, appropriate setup of a situation room and demonstrations of the easy-to-use software. For a higher level of instruction, users can add media training complete with on-the-spot questions, videotaping for feedback and coaching on what to tell the media.

The HIPAA-compliant feature ensures the privacy of the entire community. Accessible from any device, ResponderHub serves as a step-by-step guide to crisis response as well as a repository for important information germane to each community. It also houses best practice information, trend reports of crises in the senior industry, descriptions and treatment of the five major types of crises, sample holding statements and policies, timelines for responses, monthly updates and other reference tools.

The new product's accompanying app functions as a real-time channel for protected internal communications. Push notifications go out to core team members, who then log into the site or app from any device to communicate via text, email and voice in a recorded, HIPAA-compliant setting that ensures documentation for future reference.

ResponderHub offers optional comprehensive monitoring of all online negative reviews and comments as well as community directories to ferret out smoldering crises and quell those that have erupted. With management's approval, ResponderHub™ can quickly craft reasonable, factual and empathic responses.

Call for pricing and further information about this important solution for crisis in senior housing and services. Visit responderhub.net and ivymarketing.com.

ResponderHub is a product of IVY Marketing Group, a 30-year veteran in marketing and public relations, specializing in senior housing and services. IVY's team of professionals also manage crisis response and are certified in content marketing and crisis communications by the Public Relations Society of America. In addition, they are media trained and educated in crisis communications by the Institute of Crisis Management. IVY has received multiple national awards for excellence in content marketing, web and print design.