I Need Some Creative Help

I give many keynotes around the country both in hospitals and long-term care settings. And I am continually looking for ways to engage my audiences. I have been fortunate to be blessed with a good singing voice and have been entertaining professionally for longer than I care to remember. So I often incorporate song in my presentations.

For example, in a seminar on word of mouth marketing, I sing a version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” (Get it?!)

And when I conclude I ask people what the number one question you have of patients and in your HCAHPS—will you recommend us to others? Sounds suspiciously like “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”

OK I am dating myself on song selections. (I’ll admit I’m stuck in the 70s.)

I would like to put together a song parody for long-term care. To do that, I am asking for topic suggestions, and if you can tie the topic to a song, it’s even better.

Questions to get you started:

· If a CNA could have one wish what would it be?

· What are the routine biggest complaints across disciplines in a long-term care setting?

· If you asked a staff member this, what would they say: If I could have/change/do one thing it would be?

· What are people’s pet peeves?

Now understand I spend a lot of time in these facilities and have ideas. But it is so much fun to get others’ creative juices going.

Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC, is a marketing consultant, professional speaker, aging and senior health expert, and the owner of Fast Forward Consulting. Send your suggestions to him by e-mailing cirillo@4wardfast.com or typing your responses in the comments below.

Anthony Cirillo

Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC, is president of The Aging Experience. He’s a passionate advocate for family caregivers and older adults, helping them lead a quality life through a platform of educated aging – physically, emotionally and financially. Cirillo is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives with a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania, His clients have ranged from the Cleveland Clinic, Unisys, and King Faisal Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Carolinas Health Care, Novant Health, Wall Street startups and many more. Anthony serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for PPS Alert for Long-Term Care and is an editorial board member for the Journal of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry.