Why Should You Invest in Senior Living? Discover Why Now.

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

By: Vinney (Smile) Chopra and Jon Roosen

Key facts on the Silver Tsunami:

  • This year, approximately 23 million Americans are over 75 years old while 8.9 million are over 83. As a general rule, most Americans transition to senior housing by the time they reach 83 years old.
  • The OLDEST baby boomers will not turn 83 until the year 2029, thus allowing the floodgates to open for the silver tsunami. The senior housing industry is only beginning and is expected to skyrocket over the coming years.
  • Predictions suggest that 2 million Americans will reside in senior housing by the year 2030, which is two times the number of Americans in senior housing in the year 2016.
  • Today, 15.6% of the American population is 65 years or older. By 2050, estimates predict over one fifth of the population will be 65 years or older.

Senior living investors should understand that the senior industries profit from a huge demographic groundswell. The Baby Boomer generation will hit the 75+ age mark by the year 2021, as they begin their retirement years. As this happens, baby boomers will seek housing in an industry that is undersupplied and heavily out of step with shifting market demands and caregiving structures. For example, according to CBRE, 40,325 units must be constructed each year in order to satisfy peak demand in the years 2020-2025. When compared to the actual pace of construction in 2014 of 16,440 units per year, construction rates fall short by far. A clear trend has formed showing that despite the overwhelming growth in senior population, growth in senior housing has remained far below the threshold to keep pace.

As such, we conclude that one of the most risk-adjusted prospects in both commercial real estate and general domestic investment is the acquisition, renovation, and growth of senior living facilities. When comparing senior housing to more traditional types of real estate such as multifamily, senior housing is much more operationally complex and demanding from a regulatory perspective. Because of this, efficient execution of a senior housing deal requires an experienced and committed investment team.

Over the past 55 years, global life expectancies have risen from 49 to 72 years of age. The world population of those age 65 and older will double todays numbers and reach 1.3 billion by 2040.

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Aging demographics have created five unique investment opportunities for Americans, one of which is senior housing. With the increased demand for housing created by aging demographics, the U.S. senior housing industry is prepped for a future of unprecedented growth.

According to Senior Housing Analytics figures cited by PGIM, the demand for new senior housing in the United States is expected to rise by around 850,000 units between 2010 and 2030. PGIM’s study “A Silver Lining: The Investment Implications of an Aging World” notes that lucrative investment prospects exist for independent living, RCFE, assisted living, and memory care classes.

Industry centered on senior care and housing is complex. This industry provides a broad array of services to seniors over the age of 75, and can be divided into four care segments. These segments include Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing Care. Historically, nursing care has been provided in a hospital-like setting; however, a shift is underway to transition into a more homelike environment for nursing care. The remaining three care segments are traditionally delivered in a multifamily residential setting. These housing facilities, known as continuing care retirement facilities (CRCCs) generally provide all three remaining care segments: independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing, in one community.

While the senior housing industry is complex and difficult to maneuver at times, there is a simple solution for investors who want a piece of the pie without the knowledge to be involved at the level of a general partner. Investors can become passive investors by buying shares in senior housing investments. Through passive investing, investors can take advantage of this exploding market without the headache of management and general partnership. We can help direct you to these high-quality passive investing opportunities.

Senior Housing Is a Recession Resistant Asset Class

A huge advantage senior housing investors have over traditional investors is the durability of the senior housing segment of the commercial market. Senior housing lacks dependence on economic and real estate climates, and this is a key component to the sector’s success. For the last ten years, senior housing has been the number one performing commercial real estate industry. This outperformance of other industries includes the era encompassing the 2007 stock market crash, in which returns dropped as much as 20 percent for other commercial sectors.

Why Is Senior Housing Recession Resistant?

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Econ 101: Supply and Demand

  1. Huge Demand: As discussed above, the growth of the senior communities in America is unbelievable. As our baby boomers age, the number of Americans 65 and older will grow from 47.8 million in 2015 to 79.2 million by 2035. This huge rise continues to produce higher demand for senior housing facilities.
  2. Minimal Supply: While our elderly populations increase in size, you would imagine construction in senior housing would increase concurrently. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Senior housing construction began a dramatic decline in 2008 that continued through to 2011 followed by only moderate growth through 2018. From the years 2014 through 2019, units constructed increased sharply; however, in 2020, occupancy rates are expected to continue rising while development slows once more.

Where Are Senior Housing Investments Moving?

While still a relatively new phenomenon, the senior housing sector is generating talk among real estate investors. The 2021 report by PwC on “Emerging Trends in Real Estate” named senior housing investing as one of the best for years to come. The survey results showed a growing interest from investors in independent living, assisted living, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. These opportunities will only continue to increase as we move into the year 2021.

A survey from 2019 by the CBRE titled “U.S. Seniors Housing & Care Investor Survey and Trends Report” further supports rising interest in senior housing investing. The survey indicated that 19% of respondents were already invested in the senior housing sector, and 20% were interested in pursuing such investments in the future. This data overall shows a remarkable trend that almost two-thirds of property investors surveyed were interested in the senior housing sector. This interest is backed by several key factors and benefits of senior housing investments. Further, several forecasters have predicted that the senior housing sector will continue to skyrocket in the near future.

Below, we will detail some top reasons to start investing in senior housing.

#1. Baby Boomers Are Driving the Demand

If there is one fact becoming excruciatingly clear throughout our research on the senior housing sector, it is that more and more Baby Boomers enter retirement each day, thus driving up the demand for senior housing. This trend will continue over the next many years, as Baby Boomers will continue to need housing for decades. By 2035, 79.2 million Americans will be age 65 or older. With these numbers, the demand for senior housing is massive and is just beginning.

pexels-kaboompics-com-6054Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

The average senior housing resident is typically 83 years of age or older. With the oldest Baby Boomers today averaging 73 years old, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates approximately 8.5 million Americans are age 83 or older. Further, the U.S. population is growing. By 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that our population will exceed 10.2 million people. The key point from these facts is that in the coming decade, demand will rise for senior housing. This makes senior housing investing a reliable, savvy opportunity for long-term investments.

Another key benefit of senior housing is that not only is there a huge population demand, but there is a need-based demand as well. This demand is non-discretionary and merely a consequence of the chronic care issues that come with an aging demographic. This demand is unique to senior housing and does not correlate with other commercial real estate sectors such as office, retail, or industrial properties.

A further benefit of senior housing over other commercial real estate sector is that senior housing is far less affected by technological risk than other industries. This creates a more certain investment analysis for senior housing, while such an analysis of other sectors could be limited by technological changes.

While senior housing has its own business cycle similar to other sectors, the business cycle of senior housing is far less fluctuant. This is because senior housing does not depend on changes in employment rates and expansion and contraction of GNP. In today’s times, seniors are primed to live out their senior years using the alternate forms of income compared to a traditional job. These alternate income sources include retirement plans, stock portfolios, insurance benefits, and 401K programs, among others.

No industry is perfect, and like others, senior housing is impacted by severe inflation and an inability to sell. However, these impacts tend to be moderate. The benefits of social security payments to seniors and the need-driven demand of senior housing provide substantial backing to senior housing. With these benefits in mind, the senior housing industry is protected from traditional economic setbacks that take down other commercial real estate investments.

Finally, national operators have successfully maintained occupancy rates of 88% or higher in senior housing, even in markets that have reached temporary saturation.

#2. New Senior Housing Development and Supply

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The current inventory for senior housing is relatively outdated with 58% of the current housing units over 17 years old and 32% over 25 years old. As with any property, aging of these units only worsens with time. The existing units will become progressively more and more outdated as care amenities continue to improve, tastes evolve, and new regulations come to light. Additionally, as we’ve discussed previously, construction of senior housing units is not keeping pace with the aging senior demographic. These trends present both a challenge and an opportunity for real estate investors looking into the senior housing sector.

While it is still not keeping pace with the aging demographic, reports do indicate that senior housing development is increasing. The 2020 Emerging Trends Report concluded that senior housing is the top commodity for the development of residential properties and the 3rd prospect for development in commercial and multifamily properties.

#3. A Recession-Resilient Investment

When compared to other traditional real estate sectors, senior housing is exceptionally resilient. While it has its own business cycle, the cycle in senior housing is far more steady than other sectors and less affected by traditional economic changes. This is largely due to the key benefits of senior housing already discussed.

Additionally, the need-based demand for senior housing is an undeniable benefit. There will always be a need for long-term, quality medical and health care facilities for our seniors, regardless of economical circumstances. These characteristics allow senior housing investments to thrive while other industries suffer during recession times among other economic pitfalls.

Traditionally, the senior housing sector has proved itself to be resilient to difficult economic times. This should reassure you as an investor that you can rest easy with a senior housing investment. It is a low-risk and reliable investment with the potential for phenomenal returns.

#4. Historic Investment Performance

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Historically, senior housing investing has a track record of success. When compared to other major real estate investments, senior housing generally has increased income stream, appreciation, and total return on investment.

To be more specific, the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) 2018 property index results revealed that over a ten-year period, returns for senior housing averaged 10.2%. This average is well above the returns from overall property index (6.09%) and apartments (6.10%).

Regarding appreciation, senior housing investments produced 3.73% of total returns compared to 0.54% for overall property index and 1.03% for apartments.

Another way senior housing outpaces other sectors is total income returns. Senior housing investing produced total income returns of 6.61% while property index and apartments produced 5.53% and 5.20%, respectively.

Senior Housing as an Alternate Investment

According to the CBRE, over the past 13 years, the market share of alternative investments has more than doubled. More recently, in the past five years, annual investments in specialty properties have made up 12% of all CRE investments. This accounts for approximately $59 billion in yearly transactions.

Below, we have listed the eight major alternative investment sectors along with the percent share of all alternative investments and average annual investment volume from the years 2014-2019.

  1. Seniors housing and care- 31.3%/$17.2B
  2. Medical office- 22.1%/$12.2B
  3. Student housing- 13.3%/$7.3B
  4. Life sciences- 11.8%/$6.5B
  5. Self-storage- 9.0%/$5.0B
  6. Manufactured housing communities- 6.3%/$3.5B
  7. Active adult and 55+ communities- 3.2%/$1.7B
  8. Data centers- 3.1%/$1.7B

Benefits of Alternative Investments

benefitsImage by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The key positives of investing in alternative investment sectors can be narrowed into five main benefits:

  1. The effects of cap rate compression from traditional assets can be offset by yield premium and higher cap rates of specialty investments.
  2. Market demand for alternative investments is rising due to fundamental structural changes in business, technology, demographics, tenant experience, and ESG criteria.
  3. Product availability is rising as developers rise to meet the demands of investors on national and international levels.
  4. Alternative investments offer a great opportunity for portfolio diversification for investors currently holding traditional assets.
  5. Alternative investments are improving in transparency of pricing, operations, and market performance, making such investments more appealing to investors.

Bottom Line

Whether you are a seasoned investor looking to diversify or just getting started investing, senior housing should be at the top of your list. The demand is undeniable as our Baby Boomers continue to age, providing a great opportunity for growth and development. Senior housing is a low risk investment with potential to provide exceptionally high returns.

If you’ve ever been interested in learning more about investing into senior housing, please visit SeniorLivingInvesting.Co or email us directly at [email protected].

Pro-Tips For Working Together in a Business as a Family

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By Gene Guarino

Here’s some lessons I’ve learned to help you to grow closer as a family when you’re working together in business.

Each family member is unique…embrace it.

Utilizing a “personality profile” can be a great objective tool to help identify each person’s unique skills and talents. We use the Predictive Index tool for hiring and to make sure everyone is in the right seat on the bus.

Communication is critical to your family’s health

We use the EOS system to help us with business organization and communication. It’s been an invaluable system us as we’ve grown by over 400% over the past 7 years.
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Image by Anita Oosting from Pixabay

The Family that Plays Together Stays Together

I’ve been asked “what’s the best investment you’ve ever made?” My answer is always the same, Family Vacations. Investing the time and money was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Those “18 summers” go fast when you’re an entrepreneur. You can make an impact far beyond that if you invest the time and attention along the way.

FFF – Forced Family Fun

Do you remember when you responded “because I said so” when the kids were impatiently asking you that? Or those times when you were providing a great experience for your kids but they weren’t appreciating it as much as you thought they would or should? Well, I Do!

We created a term for that, FFF. Forced Family Fun.

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Image by michellerey17 from Pixabay

Today, we enjoy our FFF even more because everyone gets to pick an activity. Between Christmas and News Years, we make a list of “fun” activities that we can do together as a family. Each member gets to “pick” an activity and we do them as a family. In the past we’ve done a lot of fun things like, group massages, yoga, game night, bowling, wine and art, movies, kickball, pickleball, driving range, reflexology, salt baths, cryotherapy, frisbee golf, snowmobiling, skiing, sledding, ice skating, scooter races and contests of every kind. Passing on the traditions from one generation to the next. Try it this year and see what kind of fun things you come up with for your own FFF.
gene

Gene Guarino Founder/CEO Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

Residential Assisted Living Seniors Housing Statistics

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By Gene Guarino

Latest Statistics Available for the Coming of the “Silver Tsunami of Seniors”

OVERVIEW OF THE SENIOR HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

13,000,000 + People are 80 Years Old or Older Right Now

61,000,000 + Will become 80 or Older Over the Next 20 years

996,000 Assisted Living Beds Exist in the US Today

28,900 Assisted Living Communities Exist in the US Today

33 Is The Average Number of Residents Per Community

61% Of the Beds are in RAL Homes with 4-25 Residents

THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF BEDS NEEDED BY 2029

2,296,000 Projected number of beds needed by 2029

1,300,000 New Beds Are Projected to be Needed by 2029

<40,000 New Beds are Added to the Bed Count Each year.

1,000,000 Potential Additional Number Of Beds Needed

census

MONTHLY COSTS FOR ASSISTED LIVING IN THE US TODAY

$ 4,051 Average Cost for a Private Room in an AL Community

$11,288 Highest Average Rate in the US is in Washington DC

$ 2,881 Lowest Average Rate in the US is in Missouri

3.64% Average Annual Increase in the Monthly Cost of AL

DIFFERENCES IN THE TYPES OF SENIOR HOUSING AND CARE

IL = Independent Living. Age Restricted Adult Community

AL = Assisted Living. Non-Medical Care for Seniors

NC = Nursing Care. 24/7 Medical Care For Seniors

Sources:

RALNA – RAL National Association

www.RALNA.org

NIC – National Investment Council

www.NIC.org

STATISTA

www.Statista.com

GENWORTH

www.Genworth.com

US CENSUS

www.Census.gov

gene

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

Building a Family Legacy

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How Gene Guarino Built a Generational REI Business

They say you should never work with family… I disagree.
When you do it right, a family business can be your greatest legacy of all.

I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life starting very early. When I was 12 or so, I did all the usual “kid stuff” like cutting grass, raking leaves, and shoveling snow. I remember my mother had us “selling things” door to door like apples and pumpkins in the fall, and decorated sugar cubes in the spring, or washing cars in the summer. It was normal for us and it was the start of a legacy of entrepreneurship, opportunity, and teamwork that I have passed down to my kids. At age 16 I had my first official “business”- a music school with a recording studio and a record label. By the age of 18 I bought my first piece of real estate and the entrepreneurial journey hasn’t stopped since.

Time goes fast.

clock-3179167_1280Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay

40+ years and 20+ businesses ago, I’m blessed to be able to work with my kids on a daily basis. Our focus is Residential Assisted Living for seniors. We started 7 years ago, and we own, operate, and invest in RAL homes, while training and supporting others doing it too.

Working with my kids has been an incredible opportunity to continue to be a part of their lives as I pass on wisdom, insights and get to help them become the amazing adults they are today. To be part of their lives beyond those first “18 summers” has been the best part of all.

My daughter Isabelle is the COO of the AL Family group of companies.
She’s an absolute Rockstar! That’s what everyone who works with her says, and I whole heartedly agree. Here are her thoughts on working together as a family…

“When Gene started his Residential Assisted Living Academy, I thought it was just another real estate business. I had no idea what the future impact would be from the work he was doing. I never would have imagined we could come this far, this fast.

He once asked me to come visit one of the homes and meet the residents. He explained how his heart had grown and changed since his mom, my grandma, needed care. She had already passed by this time, but his willingness to help other seniors had grown exponentially, and he shared his new passion with us. Seeing that, and all the work he was doing to grow the Residential Assisted Living Academy was inspiring!

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He genuinely wanted to create a solution that did not exist and he saw the bigger picture. The Silver Tsunami of Seniors was coming and he knew this was the right time and the right place. Financially it made sense, but more importantly it was about impact investing and how we could feel good about making money AND helping people too.

I immediately started thinking, how I could leave my job as a flight attendant to come work for him? I had skills in event planning and I knew Gene could use my help. I asked him to hire me and that’s where my journey with the family business began. I took over the organization of the live trainings. They started small, but today we provide training for people from around the world that want to learn about this incredible industry. As the COO, my responsibility is to implement Gene’s vision as the AL Family continues to grow.

Over the past 5 years, we have also created the Residential National Convention, an annual event for the RAL industry. We launched the RAL National Association, Family Legacy Homes, the AL Network, and more! We’re launching new businesses each year. I love this industry because it solves so many problems for people that need help caring for their parents and grandparents.

It’s been such a pleasure working with my family and especially my dad, Gene. He is an amazing inspiration and leader. He has inspired us to bring to life his vision of positively impacting 1 million people through Residential Assisted Living. All along the way he’s imparting life lessons and wisdom that he’s learned. We’re all growing together and I couldn’t be happier or more inspired than I am working together as a family.

In the future I plan to incorporate my own family into this. I’m excited to bring my own kids into our Residential Assisted Living homes and show them the impact we’re having on seniors and their families. I hope my children can see the good work we’re doing in the RAL industry and feel inspired to keep the tradition and legacy going. I want to pass on to my kids what my dad passed to me. Giving them a leg-up in the world and feeling good about helping others through RAL!”

Guarino Family 3Emmanuel, my son, leads the sales division at the AL Family group of companies. He says,

“When I started working with the company it was just my dad and a few other people. I remember asking him what I could do to help. Three months prior to that, my father gave me Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. I read that book in what felt like 20 minutes. After I read it, I witnessed Robert Kiyosaki asking my dad all about what HE was doing. Robert wanted to learn more about the RAL model. That blew my mind! When I saw that I jumped in.

I remember telling my future wife and telling her about what I did. She jumped right in. My sister Victoria was a schoolteacher and eventually, joined the family business too, shortly followed by her husband. My sister Isabelle was already on board and was moving up in the company. She was the enforcer- doing anything that needed to get done. She quickly became the boss.

Working with family does come with its challenges. In my opinion if you do not have a business coach or an outside source that can oversee what you’re doing, you’re going to struggle. Our business coach works with us every three months. When he’s there, we discuss what we’ve done well and what we can improve. However, the real benefit of having a coach is that they have an unbiased view and that can help tremendously. Many times, it’s hard to evaluate yourself or what your family thinks of you. However, with an unbiased third-party they can see what’s right and what’s wrong. We’ve been blessed and we all work extremely hard and are extremely focused. I think the reason this is possible is because we believe we’re building something much bigger than ourselves and we see this company helping the masses.

Leaving a legacy for the future:

Guarino Family 2

It’s amazing to get to do what we do. Many times, my wife and I ask ourselves how we got so lucky to be part of this family and this company. We’re incredibly blessed to do work that really helps people. We get to help the residents and their families, but we also get to help the staff and their families.”

My daughter Victoria is the CFO of the AL Family group of companies. She says,

“I was a teacher working long, underpaid and under-appreciated hours. My dad needed an assistant and help with office work. I was about to have my second child and flexible hours sounded amazing! Some things are just meant to be. Timing in life is critical and the opportunity to work with my own family was challenging, exciting, and fun.

As a family, we all get along surprisingly well. Growing up we were a close family. I think the secret to our current success is that we all have different strengths, and we work within them. Each sibling has unique roles and responsibilities within the company and that gives us enough of a separation from getting in each other’s hair.

My favorite part of family business is that I can be myself. I know that my opinion is valued and these people know what I mean when I speak. They understand me and my perspective. I feel comfortable around them and we can address issues head-on. Residential Assisted Living is a great business model for building a family legacy. We teach people how to work on the business, not in it. Families can successfully work together if there is mutual respect and open communication.

As a child, I would watch my parents and want to be like them when I grew up. I hope I can be that example to my children. I want them to see us as positive influences and have a desire to continue the very valuable work that we do. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with my family in a business that is truly changing lives- Doing Good And Doing Well!”

I have to say that working together as a family has been a huge blessing and the best legacy I could ever provide. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. – Gene

To learn more about Gene and the AL Family, check out: www.ALFamily.com

What Does The Future Hold for Residential Assisted Living?

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

By Gene Guarino

Where is the Assisted Living industry headed?

There are 77 million baby boomers in America alone. That is 4,000 people turning 85 every day, 120,000 every month, and 1.4 million this year alone. And this is happening all over the world. The average person living in assisted living is 82 years old, and they will live there for an average of two to three years, maybe even longer. So when we are talking about 1.4 million baby boomers, not all of them will check into assisted living but a percentage will. The fact is that 70 percent of us are going to need help with our Activities of Daily Living, ADL, for an average of three and a half years. Whether they live at home and have someone come in and help us, or they go to a Residential Assisted Living home, they are going to need that help.

So when we are talking about 30 percent of 1.4 million people, not including the ones who are turning 86, 87, 88, and so on. That is potentially hundreds of thousands of people who are going to need help.
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Photo by Expect Best from Pexels

Currently there are 1.4 million people living in assisted living and there will be that much more need each year coming, which is why you see big box facilities being built. There is a need, but when I needed help with my own mom, I didn’t want to send her to a big complex. She wanted to stay at home. But when you do need to send them someplace, you want it to be a home, which is what Residential Assisted Living is.

What is going to happen in the Future?

More and more people are going to need this help, and you want to be the alternative to the big box complex in their own neighborhood. A lot of people are going to want this option. We only need 10 to 12 who want this option over the big complex of 200 or more beds. We may charge more if we have better amenities, or less if we want the business more than the big facility does. We don’t want to charge too little or too much. However there is a sweet spot that we charge, and this works all over the country.

How do we position ourselves for success?

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Photo by Gerd Altmann from Pexels

When the big box companies start building these large facilities in your area, they will be looking to acquire market share. Which means that they are going to come to us and want to buy what we have. If you have 10 homes you are a target. If you have 50 or more homes, you become a bigger target and you are even more valuable to them. At this point you have some great options:
  1. Keep what you have and continue to make thousands of dollars in net profit each month from each RAL home.
  2. Sell your RAL businesses for a big lump sum and lease the properties back to the buyers
  3. Sell the RAL businesses AND the real estate for an even bigger pay day
The opportunity is huge and the timing is absolutely right because more people will need what we have. You can also subscribe to our iTunes for on the go listening: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/assisted-living-networks-podcast/id1360517721?mt=2

gene

Gene Guarino Founder/CEO Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

Rise Up And Take Care Of The Greatest Generation

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By Gene Guarino

Should I help take care of the elderly?

I know some of you have been inspired to take care of the elderly or you enjoy doing exactly that, and I want to encourage you to continue to do that. There is a real need for caregivers of all types and that is a looming crisis out there that you can help with right now. There is the opportunity to help, to engage, to be a part of something big and something important. We’re all aging and people are lasting and living longer than ever. The question is, are you going to be a part of the solution that is going to help society or part of those who complain about it and sit back?

seniors-1505938_1280What if I already have a job?

Some of you right now are thinking that you really do like taking care of people but may be busy at another job. If taking care of the elderly is your passion, that’s what you should do. You see, right now there’s a lot of caregivers that are needed to take care of the elderly population, and that crisis is only getting worse because more people need help for longer, but there are fewer caregivers and family members that are willing to do it or are trained properly to do it. So if you are inspired, and you feel the calling, then I encourage you to do exactly that.

Could I just volunteer at an assisted living home?

senior-4549666_1280You can start by volunteering at a home and see if it’s right for you. Read a book, do a puzzle, play cards, sit and talk, play some music, sing along, whatever it is that you can do to be there and interact. Those care homes can use the extra hand and you don’t need to be the caregiver. If you can just be there providing some company, companionship, or a conversation. That alone would be incredibly helpful to those caregivers, and those seniors need it.

Why is this generation called the silent generation?

One of the saddest things In our society today is that more than half of the people polled feel lonely. I think a lot of that is technology. We look at our phones and all of those things that take us away from talking to each other face to face. There’s a lot of seniors who would just love to have somebody stop by and say hello. It really doesn’t take much. It may not even take a conversation as much as just sitting with them. If you’re sitting in your home watching golf over the weekend, why not go sit with them and watch golf providing companionship and then ask them a question, did you ever play golf? What kind of clubs did you use? Before you know it, you’re going to find out about wooden clubs and how they used to play with just three clubs, and that was it, and they played the whole round with three clubs and 1 ball.

You can do this!

Have those conversations. Take that time. The greatest generation, the silent generation, needs your help and you will truly be a part of the solution by simply being “present”. Volunteering your time is one way. Starting a residential assisted living business with an excellent home with excellent care is another. It’s totally up to you, but you can do both.

You can also subscribe to our iTunes for on the go listening:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/assisted-living-networks-podcast/id1360517721?mt=2

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

The Influence of Age and Longevity on Residential Assisted Living

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By Gene Guarino

As we age, health and longevity become a prevalent topic. People want to know how to increase their longevity. They want to live longer and live better. How well you age, and your longevity is a projection of your health. There are some genetic factors to consider when talking about your health, but in many cases, it’s based on the choices you make. It’s a reflection of what you do to your body and what you put in.

One of the most important things you can do for your health is to pay attention to the food you eat.

Food is brought into the body then it’s converted to energy. Think of food as fuel for your body. Is it good or is it bad? Is it high octane or is it low octane? It’s important to get the right amount of fuel. If you’re taking in too much, you won’t burn it off and your body stores it instead. If you don’t take in enough, your body won’t have the energy it needs to function properly. A diet of a variety of fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, lean meats and whole grains are delicious and provide our bodies with the vitamins and nutrients it needs. Diets that are high in sugar, fat or salt can seriously impact the health of that individual in a negative way.

salad-2756467_1280You’ll also want to focus on the amount of water you consume daily. Your body’s systems require hydration in order to function properly. Though just about every liquid contains water, like soda or juice, many of these also contain sugars, salts, or other ingredients that can actually dehydrate you.

An active body is a healthy body. Get your body moving and working. Action is imperative to your health and works in conjunction with what you put into your body. Take up an activity like hiking or yoga. Get up so that you aren’t just lying in bed or watching TV. Your activity level has a direct impact on your health and therefore on your longevity. The more active you are, the healthier you are. The healthier you are, the longer you will live.

The third component to health and longevity is social interaction.

elders-401296_1280Humans are social creatures and need to keep company with others, not just being a lone wolf, staying at home sitting in front of the TV or computer. Really interacting with other people, whether its a quiet activity together or something a little more boisterous, can spark life and invigorate you. Increase your health and longevity by getting out there and connecting with people!

When it comes to aging and longevity, good health is the key.

For good health, what you put into your body, your activity level, and your amount of social interaction are all important factors to consider. A diet rich in good foods and drinking plenty of water is just as critical to your well-being as exercising, or being active regularly, and connecting with others.

Be sure to subscribe to our iTunes podcast to listen on the go! [CLICK HERE]

gene

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

What Should Assisted Living Look and Feel Like?

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By Gene Guarino

What should a Residential Assisted Living home look and feel like?

beautiful-home-1680789_1280When we talk about the look and the feel, it’s a home so it should obviously look like a home. Sometimes people try to take a commercial building and convert it into residential assisted living and it just doesn’t work as well. Mom grew up in a home. It’s got to feel like a home. Part of that is looking like a home. Usually there’s a roof of some kind. There’s a door, there are windows, it looks like a house. There might be landscaping on the outside. It should have driveways where people can pull up and easy to walk on walkways so somebody can get from the car to the front door. When you walk inside, is there a step up? You put a ramp in at that front door so if they have a walker or a wheelchair or just to avoid any trip hazard at all. When you walk in, it’s open, big. That is what a typical RAL home will look and feel like.

What should it smell like?

apple-pie-3723444_1280It should smell like a home. Some people’s homes don’t smell that great, but for a care home, it’s critically important that we make sure that it smells great all the time. We have special air purifying systems inside the home to make sure the air is circulating all the time. The only extra smell I want there is the smell of home cooked food, something that smells good when you walk in.

What should the inside look like?

The colors might be lighter, neutral colors. There should be shades, or curtains on the window to give it a homey feel. The front room has nicer furniture, maybe moldings around the room, so it’s a more upscale look. There’s artwork on the wall, so when you walk in, you feel good.

We want the person in the family that makes decisions to walk through the front door to look and say, “wow, this feels great, I could live here.” Because if she’s thinking that, she’s also thinking, “my mom would be comfortable here and I would be proud to have my mom here.” When they walk through the front door, it’s got to be clean, and smelling good because frankly, if you’re not taking care of the walls and the doors and the floors, they’re expecting you not to be taking care of their mom and dad.

What other little touches should you have?

turntable-1328823_1280As you walk around the home it should be convenient and make sense. The floors are smooth, easy to clean. When you walk into a bathroom there are grab bars by the toilets and the showers, so it’s safe for mom. You’ll want some artwork hanging on the wall, the license for the home, the manager, the code of ethics, and the numbers for them to call in an emergency. They should be hearing either music or maybe even books on tape, music from their generation. Music is such a powerful thing that really just jogs the memory. It brings them right back and all of a sudden their body takes on a remembrance of where they were and what they could do. So it is a home, not home like. It’s an assisted living in a home setting. If you put all of that together, you’ll have a winning combination for a very successful Residential Assisted Living home.

Be sure to subscribe to our iTunes podcast to listen on the go! [CLICK HERE]

gene

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

Why Become a Residential Assisted Living Expert?

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By Gene Guarino

What will you be an expert at?

You’re going to become an expert at something. The question is what? There’s the saying that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. Now when you think about that, at 40 hours a week and 50 weeks in a year, that’s 2000 hours in a year, so if you devote five years of full-time effort to anything, you’ll be an expert. That job that you have that you could be an expert at, whether it be Infusionsoft, marketing online, selling a product, starting a store, or being a chef, the question is what and why. Why do you do what you do? What is it really all about for you?

It’s your choice.

choice-2692575_1280

So, what is it that you’re becoming an expert at? 2000 hours a year is 10,000 hours in five years of your life. You should decide what you’re going to devote yourself to. You could be more efficient and cut that time in half and make it 5,000 hours and get it done in one year by going to somebody else who knows what they’re doing and is willing to show you how so that you can become an expert very quickly. Because it’s not knowing something. It’s doing something with what you know.

Learn from the example set by experts.

Richard Branson has 300 plus companies, but not one office. You see what he focuses on is finding people that have invested their time and have the expertise. He hires them and becomes partners with them. He puts them in a position, gives them the tools and the ability to thrive in that environment. He brings people on and teams with them. He hires them to be the expert so that they tell him what to do.

Always be an expert in communication.

contact-us-2993000_1280

Communication is one of the things that you need to become an expert in. Maybe you are a really good team player and don’t need to be the front man. As long as the leader is heading in the right direction and you believe where you are going, then stay on that bus.

What are you willing to do today?

Think about how many books or articles on the subject have you read. How many webinars you have watched. Who is it that you’re hanging out with that may be able to help you? Where are you getting your input from? What is it you’re doing today will allow you to be an expert in your field, in your desire or your passion? And then we’re back to the why. What does that mean? What is the reason? What’s the passion? I guarantee you’re going to become an expert at something. The question is, is it productive, Is it profitable, Is it something you have a passion for? Is it with the right people? Why do you do what you do? Just decide what it is you’re going to become an expert in before you move forward.

Be sure to subscribe to our iTunes podcast to listen on the go! [CLICK HERE]

gene

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.

 

Feeding Residents in Residential Assisted Living

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By Gene Guarino

Food, It’s important for all of us. In assisted living, it’s actually the number two activity, if not number one inside an assisted living home. If we feed the residents properly, they’ll be healthier. They’ll live longer, they’ll be better behaved, they’ll be more comfortable, they’ll be a joy to be around. However, if somebody is uncomfortable, with either the food choice, the amount of food, the quality of food…that is so easy to fix.

How much does it cost to feed residents?

The cost of food is not very much at all. The national average per day per person in assisted living is $5 to $7 a day per person. If we’re to take a 12-ounce piece of Filet Mignon, and bring it to the seniors, that would easily feed four of them. Buying that filet at the store might cost $15 a pound. So if you bought $15 a pound and you bring that into the home, that’s about $4 per person for that filet. If you had filet once a week, you’re head and shoulders above every other assisted living home out there.

What do the residents want to eat?

dessert-1526592_1280

I always ask the residents when they come in, what’s your favorite? What do you love to have? What haven’t you had in a while? What’s your favorite cake and pie and the rest of it? If they say, I love seafood, shrimp, fish and so on. You can get jumbo shrimp the size of your finger that costs you very, very little and if they ate one, two or three of them, that’s all they need. For them, the high-quality foods served on a special occasion is a real special treat.

Can you hire a chef? What are my options?

restaurant-1284351_1280

Now, if you really want to go for it and be special, if you really want to have a home that people will wait in line to get into, have a chef, a dedicated person who is culinary trained. Maybe even having a menu on the table. Do cook to order breakfast. How much extra did it cost you? Not much at all. The reality is most of those seniors are going to eat the same exact meal every single day and there’s probably not going to be that wide of a variety, but if there were five things they can choose from. How special would that be? Lunch could be a set lunch, or maybe two choices. You have one simple that’s a staple. It’s soup and sandwiches, and another one to choose from. Maybe it’s chicken salad or it’s some other meal that’s available that you have, and that’s the one meal that’s made. In between breakfast and lunch, they’re making a wonderful meal for dinner. With wonderful smells throughout the house, the seniors are looking forward to it all day long and then that food will be served by the caregivers when it’s dinner time. You could charge a thousand dollars a month more because you have a chef. The chef is a feather in your cap, it’s what will bring people in and they’ll stay with you for it.

Be sure to subscribe to our iTunes podcast to listen on the go! [CLICK HERE]

gene

Gene Guarino
Founder/CEO
Residential Assisted Living Academy™

Gene is the President, CEO & Founder of RALAcademy.com. Gene has over 30 years experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. He has trained thousands of investors/entrepreneurs throughout the United States how to invest in and operate residential assisted living homes. For over 25 years he has been educating people on the strategies of successful investing, business and self-employment. He now specializes in helping others take advantage of this mega-trend opportunity.