Suitebird is the local, simple to use, personal, digital senior home finder that is changing how families find the senior residences they need. The website allows families to look around for housing that meets their needs, without having to book several tours or sit through promotional pitches. Simply fill out the user-friendly form, wait for a call from the Suitebird navigator, then schedule a viewing at the facility of your choice. It’s that easy!
The man behind Suitebird is John Pray, the former CEO of Shepherd’s Care Foundation.
“In 2018, I retired after 35 years in seniors housing/care, which includes running Shepherd’s Care Foundation for more than 18 years,” says Pray. “Helping families find the perfect place for a parent or for a senior when they needed to make a move was always something I was passionate about, and something I wanted to continue after retirement.”
In addition to his experience in senior care, Pray completed a project for his MBA in 2001 that examined the challenges seniors and their families face when looking into options.
“Most use the web to start a search but find the community websites can be challenging to navigate. This means, most families are not aware of all their options. Calling and touring various communities is time consuming and can be frustrating when one tours, only to find the type of suite you want is not available.”
Pray continues, “We help seniors find their next ‘nest.’ After spending years working on the concept I was pleased to launch the site in February of this year. So far it has been very well received. Many families have told us that it is a great idea and a welcomed service. The key reason it works is because the search starts on a very user friendly platform, but a real person – the navigator, who has many years of experience and knows the facilities and communities – is there to offer help and answer questions. Other websites provide a chatbot or direct you to a sales intake number.”
He adds, “There are more options than ever before and seniors and their families are simply unaware of all the options that work for them. For example, many seniors are unaware of independent apartments, residences with concierge services, rental condos, life lease condos, cooperatives, etc. Suitebird’s service is easy to use. Many other websites have multiple questions to fill in to determine one’s preferences – we ask the right questions and know the important questions to ask. We are especially important for families that live out of town and don’t have the help to locate the perfect place for a parent.”
Suitebird prides itself on being local and knowing the options. Being local means being able to pair seniors with their most ideal solution.
“Local is our DNA,” smiles Pray. “We hope to expand to Calgary in the coming months, followed by the rest of Alberta and then BC.
Suitebird is actively partnering with care communities. Managers of seniors residences are invited to check out the benefits of a Suitebird partnership.
To learn more or to find the next “nest” for a senior in your family, visit www.suitebird.ca.
