Recent news and updates
Guest Blog: The Exact Web Design Formula for Senior Care Sites
As a senior care provider, you need a website that connects you to your audience and positions you as an authority. First, you need to understand who your audience is. Most likely, it’s the friends and family of loved ones who are in need of senior care in some form or another.
They’re in need of support and understanding in this time of need. They might be looking for information or simply for an idea of what to expect during their search. Either way, you need a website designed for success if you want to convert these visitors into customers or patients.
Homepage
Homepage is your first impression to your customer, so take this moment to highlight the value you offer your patients. Many health facilities make the mistake of putting too many SEO keywords on their homepage, and overwhelming users with content. Most new users will only spend up to 15 seconds on a website before they decide to go elsewhere. You’ll need to include these things to keep customers focused and interested:
● Descriptive value – First, make sure you identify who you are, what you do, and the value you provide. This should be focused on the patients.
● Call to action – What action do you want your users to take first? Include your CTA above the fold, or near the top of the page. You might ask them to sign up for your email list, visit your blog, or just see your services.
● Unique proposition – How are you different than other facilities? Make sure this is clear right off the bat.
Easy Navigation
Besides focusing on keeping your homepage straightforward, you also need an easy to use navigation. Avoid going overboard with menu items. Less usually is more.
One of the best tips from Lead to Conversion, a leading design business, is to use a traditional layout. There’s a lot of temptation to go with something artsy and unique, but realize that users have expectations when they visit a website. Sticking to these expectations will help lead them through that important funnel. Keep these things in mind with your navigation:
● Limit menu items – Keep your menu items limited to the most important pages.
● Consolidated mobile menu – Ensure your menu appears correctly even on mobile devices.
● Alphabetical – Finally, make sure your pages are listed alphabetically if you use drop-down menus since this makes it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Much of web design is trial and error. When it comes to creating senior care websites, you need to know what your users want. The better you understand this as well as how people interact with web pages, the simpler the process becomes.
Update: Nursing Education in China and the UK
Thanks to Selina, owner of CareLink Technologies in Beijing, for meeting with Team IRC regarding nursing/rehabilitation education in China. Her team spent a week in the US and enjoyed the Denver area. They were able to sight see a little, mixing business with pleasure.
Team IRC will be in the UK, specifically London and Scotland, at the end of May to collaborate with our partners in the UK.
Guest Blog: What Colorado Residents Need to Know About Medicare in Their State
Despite impacting millions of people across the country, not many Americans are familiar with how the Medicare system functions.
Medicare even varies within each of the fifty states, making it more difficult to completely understand. In order to ensure that each citizen is getting their maximum benefits from this program, it is important that people become educated on the topic.
The more that people know about Medicare, the more they benefit. Here are some things that residents need to know about Medicare in Colorado.
Colorado Medicare Options
Medicare benefits are divided into different categories in Colorado. Residents can apply for Part A, B, D and supplement plans.
Medicare Part A covers care taking place in a hospital, and Part B focuses primarily on physician care. Colorado even has some Advantage Plans that are offered by private insurance companies.
Part D provides prescription medicine coverage for those already enrolled in Parts A and B. Part D is provided through some private insurance companies previously approved by Medicare.
Applying for Medicare
The process of applying for Medicare is the same in Colorado as all other states. To be eligible, an individual must be either a citizen of the United States or have held permanent residency for at least five years.
All individuals over the age of 65 are allowed to apply for Medicare coverage. Medicare in Colorado also covers those with disabilities who are under age 65.
Medicare Deductibles
Each Medicare Plan does have deductible costs to consider. Plan A has a deductible of $1,340 for each of the benefit periods. Medicare Plan B has a lower deductible of $183.
After paying the deductible, Plan B recipients are responsible for covering 20% of any amount approved by Medicare. Colorado charges a $405 yearly deductible for the Plan D Prescription Plan.
Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap)
The Original Medicare plan still leaves a lot to be covered by an individual. Deductibles can quickly add up even with all the benefits provided by Medicare. This is why Colorado offers some Medicare Supplement Plans like Medigap.
Medigap works similar to Medicare, but it works to cover all of the costs that Medicare doesn’t. Out of pocket expenses such as coinsurance, copayments and deductibles are all covered by a Medigap plan.
These plans are offered through private insurance companies, similar to some Medicare Supplement Plans.