A crisis is not the time for a senior living community to figure out how it will communicate.
Whether a community is facing severe weather, a power outage, an operational disruption, a safety incident or another unexpected situation, residents, families, employees and the media may all be looking for information. Having a crisis communications plan in place before it is needed can help a community respond quickly, accurately and consistently.
For senior living organizations, where trust is especially important, communication should be part of emergency preparedness from the beginning.
Know Who Is Responsible for Communications
One of the first questions to answer is simple: Who communicates what — and to whom?
A crisis can quickly create competing demands. Community leadership may be focused on resident safety and operations while team members are responding to families, employees, vendors and others.
A crisis communications plan should identify who is responsible for communicating with each audience and who has authority to approve and release information.
The plan should also identify a spokesperson for media inquiries. Employees should know where to direct reporters rather than attempting to answer questions themselves.
For organizations with multiple communities, it is equally important to determine which communications will be handled at the community level and which should come from corporate leadership.
Plan for Residents, Families and Employees
Media attention may be one concern during a crisis, but it isn’t the only one.
Residents, families and employees need timely, reliable information. When people don’t know what’s happening, uncertainty can quickly lead to confusion and misinformation.
Determine in advance how updates will be distributed. Depending on the organization and the situation, that might include email, text alerts, phone calls, website updates, resident communication systems and social media.
It is also important that information across those channels remains consistent. A family member shouldn’t receive one message by email while seeing contradictory information posted publicly.
Prepare Before Severe Weather Arrives
For senior living communities in areas affected by hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms or other severe weather, communications planning should be part of seasonal preparedness.
Don’t wait until a storm is approaching to decide who can update the website, who has access to social media accounts or how families will receive information.
Contact lists should be current, responsibilities should be assigned and communications systems should be tested before they are needed.
Communities should also consider what happens if normal systems become unavailable. Knowing how communications will continue during a power, internet or cellular disruption can be just as important as knowing what message to send.
Be Accurate Before Being Fast
During a crisis, there is tremendous pressure to communicate immediately. Speed matters, but accuracy matters more.
Share what is known, avoid speculation and clearly distinguish confirmed information from details that are still being determined. If additional information will be provided later, say so.
It is perfectly appropriate to communicate that a situation is being assessed and that updates will follow.
Trying to fill an information vacuum with incomplete or unverified details can create a second communications problem on top of the original crisis.
Be Prepared for Media Interest
Not every incident will attract media attention, but communities should be prepared for the possibility.
Determine who will respond to reporters, how inquiries will be documented and what information can appropriately be shared.
A spokesperson should understand the situation, the organization’s response and any limitations on what can be discussed. In senior living, particular care must be taken to protect residents’ privacy and avoid sharing personal information without appropriate permission.
Existing relationships with local media can also be valuable. A reporter who already knows an organization and its leadership has context that may be helpful when covering an unexpected situation.
Think About Photos and Video Before You Need Them
Images can sometimes help communicate what is happening, particularly during severe weather, recovery efforts or other highly visual situations.
But this requires planning too.
Know who is authorized to take and distribute photos or video on behalf of the organization, and make sure resident privacy and appropriate permissions are considered before images are shared publicly or with the media.
The goal isn’t to turn a crisis into a publicity opportunity. It is to have accurate, appropriate visual information available when it helps tell the story of what is happening and how the community is responding.
Monitor What Is Being Said
Crisis communications is not one-way communication.
Monitor media coverage, social media and other public conversations for misinformation, unanswered questions or concerns that may require a response.
This doesn’t mean responding to every comment. It means understanding what residents, families and the broader community are hearing so leadership can determine when clarification is necessary.
Communication Continues After the Immediate Crisis
The communications job doesn’t necessarily end when the immediate situation is resolved.
Residents, families and employees may need updates about returning to normal operations, repairs, services or changes resulting from the event. Leadership may also need to address questions about what happened and what the organization learned.
Afterward, review the communications response. What worked? Where were there delays? Were contact lists accurate? Did the right people have access to the necessary systems? Were there questions the team wasn’t prepared to answer?
Those lessons should become part of the organization’s updated crisis communications plan.
Preparation Helps Protect Trust
No communications plan can anticipate every possible situation. But senior living organizations can prepare the people, processes and tools they will need when something unexpected happens.
Clear roles, accurate information, consistent messaging and thoughtful communication with residents, families, employees and the media can make an enormous difference during a difficult situation.
For more than 30 years, The Ehlers Group has specialized in senior living public relations and communications, helping communities and organizations navigate both everyday communications and unexpected situations. Because senior living is all we do, we understand the audiences, sensitivities and communications challenges unique to the industry.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and was updated in September 2026 to reflect current crisis communications practices and the evolving communications needs of senior living organizations.