At Arbor, we do everything with one mission in mind—the happiness of our residents. After all, you’ve worked a lifetime to retire. You deserve to enjoy everything you’ve worked for. So we’re honored to announce that numerous Arbor communities have received the 2019 Pinnacle Customer Experience Award. Arbor Terrace East Cobb is thrilled to be a 2019 Pinnacle Award winner, because we believe that our commitment to an exceptional resident experience shines through in everything we do.
Why National Surveys Are Important
When it comes to senior living, choosing a community can be difficult. An initial tour or phone call cannot always give an older adult, or their family, a glimpse into aspects like safety, security, and resident satisfaction. Fortunately, there are unbiased groups that take time to meticulously research multiple facets of senior living communities throughout the country. These results can help seniors make even better decisions for their retirement years.
There are multiple types of local and national surveys to consider when looking at a senior living community. If you or your loved one are seeking skilled nursing or assisted living care, it is wise to look at the last few years of Public Health surveys from the state where the community is located in. These surveys are conducted at least annually and are led by a team of state Public Health professionals. Public Health surveys are designed to assure assisted living or skilled nursing communities are providing care while following state and federal rules and regulations. Survey results are public information and while they may not be grounds to rule out a community, it can give you a few questions to ask while in the decision-making process.
Other types of surveys are completed by companies like Pinnacle, which aim to give residents of senior living communities the chance to talk about their experiences. Pinnacle surveys older adults specifically to talk about their overall satisfaction, giving potential residents and executives at senior communities, the chance to see what is important to residents, what is working, and what isn’t.
If you are starting the process of searching for a senior living community, you can use local and national surveys as a part of your journey. Add survey results to feedback from others and your own personal observations to assist you in making a well-rounded decision. Surveys are an important tool that can help you narrow down your search or ask better questions as you make your decision.
Arbor Terrace East Cobb Wins Pinnacle Customer Experience Award
To assess customer experience, Pinnacle uses a 5-point scale to measure various dimensions of experience, including:
- Overall satisfaction
- Personal care
- Food and menu choices
- Quality of food
- Dining service
- Cleanliness
- Response to problems
- Communication
- Activities
Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction, with a 5 indicating near-perfection. On a 12-month average of all metrics, residents gave Arbor a 4.62 rating. Arbor scored highest on the following five metrics:
- Cleanliness (4.85)
- Dignity and respect (4.91)
- Move-in process (4.80)
- Recommend to others (4.84)
- Safety and security (4.81)
The Pinnacle survey also measures consistency throughout a given amount of time. This is an important part of giving the public, and the community, the best information. It also assures the community is not having an extra special month during survey times, potentially skewing the results. We were proud to see the consistency in the Arbor Terrace of East Cobb scores, as well as marked improvement over time in categories like:
- Personal Care
- Communication
- Move-In Process
- Safety and Security
Pinnacle also takes time to survey the responsible parties of residents living in a senior care community. This additional step allows senior care communities to see what the family members think of certain aspects of their loved one’s home. Looking at the responsible party scores can help someone who is looking for senior care, as it gives another perspective about the community.
At Arbor Terrace of East Cobb, responsible parties were surveyed for the Pinnacle survey. The overall national average of responsible parties was 89.2%. Arbor Terrace of East Cobb exceeded this number, having responsible parties give an overall satisfaction score of 95.2%. Our community ranked especially high in categories:
- Activities
- Overall Satisfaction
- Would Recommend to Others
- Responds to Problems
Arbor consistently scored 4.5 or above on almost all quality metrics, and received a 4 or above on every quality metric. We consistently rank above the national average on every quality metric—often by a point or more.
We believe that there are many ways to measure quality. Asking residents, however, is the most important. Ultimately, their opinion matters most, since they’re the ones who know the most about what life at Arbor is really like. You can’t artificially inflate residents’ views. No marketing campaign can change the views of residents, and slick brochures can never compensate for unhappy residents. That’s why we consistently measure and share data about resident satisfaction. More than 90 percent of residents and their families say that Arbor delivers on its promise of an exceptional retirement.
Resident satisfaction is everything to Arbor. We believe in the power of meaningful, joyous retirements, and resident satisfaction is one way to quantify the extent to which residents are getting the retirements they deserve. When families also report high satisfaction, it suggests that we’re performing well on numerous measures of quality.
What Makes Arbor Different?
The Arbor Company has served seniors for more than three decades. We’ve learned, grown, and changed a lot in that time. After all, the best senior communities are those that listen to feedback from their residents and adapt accordingly. We know that our residents are experts on their own lives and needs. After more than 30 years of listening, we’ve developed a keen understanding of what a great retirement really means.
We’re especially proud of our high ranking on the metric of dignity and respect. We know that many seniors fear losing both in old age, especially when they develop physical or cognitive disabilities. We see aging as a journey, and believe that no disability, however great or small, should ever compromise a person’s ability to chart their own course and feel respected as they do so. We value independence, and we do all we can to preserve our residents’ independence, no matter what obstacles they face.
Our results speak for themselves. We change lives. Sometimes we even save them, by giving lonely or depressed seniors a new sense of community and pride. So stop by to learn what we’re all about. We host many community events, and would love to meet you in person. Give us a call to learn more!