Earlier this year, Gene had the opportunity to travel to Overland Park, Kansas to tour Purple Angel Homes. He sat down with Jim, one of the founders, and his team to discuss the awesome story of how they got into Residential Assisted Living and made a name for themselves that stands out from the crowd.
Facing challenges relating to family members who had gone through the assisted living process, Jim and his team recognize the problems often found in the large assisted living facilities. They wanted to get into the industry, but in a way that would be a positive example of how to run assisted living homes with genuine care and priority for the residents instead of profit.
Anne, a member of the founding team, affirmed, “If we’re doing this just to make money, we’re doing it for the wrong reasons.” “If we do this because we want people to be happy and safe and have a wonderful life, then we’re all doing it for the right reasons.”
As they began their journey into residential assisted living, they surrounded themselves with professionals and leaned on the support of the RAL Academy, and we encourage you to do the same. Beginning in any entrepreneurial endeavor it is always difficult starting out. So surround yourself with experienced professionals, network and make connections with people who are in the business and ask questions. The reason that the RAL Academy is here is because there is a wealth of knowledge needed to successfully start out in the Residential Assisted Living industry and our experienced instructors want to help you succeed. And the more answers you have for your questions before you step into this new frontier, the more time and money you’ll save in starting and operating your RAL homes.
Jim and his team have gone above and beyond and in their construction plans and they even included provisions for their staff as they are able to offer on-site living quarters for the care givers. Just another way they are setting themselves apart. They recognized that care givers and assisted living staff are often trying to further their medical education while they work, so offering housing gives them more financial freedom while also ensuring that they are always close to the residents if their services are needed.
Is this an option that you could employ to help set your RAL homes apart from the rest?
What has made Purple Angel Homes so special is their brand. They weren’t looking to simply create an assisted living company, they wanted to develop a brand, something that would be different from what is already out there and let communities around them know that they are unique; that when you entered their assisted living homes, you were entering a space unlike so many of the large, faceless facilities around the nation. They wanted their brand to stand for something as well. Their inspiration came from the purple angel, which is the international symbol for Alzheimer’s care and education.
Purple Angel Homes is a faith-based organization that has made memory care a priority, with their mission stating that, “Our parents (and any loved one with memory issues) deserve the respect they earned through their lifetimes. They did not ask for their illnesses and family members know who they are, deep inside. They’ve had childhoods, careers, and raised families. It’s in that spirit of honor and respect that we developed what we call The Purple Angel Way.”
Often times, people with Alzheimer’s and dementia are cast aside in our communities because there is a lack of understanding and empathy surrounding their condition and the behaviors that follow from it. Faced with abnormal or difficult interactions with people who suffer from these conditions, it is easy to forget that these seniors did not choose this, but that there is a physical impairment that is out of their control which is influencing their behaviors. Purple Angel Homes has sought to highlight this condition in a beautiful way and their brand is providing a wonderful alternative to the options that seniors have in the assisted living industry.
Their core values of respect, treating residents like family, and regularly creating moments of joy for these seniors is an expression of the many ways their homes are unique. What are yours? How have you set your RAL home apart from the myriad of options that seniors and their families have when choosing a care facility?
Like Purple Angel Homes, when you create a unique brand and mission for your RAL business, you will find that filling your homes and keeping them full is much easier, and you will reap the benefits, not only financially, but spiritually as well.
As we always say, “Do Good and Do Well.”
Take control of your future! Join us at our next Live 3-Day Training held in Phoenix. We’d love to help you get started in Residential Assisted Living Homes and become one of hundreds of success stories like Purple Angel Homes!
Contact [email protected] or call us at 480.704.3065 to sign up today.
