Thread: Discount for nursing homes?

I was wondering if other dancers automatically give a discount when they get a gig request for a nursing home?

Or do you only give a discount when they ask for it?

Our troupe does it for free, more so the student troupe and apprentices, but some pro level dancers too, and we do it as a group...

I will generally let them know how much I would normally charge for the performance and then let them know I do offer discounts and ask them about their budget to see if I can accommodate them.

Many nursing homes have an entertainment budget and will be able to pay at least an honorarium of some sort to show their appreciation for the show. As they are involved in a business, they do not automatically receive a free performance as I limit my charity performances to a certain number/type per year for causes that I support (primarily non-profits). They will always be eligible for a discount from me as I know the budgets are often tight for entertainment, but the amount of the discount is something I tend to handle on a case-by-case basis.

One thing to consider is that there are different types of facilities for seniors:

• Independent living apartments. These are for able-bodied people who are able to take care of themselves - cook their own meals, etc. Some of them are actually quite high-end, with exercise rooms containing the latest fad in equipment, etc. And often the people who live in these have plenty of money to travel the world, own brand-new computers, etc. I see no reason to offer a discount to these places. I quote my standard list price, and if they try to negotiate, I treat it the same way I'd treat any other potential client who wants to negotiate.
• Assisted living apartments. These are for people who need help with day-to-day stuff like bathing, having meals prepared for them, organizing their medications, etc. These folks often need wheelchairs or walkers to get around. Their health may be fragile (weak hearts, osteoporosis, etc.), but they don't need attentive nursing care other than maybe wellness checks. For these, people may have less money due to being older (ie, having already spent some of their savings on travel and such), or due to expenses related to coping with their health issues that aren't strictly "medical" in nature (for example, I bought my mom a recliner chair that tilts to help her stand up), etc. The facility probably has less money than an independent living place, due to having some residents whose savings have run out and are now being covered by Medicare. For this reason, I'll be more flexible on pricing for them.
• Nursing homes. These are the most fragile people, in need of skilled nursing care. For example, due to having had strokes they may be unable to lift a spoon to their mouths or may be unable to put their thoughts into spoken words. They may have been recently been discharged from the hospital after surgery, and are recovering from that. Or, they may have had an accident in the home (fallen down stairs, slipped on ice, etc.) that has debilitated them. My friend's great-aunt (in her 90's) had been living independently despite her advanced years but was forced to move to a nursing home after an intruder broke into her home, beat her, left her for dead, and robbed the place. Nursing homes often struggle financially because many of their residents have fully depleted their savings and must now rely on Medicare for their payment. And Medicare doesn't really pay enough to fully cover the expenses that must be met. So for nursing homes, I ask what their entertainment budget is like and see what I can do to accommodate it.

Of course, some facilities contain all three of the above types of facilities, in different wings. Then it's a judgment call - for example, which group will be the primary one attending?

There's also the consideration of whether someone I love lives there. I'll dance for free at the places where my mom and in-laws live as a "gift" to my family members.

And because I'm dancing for free, I'll also take my students along and give them an opportunity to gain some performing experience. Unpaid performance = appropriate situation for student performers. But I still make them rehearse and polish before the show, because even nursing home residents don't want to be forced to sit through a sloppy, insufficiently-prepared performance.