INNOVATION NORTH LA: How The Blake has turned to new ideas for 2020 – Bossier Chamber

By Jan Hutchinson

Innovation…a new method, idea, product, etc.  Yes, 2020 equals innovation!

 As Sales Director for an Assisted Living community, how do you sell something that you cannot see, touch, or feel?  You find other ways to promote your product, or “sell” your apartments.  Boom!  Virtual tours were born!  I picked up my phone camera and started filming our beautiful community in order to promote what I had to “sell.” 

Thanks to modern technology, I was able to video our community and use email to spread the word about what we had to offer.  I also used the virtual tours to do “home visits” whereby I would go to their homes to show them the virtual tours in case they did not have access to the internet.

 We still allowed move-ins with special criteria involved.  Therefore, this innovative way of selling proved successful!

Now, the other side of the coin was how to keep the residents we already had happy during this unprecedented pandemic?  Another innovation was made by our Activities Director, Chelsea Giles.  Due to social distancing, group activities were halted.  What does Chelsea do? Take her activities on the “road.”  Yep, she decorated her cart and went apartment to apartment spreading joy!

This year has been very challenging to say the least, but perseverance prevails!  Be innovative! Never give up!