Baby Boomer Insights

The Senior List: an answer to Boomers' dilemma of how to help aging parents

Over the past year, my husband and I have each had the responsibility of finding services for our aging parents, who still live independently. My parents live in Waycross, Georgia, in the home my father built 57 years ago, while my mother-in-law lives in St. George Village, a lovely retirement community in Roswell, Georgia.

Now, I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to research. I not only know how to find things online, I'm quite familiar with the Yellow Pages and I even know how to use a card catalog. So you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to find senior services by letting my fingers do the walking. But, I've been surprised at how difficult and frustrating it can be!

There's certainly no lack of information, but pulling it together, making comparisons and trying to figure out what is hype and what is transparent information isn't always easy or even possible. Most of the time, we've resorted to asking people we trust for their recommendations. In the case of Ralph's mother, when we needed to hire someone to help her with daily chores and errands after she returned home from rehab, we turned to the folks at St. George for advice. But for my parents, that wasn't an option. We relied on word-of-mouth from friends and neighbors.

That's why I was delighted to learn about www.TheSeniorList.com. Co-founders Chris and Amie Clark describe it as a national online resource that helps match people with senior-related services in their communities. By visiting The Senior List and clicking on a state, users can browse, add, or rate their local businesses. It's a great place to find everything from quality housing to in-home care to support services.

Already, there are over 8,000 businesses in the database, but for it to realize its full potential, businesses need to list themselves and consumers need to rate the services they use so that others can benefit from their experiences. Businesses that don't consistently receive at least three stars (of a possible five)  from consumers are dropped from the site.

Beyond aggregating information service providers, the site also offers learning resources, such as expert articles and links to useful sites.

Launched about a year ago, I believe this site has the potential to be very powerful. Boomers, especially women, frequently turn to the Internet to do research. What's more, those of us in the "sandwich" appreciate the convenience, efficiency, transparency, and objectivity of peer reviews, so to speak. And we love to share what we learn. I predict we are the ones who will build and use this site most effectively.

Marketers: pay attention to this trend. Boomers and Seniors want trustworthy resources, not "messaging" about your products and services. My daddy used to tell me, "It's easier to ride a horse in the direction it's already going." My recommendation is to look for horses that are already out of the gate, rather than building a whole new racetrack!

National Council On Aging issues call-to-action for chronic care reform

Today, the National Council On Aging issued a call-to-action for national chronic care reform, based on the results a new survey of Americans with chronic conditions.

The survey included over 1,000 Americans 44 and older who have chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes. Results revealed, in a nut shell, that two thirds percent have two or more chronic conditions and one in five has four or more chronic conditions.

Sadly, these are the people who probably most need to see a doctor and/or take prescriptions, yet a quarter of them delayed their health care or haven't filled their prescriptions, despite the fact they often live in pain.

Other startling stats:

> 57percent have not been asked by their health care providers if they need help to manage their problems;

> 45 percent say they rarely or never receive referrals to resources (such as classes, counselors, educators, etc.;

>  38 percent say they don't have the money to improve their health. The numbers are much higher among Latinos and African Americans.

As a result of the study, NCOA is recommending three focus areas:

-       Policy:  The federal government needs to make investments in community-based programs, and in primary care and hospital settings to ensure team-based, coordinated care across all settings.

-       Practice:  Health care professionals have a responsibility to connect their patients to effective community self-care programs, as well as improve the quality and coordination of care to people with chronic conditions.

-       Personal Skills:  Americans with chronic conditions need to develop the skills and confidence to manage their health and to advocate for the help and support they need.

I hope the NCOA's study and recommendations will result in better community programs, but I also think an opportunity exists here for more pharmaceutical companies and disease-specific non-profits to do a better job of providing resources for patients in the form of informational web sites, forums and even community-based events, such as the free screenings and patient financial grants offered by the American Kidney Fund (an Edelman client).

One of my clients, the National Arthritis Foundation, does a good job offering local health programs that are evidence-based (another recommendation of NCOA). Recently, the Foundation even launched a new web site, www.LetsMoveTogether.org as a resource on how to move for better health. The emphasis isn't on arthritis; rather, it's on movement, which evidence shows helps to prevent and treat arthritis. The site  also offers a free online Movement Tracker that lets you track how you make an effort to move on a regular basis. (Check it out - it's very cool. You can use the widget to challenge your friends to keep up with you, and you can print out your progress and share it with your doctor).

I'm increasingly seeing pharma companies step up to the plate to offer resources as well. They understand what Edelman's Health Engagement Barometer recently revealed: government can fix the health care problems alone, nor can business. But together, they at least have a shot at it.

If you're a Boomer caring for an elderly parent, check out the NCOA site for suggestions on how to help them, especially if they have chronic conditions and a limited income. What other ideas might you have that you can share with readers here?

Boomer women love technology and we use it to influence others

Over the past six months, I've been amazed at how many invitations I've gotten from people my age and older wanting to connect on various online networks. According to this recent article in Fortune Magazine, I'm right smack in the middle of a trend: women 55-65 are the fastest growing group of new users on Facebook and one of the most influential groups on the Internet.

It comes as no surprise to those of us who track this sort of thing to learn that mature women are embracing all kinds of technology. According to VibrantNation, some 63% of us own MP3 players and 28% of us use mini camcorders to record videos, which we upload to sites like YouTube.  I'm already anticipating the way my old friends will put together our 35th high school reunion next year. Forget postcards with instructions to call Robin and let her know if you're coming!

The difference in the way boomer women use technology and the way our children and grandchildren use it it that we see it as just another way to enhance what we already do, whereas younger people tend to see technology as an actual lifestyle. Boomers often still pick up the phone to talk with someone, even though we know how to send text messages. My observation of Gen Y is that, for the most part, they default to technology.

This hit home Saturday when I was at a nail salon with my 19-year-old, Sydney. We observed a woman who appeared to be about 65 getting acrylic nails put on. They were really long and bright red when she was done.  As we left the salon, Sydney said, "I can't imagine how she can text anyone with nails that long."

I pointed out that the woman may actually call people on the phone, instead of texting them, but I thought it was telling that Sydney assumed that even a mature woman would text just like she does... and does... and does.. and does.

One thing I know from working with numerous Edelman clients across multiple industries is this: if you want to get to seniors, you go through Boomer women. If you want to get to Boomer men, you go through Boomer women. If you want to get to Gen Y, you often go through Boomer women. See a pattern here?

That's why companies need to give careful thought to how to make their technology more appealing to Boomer women. Make it intuitive, accessible and easy to share. (And if type is involved, make the font easy to read and easy to change.) That's just for starters.

Want to learn more? You're in luck. On Wednesday, March, 18 at 11 a.m., the International Mature Marketing Network, IMMN, will host a webinar about how to engage Boomers and Seniors in a way that ensures they will seek your brand. Check it out!

Boomers and Seniors Online: brands that engage them will profit

I spent a good part of my weekend doing online scrapbooking - arranging dozens of pictures that I - and about six other people - took at my mother's recent 80th birthday gathering. It was great to be able to access everyone's photos within hours after they were taken, thanks to Shutterfly. Magically, the family, spread across GA, SC and NC could independently load pictures, edit them and add captions. That's no small task, considering there are five children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren in the mix.

I can still remember mom's 75th birthday when several of us took pictures. I still haven't seen them all yet. What a difference technology makes! Now we can all make our own albums, choosing what and whom we want to feature. Meanwhile, my mother has enjoyed going online to look at all the photos and relive a great weekend.

My fascination with online services like Shutterfly is not at all unusual for a boomer. The fact is boomers and seniors make up a third of all Internet users and we're the Web's largest constituency. What's more, adults 50+ spend an average of $7 billion online annually. We're voracious researchers, products of the information age, and we love finding new ways to use technology, especially if it makes our lives more convenient or efficient.

Marketers who still think that "online equals young" are really missing the opportunity to tap boomer buying habits. They would be wise to join me at a webinar on March 18 at 11:00 eastern. The International Mature Marketing Network will host a webinar on the online habits of boomers and seniors. (Disclosure: my company, Edelman, is a member of IMMN.)

Sadly, too many marketers dismiss boomers and seniors, assuming we're too set in our ways or not interested in going online to do things we've done offline for years. David Weigelt, partner at Immersion Active, a founding member of IMMN, and co-author of a new book, "Dot Boom: Marketing to Baby Boomers Online Through Meaningful Online Engagement," has studied the online habits of boomers and seniors for years.So he knows that to engage boomers and seniors, you have to take into account everything from where to find them to how to create an online experience that will keep them coming back. But if you do that, you're golden. We love to share what we learn, so if you grab our attention and then provide value, we'll tell everyone - peers, our kids, our parents - you name it. (The fact that you're reading about my online photo sharing experience is proof, isn't it?)

Did you know, by the way, that the Internet is the single most important resource for boomers when we want to make a major purchase? We check everything from web sites to customer reviews to message boards to get the skinny. So if your company wants to grab some of that $7 billion we're spending, you need to be available on our terms.