May 5, 2014

The Power of Community Outreach

The Iowa Home Care Marketing department has identified community involvement as a powerful way to engage with health care professionals, potential clients and the community at large. March was a very active month presenting multiple opportunities for community involvement. These include three statewide conferences, two Health Fairs, one Home and Garden Show, one Business Expo, three Lunch and Learns, two presentations at Senior Centers/Senior Apartments, one Birthday Bingo calling, and two Art Therapy events. They are also powerful tools for determining areas of need, networking, community awareness and employee recruiting. As a marketing department we are honored to be liaisons between our communities and our loving, caring and dedicated team. IHC Community Liaisons set up booths at the two day Long Term Care Social Workers Conference in Ames with approximately 160 attendees and 2 exhibitors. Attendees were primarily social workers in Long Term Care facilities, and the event provided valuable interaction with those individuals responsible for making referrals to our agency across the state. Also located in Ames, IHC participated in the two day Governor’s Conference on Public Health which had over 500 public health officials, nurses, social workers, case managers and support staff attend. Exhibitors numbered 57 which included those from pharmaceutical, insurance, hearing, vision, dental, nutritional, and various other health related associations. Our booth at the annual statewide Alzheimer’s Spring Conference, held in Des Moines, was among the 35+ exhibitors. The 250 attendees included caregivers and family members of those with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, professional direct care providers, and was open to the public. In addition to discussing our services and discovering available resources for those in need, we received several invitations to speak at Alzheimer’s Support Groups across the state. Boone’s annual health and safety fair, now known as Celebrate Families, was held on Saturday, April 5th. 350 families received information on local resources from approximately 30 vendors and exhibitors. Easter Seals partnered with DMU this year for their annual Health and Wellness Fair for all people with disabilities to receive a free health screening. The 100+ attendee’s had the opportunity for foot exams, physical therapy evaluations and vital checks from DMU students. It was a wonderful way to provide the opportunity for individuals to be more engaged in their own health and wellness. We also received an invitation to speak at a student lunch hour within the PT Department to present benefits of home care to them as therapists and as a future employer. Iowa Home Care was represented at the Ottumwa Home and Garden show and the Pella Business Expo and delivered information to over 2800 attendee’s. Exhibitors included among the variety of community resources were home improvement companies, insurance providers, home builders, lawn and landscape, IT service providers, orthopedic providers, newspaper, and local health care providers. Lunch and learns to physicians, nurses, physical therapists and office staff are invaluable opportunities to engage in one on one discussions not only on our services but specific clients and obtain feedback. Direct outreach for this past month was very likely to have touched as many as 4300 individuals, with the potential for hundreds more as word spreads. There is nothing more gratifying than to hear from some of the attendee’s that we are already providing services to that individual or someone in their family and how much they “love their nurses and aides.” Or to hear from referral sources that we provide a valuable and necessary service. We welcome suggestions for community outreach in your area and will do our best to accommodate within our schedules. Feel free to contact Diane Humphrey, Sales Manager, at dhumphrey@iowahomecare.com or 515-222-2285 with your suggestions today!

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