For group homes and supportive living providers, every open bed is lost income, and most placements come from referrals: case managers, social workers, hospitals, agencies and families. The good news is that referral sources behave predictably. Make their job easy and they come back.
How referral sources decide
A case manager with a client to place has limited time. Before they pick up the phone, they check:
- Is this provider licensed for this population?
- What services and level of support do they offer?
- Where are the homes, and do they have availability?
- Do the homes look safe, clean and well run?
- Is there a fast, simple way to send a referral?
If your website can't answer those in a minute, they move on to a provider whose website can.
1. Build a referral-ready website
Your site should include:
- A page for each home with photos, location, capacity and the population served
- Licensing and credentials stated plainly
- Services and staffing (24/7 support, medication management, day programs, transport)
- A referral form built for professionals, plus a separate inquiry form for families
- A downloadable one-pager for case managers to save and share
That's the core of what we build for group homes and assisted living.
2. Show up in local search
Families and some referral sources search "group home near me" or "assisted living in [city]". Give each home its own Google Business Profile where allowed, and build matching location pages with local SEO.
3. Build relationships, then make it easy to stay in touch
Visit agencies, hospital discharge teams and county offices. Afterwards, send a short email with your one-pager and referral link. A quarterly availability update keeps you top of mind.
4. Respond fast and track every referral
Log each referral with the date, source and outcome. Even a simple tracker shows which partners send the most placements and which ones have gone quiet. An internal tool can handle admissions, waitlists and follow-ups without the spreadsheet chaos.
5. Watch occupancy across homes
When you run several homes, a live dashboard of beds, referrals and revenue per home shows problems before they become empty rooms.
6. Tell your story honestly
Photos of real rooms, real staff and real activities beat stock photos every time. Families want to see where their loved one will live.
Quick checklist
- Every home has its own page with photos
- Licensing is visible
- A professional referral form exists
- Case managers have a one-pager
- Referrals are tracked by source
Want to see how your current site measures up? Try our free Website Grader or talk to us.