Healthcare Websites are Failing Seniors: What Clinics Can Learn from Long-Term Care Leaders

Healthcare marketing is trapped in an ageist blind spot. Hospitals and clinics assume seniors are a uniform cohort that need digital handholding. Long-term care facilities and retirement homes know better. They see seniors as digitally capable, emotionally nuanced consumers: something most hospital marketing teams overlook. 

Here's how your hospital can learn from retirement homes to revolutionize your senior-focused digital strategy.

The Myth of the Tech-Averse Senior

The common belief in healthcare marketing is that seniors avoid technology and find it hard to engage online. This idea is outdated and irrelevant. Recent research clearly demonstrates that seniors are not only comfortable online but actively seek health-related information more than ever before.

According to a Pew Research study, nearly 75% of adults aged 65 and older regularly use the internet, with the majority searching specifically for health-related content. Additionally, a recent CDC survey found that more than half of adults between 65-74 look for health and medical information online. 

Yet, hospitals still underestimate seniors' digital skills. They provide simple interfaces and basic content. They assume older adults need help instead of content that connects with their identity.

A few examples:

• The only two pages dedicated to seniors in St-Mary’s General Hospital are a “Senior Care” page and a “Senior Link” program.
• While St-Luke’s University Health Network has a section dedicated to seniors, it’s organized by services, not by patient profile. It also prominently features a “Schedule a Geriatric Assessment” form - which from my perspective makes the patient feel like a specimen instead of a human.

In contrast, sectors such as retirement communities and long-term care facilities recognize senior digital sophistication. They offer digital experiences that are more emotionally engaging which respects and meets the needs of seniors.

• Sunrise Senior Living is notable for emotionally-driven storytelling, tailored caregiver resources, and thoughtful interactive digital experiences.
• Atria Senior Living features an intuitive UX and clearly labeled resource segmentation for seniors, families, and caregivers.

Clinics and hospitals must shift their strategy or they’ll miss out on connecting with a large part of potential patients. I suggest starting with these three axes to match digital experiences with seniors' needs: segmentation, messaging, and personalization.

Three Specific Ways Hospitals Can Immediately Adopt Retirement Homes’ Website Strategies

Segment by Lifestyle, Not Just Age

Retirement homes and long-term care providers recognize that seniors are not a homogeneous group. They adapt their copy and imagery to distinct psychographic profiles such as:

• Active and Independent: Energetic seniors who seek wellness and social connection.
• Family-Oriented: Seniors whose family is a pillar of their identity.
• Support-Dependent: Seniors or caregivers actively seeking care or support.

Best Practices for Clinics & Hospitals:

Make unique landing pages and website content focused on these psychographics, not just age groups. For example, create website sections that highlight wellness programs and preventive care services. Use images and stories of active seniors that represent their positive perception of themselves.

Speak to the Emotional Journey

Retirement homes engage visitors with compassion, community, and dignity; not just practical or clinical attributes. Their messaging frequently addresses psychological needs like companionship, safety, purpose, and maintaining independence.

Best Practices for Clinics & Hospitals:

• Write copy that demonstrates the emotional benefits (trust, security, and peace of mind) in addition to your clinical capabilities.
• Emphasize caregiver compassion, personal attention, and reassurance as differentiating values clearly communicated on your website.

Personalized Pathways and Clear Guidance

Long-term care websites simplify decision-making by explicitly guiding seniors (and caregivers) toward content relevant to their state of mind, level of urgency, or practical needs. Instead of confusing visitors with generic options, they provide clear, curated journeys.

Best Practices for Clinics & Hospitals:

• Create clear, intuitive content pathways on the website: "I'm worried about a loved one", "I’m experiencing a chronic illness", or "I'm planning my future healthcare".
• Implement interactive assessments and questionnaires that guide visitors. Retirement homes commonly use these tools to help recommend care levels.
  • Note: HIPAA rules and legal issues complicate the implementation of interactive tools. However a compliant assessment could help your organization differentiate itself.

Conclusion

Hospitals and clinics need to rethink how their websites communicate to seniors. Pioneering retirement communities are a great inspiration. 

A positive example of a health system that gets this right is Holy Cross Health. They include a detailed section for senior services, showcase senior stories in their newsroom, as well as events catering to active seniors on their website.

This shows that treating seniors with respect resonates far more than simplifying them to the lowest common denominator. By incorporating these approaches, you can drive greater senior engagement and retention - and it’s a pretty low-hanging fruit to implement.