For decades now, dog lovers across the country have installed “invisible fences” to keep their precious pooches safe within the confines of their property. Invisible fences are an attractive option for dog owners because they keep their pets safe without the cost of installing an unsightly physical fence.
In recent years, marketers have similarly used geographic data to find their target audience and create location-specific marketing. This technology has effectively created a metaphorical invisible fence to help marketers reach their ideal audience.
But there are many other ways companies use location data. In fact, some senior living communities are using location information to create digital fences that protect residents.
What is Geofencing?
So, what exactly is geofencing and why should senior living marketers care about it? Geofencing employs technology to establish a virtual perimeter in a real location. Software users create these digital surrounds by using a network of smart devices, such as smartphones, watches, and other wearable technology, to determine where a specific person or object is in relation to other people and objects in a defined area.
Just like an invisible fence, geofencing technology sends an alert to users when the person or object leaves the virtual boundary. And depending on how geofencing is applied, users can leverage that information to automate processes that locate what departed the perimeter as well.
This technology has applications in various industries and has been a game-changer for core business functions like digital marketing.
How Can Geofencing Help Your Senior Living Community?
The possibilities for geofencing are limited only by our imaginations. But for nearly every industry, senior living included, one of the most prevalent uses of this technology is location-centric, targeted advertising.
1. Location-based Marketing
In the early days of this technology, businesses used the data collected to conduct location-based marketing. They would select a geographic target market when deploying digital marketing campaigns, ensuring only customers within their defined geofence would receive their marketing.
Location-based marketing was and still is an effective way to convert leads. Every month, users query “near me” searches on Google more than 1.5 billion times.2 Using geofencing technology to conduct location-based marketing is an excellent way to collect leads for your senior living community.
2. Location-based Security
There’s another fundamental way geofencing technology can help your senior living residents. By implementing location-based security measures, caregivers can see in real-time precisely who or what is or isn’t in the physical proximity of a resident.
Information like this is vital for protection and can be a huge selling point for your community. Geofencing allows managers to see how recently a resident was with a caregiver, if they were in the company of other residents, for how long, and other key pieces of information.
Because as much as they’d like to be, caregivers in your community can’t be everywhere at once and assist each resident all the time.
3. Location-based Safety
Geofencing technology is especially valuable in dementia care units. Studies show that six out of ten residents with dementia will wander.2 Monitoring the safety of residents with memory deficits or wandering behaviors is more manageable with geofencing tools.
Your community can harness location-based technology to alert staff if residents are near an exit or if they’re too far from vital, life-sustaining equipment. With this information in hand, the system can deploy automation to redirect residents and help caregivers monitor secure environments.
Of course, a pristine environment has always been a primary concern for residents and their families. But on the heels of COVID, using proper safety protocols has become even more important. Your community can apply geofencing to coordinate logistics like quarantining and other social distancing measures when needed.
And when medical care is required, geofencing directs emergency services to the on-site area where a resident needs assistance.
Your residents and their families want to live in a community they trust. Engaging technology like geofencing to protect your community and keep residents safe boosts their confidence in your ability to meet their needs.
Interested in learning more about geofencing and the benefits it can offer your senior living community? Dreamscape Marketing can help. Call us at 888.307.7304 to schedule a strategy session.
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