Author: Varsity Team

When most people think of service animals, the seeing eye dog usually comes to mind, and in all fairness, service dogs were primarily trained to serve the vision impaired. But recently, animal therapy is meeting memory support, as dogs are now being trained for dementia assistance, as demonstrated by a BBC documentary highlighting a program underway in Scotland.

The idea came, interestingly enough, from a student service design project at the Glasgow School of Art. Working in tandem with Alzheimer Scotland, Dogs for the Disabled and Guide Dogs Scotland, the team developed a program to train two dogs for 18 months. The dogs were trained to perform general tasks, as well as remind their owners where their clothes are, which medications to take, and to raise an alarm in the event of an emergency.

“Dogs love routine. They love that predictability,” said Helen McCain of Dogs for the Disabled in an interview with BBC News. “By using that hook, we can then teach them to actually sort of remind people by the sound of an alarm to go and get the medication at the allotted time of the day.”

Since memory impaired patients may withdraw from people, professional caregivers note that animal therapy can help them counteract those feelings of isolation and loneliness, as well as relieve depression, agitation and disorientation. Others simply enjoy the companionship and physical contact provided by the animal, hence their popularity in the eldercare setting.

Oscar, a golden retriever, and Kaspa, a Labrador, have now been working with their new owners for the last 4 months, and results have exceeded expectations.

MARKETING INSIGHT: The senior care industry was one of the first to recognize the benefits of animal therapy, and is now warming to the idea of allowing residents to have pets – something we saw firsthand during Project Looking Glass II.

For many communities, wellness programs, hospitality and living options are ways to stand out from the competition. However, as the rate of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related conditions reach alarming rates – and as many communities struggle to adjust their assisted living sectors for those increasingly entering with memory issues – a pet program could be a unique element that would make the transition easier for new residents, and act as a unique community differentiator.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

We’ve seen evidence of how factors such as watching your diet, exercising, and even remaining in the workforce or managing blood sugar appropriately have positive impacts on mental health. Now a recent study has found that a lifetime of reading and writing can also have a huge effect in fighting memory loss.

A research team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago studied approximately 300 older adults (all over age 55) for a period of six years. Participants were given a survey to determine how frequently they read, wrote or did similar activities as children, adolescents, through middle age, and at their current age. The subjects were then tested for their memory and other mental abilities every year until they died, after which their brain tissue was examined.

The rate of cognitive decline among older adults who reported frequent reading and writing later in life, for example, was 32% lower than those with average or low mental activity (compared with a rate of 48% among people who were less mentally active). Autopsies also revealed that the brains of more mentally active participants showed fewer physical signs of dementia.

“Our study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person’s lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age,” lead author Robert S. Wilson, senior neuropsychologist of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, said.

There’s been debate over whether brain activity can resist, prevent – or simply postpone – the effects of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Prashanthi Vemuri, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic, told HealthDay that researchers have long argued whether staying mentally stimulated helps slow cognitive problems, or if those who stop doing mental tasks do so because they are starting to show symptoms of dementia.

“This study gives evidence to the former theory,” he said. “It confirms that whatever is happening in the brain is happening, but the cognitively stimulating activities a person does independently slow down the progression of the disease.”

MARKETING INSIGHT: No one should underestimate the importance of staying mentally or physically active for as long as possible. However, experts recommend a combination of the two – not simply choosing between reading a book or taking a walk.

What this research does provide, however, is something that could be promoted as a benefit of a comprehensive wellness program – something that would appeal to the incoming generations who are increasingly being affected by memory issues, and are seeking unique programs that show tangible results.

Although many retirement communities claim to offer “wellness programs,” we’ve seen through our own research that the concept of “wellness” goes beyond the swimming pool, a craft room, a walking path or standard group activities. There’s a huge demand for an ongoing, full-culture comprehensive and adaptive wellness environment. In many cases, potential residents look directly at these programs in their decision-making process.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, around 1 million people currently suffer from Parkinson’s disease in the U.S., and 50,000-60,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.

For those suffering from the disease, simple tasks such as eating can become increasingly difficult as tremors increase. The LiftWare spoon, developed by Lift Labs, addresses that issue by providing a simple way for sufferers to maintain their independence in one area of their life.

Created by Anupam Pathak, a student at the University of Michigan, the spoon features anti-tremor technology, which counter-balances the user’s shaking hand and allows them to eat without spilling.

Here’s how it works: An embedded computer captures motion signals detected by sensors, identifies the user’s tremor, and then moves the spoon in the opposite direction of that tremor – a process the company calls “active cancellation.” You can read more from the developer and the research behind the technology here.

The LiftWare spoon will be available in September at an MSRP of $295, and includes “Lift Pulse,” a free iOS and Android app that records and calculates the magnitude of the tremors using the phone’s built-in accelerometers.

MARKETING INSIGHT: Although the disease can affect any age group, it’s more prevalent among Boomers and seniors, so just like memory issues, we’re bound to see a subsequent increase in the occurrence of the disease as the population ages. Most existing utensils that are used for therapeutic or restorative dining are focused on ergonomics – this unit is “smart.”

Raised awareness and high-profile persons suffering from disabilities (thank you, Michael J. Fox) have helped to stimulate the number of products and services catering to those consumers. Food and beverage brands, as well as houseware companies, senior care and therapy providers would be wise to partner with smart tech innovations and find ways to cater to the physical ailments suffered by Boomers and seniors.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

In the past year alone, we’ve seen a number of online research portals dedicated to helping find and review senior care options, and an even larger number of apps dedicated to everything from specialized caregiving to therapy plans. Now, one company is combining the best of both platforms.

Dallas-based New LifeStyles recently launched an iPhone app that displays senior living options in a given geographical area. A geo-mapping feature allows users to see nearby resources based on a current location, and tailor their searches to a specific region or even type of care – CCRC, assisted living, skilled nursing or memory care. Communities and services types are identified by a color-coded system, and users can receive directions on a map, visit a Web listing, and can even contact a community by calling or emailing directly from the app.

Doug Fusella, New LifeStyles president and COO, elaborated on the technology in a company press release: “An individual’s search for a qualified senior living community often begins with a sudden loss-of-health event that injects urgency and confusion,” he says, “often resulting in poor and costly choices. Even when there is time for a leisurely review, the attempt to make viable comparisons can seem bewildering. With these new digital channels, users can make fast and well-informed decisions from anywhere.”

User guides are available in printable and digital PDF versions, and for those who (still) have not gone mobile, a free app site is accessible from a standard computer. Users can locate links to other pages and websites, and can email pages from the digital guide to friends and family members.

Necessity was the mother of invention, according to company history. New LifeStyles was founded in 1987 by Les Blaser who, after a frustrating attempt to research care options for his mother in the Dallas area, published one of the first guides on nursing and senior care facilities. Blaser and his wife launched New LifeStyles Online in 1995 as one of the first online resources, and the portal now provides free information on senior communities, home health, hospice, and senior products and services for 39 markets in the U.S. and Canada.

MARKETING INSIGHT: As mobile phones become more common and content becomes more sophisticated, watch for more product and service providers in the senior care space to explore and adopt this technology. As we uncovered in our recent research, the upcoming generations are adopting mobile technology at a fast pace, for a number of daily functions, and note that they are definitely influenced by mobile content. They’re using them to download apps, read QR codes, or even enjoy entertainment – and much of the interest skews toward healthcare.

The impact of mobile internet will be a growing influence and enable marketers to communicate with this new generation of Boomers and seniors efficiently, since many enjoy browsing online in their free time and report being influenced by mobile content. For example, advertising on health or senior-oriented product sites would be one way to reach online seniors who may have a higher level of comfort with technology.

You can read more about the phenomenon in our latest white paper, The Great Disconnect.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

It’s not a return to 1960s idealism, but it could signal a new model for senior living. We’ve talked about “intentional communities” prior, and specifically, a concept known as Cohousing. Now, the idea seems to be catching on as an attractive option for single Boomers.

A bit of history: The cohousing idea originated in Denmark, and was brought to the U.S. by two architects in the early 1980s with the idea of “improving the world, one neighborhood at a time.”

Cohousing communities are usually developed as small neighborhoods, with similar features: single-family or detached homes along pedestrian-friendly streets or clustered around a courtyard with as few as 10, or as many as 100 residences; and a “common house” that serves as a social center. Communities can be developer- or group-driven, and have even found ways to integrate into urban settings.

Neighborly interaction is encouraged, and often takes the shape of community meals, clubs or even businesses. Members say that collectively taking care of common property helps build a sense of trust, the feeling of working toward a common goal, and group decision-making.

The concept seems tailor-made for Boomers, many of whom live alone by choice, and are beginning to plan for a future that will keep them active, engaged and out of a nursing facility or a traditional CCRC (which, as we have found through research, are not currently meeting their needs or expectations) for as long as possible.

Boomers have also been the innovators of a number of living arrangements. “To [the older generation], living alone is the only measure of success, but the Boomers’ comfort with interdependence means there are many options,” Dr. Bill Thomas, an influential geriatrician and author, told the Boston Globe. “Aging in community, rather than all alone, is going to make the Boomers’ experience of old age different than anything that ever came before.”

MARKETING INSIGHT: Watch for new alternatives for independent living that provide more options, including intentional communities built around causes, religions, lifestyles or locations.

We like the idea of cohousing as a way for an existing senior living provider to further integrate itself into the greater community, or for an entity such as a homecare agency to expand its offerings. The best aspect of this concept is that it brings back the idea of “neighbors helping neighbors.”

Regards,

The Varsity Team

It’s probably old news to senior care providers that changing attitudes and trends are slowly but surely shifting independent living to resemble assisted living, and assisted to skilled nursing, forcing services to evolve from lifestyle to healthcare.

Average move-in age for assisted living has increased from 82 to 87, driven by the economic downturn, and the desire to age in place. A number of those residents require help with multiple activities of daily living (ADLs), and – like their independent living counterparts – wish to stay at this level of care for as long as possible. More residents are also entering with memory issues, causing facilities to reexamine their building design, training and technology.

Technology, it seems, could be the savior of assisted living. Given the Transitional and coming generations’ familiarity with personal technology, employing healthcare-related innovations will seem neither foreign nor scary to them.

For residents with higher acuity, having access to Wi-Fi, a personal emergency response system (PERS) and a motion monitor safety system could be all they require. Others would benefit from medication management systems, care-planning systems and electronic medical records.

Although we’re not anticipating robotic employees anytime soon, something as simple as moving to electronic medical records could be a step in the right direction. Communities that have flipped the proverbial switch report positive effects on their assisted living services in the form of controlled costs, brand differentiation, increased staff effectiveness and, because of the added safety element and higher levels of care, fewer occupancy issues and increased length of stay.

We examined the role of technology in the CCRC setting in our recent Great Disconnect research paper. See how some communities are bridging that gap in the assisted living level in a recent edition of Senior Housing Business.

MARKETING INSIGHT: Technology could be the key for providers to redefine, rebuild and rebrand their assisted living levels. Developing and deploying technology will not only improve experience for both residents and their families, but making consistent, easy-to-access technologies a priority in living and healthcare spaces will be a necessity to attract the new generations of tech-savvy adults.

Contact us to see how technology could make a positive impact on the occupancy or bottom line for your community or organization.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Here’s good news for Boomers and seniors who like to snack: Apparently, you’re increasingly looking for items that help you stay healthy and active – something we uncovered in our own research, and now verified by the food manufacturing industry.

Milk producer Fonterra North America studied the snacking habits of more than 600 healthy Americans between ages 50 and 75 and found that more than half believe the ability to stay active has a greater impact on their health than their weight, although 30% also said they already have weight issues.

Fonterra also found two extremely polarized schools of thought when it came to those cravings. At one end of the spectrum, a large number of “unwavering indulgers” knows they have health issues and shouldn’t pick up that Twinkie, but they do it anyway. On the other end are three snacking segments who are active and willing to make real changes in their diet to stay healthy:

• Active Seekers (16%) – They’re the active, nutrition conscious ones who are more than willing to make changes to their diet for health benefits. Think 70 year-old marathon runners.
• Health Seekers (22%) – Not quite as active, but generally follow healthy trends and are willing to make some dietary changes. Think on-again-off-again dieters.
• Open-minded Moderates (20%) – They’re the followers and are somewhat health-conscious but don’t have the discipline to keep up with a health program. They also try to eat well, but aren’t always able to. We’re surprised this percentage isn’t higher.

In general, Boomer consumers are looking for products higher in protein, and adding high-quality dairy protein to foods they’re already eating will be the easiest way to drive consumption. The meal most lacking protein and posing the greatest opportunities? Breakfast.

MARKETING INSIGHT: Manufacturers and commercial foodservices marketers, take note: Since this demographic is split on the benefit of taking pills, your industry will no doubt become the solution to some of these issues and trends as many would prefer to ensure their health through their diets. For those of you in the senior living industry, now is probably a good time to introduce healthy snacking options and education into your foodservice or wellness programs.

After years of excess in the realm of food, mature consumers have common concerns, and are taking a stand to control their diets. And as more and more people in this demographic continue their careers and postpone retirement, their reliance on unconventional, mobile-friendly meals and snacks will only increase.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Although there have been great strides in the study and treatment of memory care, the issue of the care environment itself is often criticized for lacking standardization. But a recent CNN segment spotlighted what could be a new model for care – a model that’s actually two decades old – and features the unlikely combination of memory support and independent living.

The world’s first and only “village” for dementia sufferers began as an experiment 20 years ago when a traditional skilled nursing facility in the Netherlands undertook an ambitious project to transform itself into an environment that would recreate the life their memory care residents had once known.

The six founders of Hogewey (aka “Dementiaville”) conceived the idea for a dementia “mecca” by asking themselves how they would like to live their final days should they be affected with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite opposition from the local and healthcare community, Hogeway was born.

Hogewey is a place where residents can live “normal” lives, without locks, with minimal medications, and doing the things they once loved – shopping, cooking, going to movies or a restaurant, and visiting the pub or the hairdresser. But in reality, they’re being constantly monitored by caretakers who staff the entire village and its attractions.

Those caretakers are also charged with making residents’ worlds seem as real as possible through food, music, individual home decorations and mood boards — or anything else that cater to their fond memories. Families have input in all functions of the village.

You can read the full article here.

MARKETING INSIGHT: People in Dementiaville will ultimately need 24-hour skilled nursing care – a level of care that urgently needs a set of regulations and standardization, particularly as the number of cases increases. However, for those who are still mobile and have some level of acuity, the concept is brilliant, as it addresses the familiar for those suffering from memory loss.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Less than two years ago, analysts were predicting the market for anti-aging products, services and innovations would grow to more than $114 billion, thanks to increasing demand from Boomers and seniors.

To uncover part of that demand, we need look no further than Project Looking Glass II. What does skincare have to do with senior services? On the surface, nothing. But in that study, many of our retirement community subjects were still in the workforce and planned to remain there. Apply that mindset nationwide, and you’ve got tens of thousands of potential customers who are still looking to maintain a youthful appearance to remain relevant in the workplace.

The analysts were right and wrong. While the market has indeed grown, it has become saturated, and the category’s main contingent consists of women over 55 who report being confused by the number of products as well as their claims.

The industry has responded (wisely) with a “stage not age” push, launching new products that address skincare beyond the physical signs of aging such as wrinkles, lines and age spots. New innovations include products that address skin needs due to changes in life stage – including hormonal changes. Yes, you read that correctly.

Manufacturers claim that decreased estrogen production associated with menopause or aging can affect the skin’s ability retain moisture or repair itself.

Anti-aging skincare products that address changing skin needs beyond just treating wrinkles may help to bolster category sales. Murad leads the way with its Resurgence® line, targeting consumers going through menopause. Vichy Laboratories collaborated with not only dermatologists, but also obstetricians, gynecologists and psychologists to understand how women’s hormonal changes impact the skin. Finally, Naterra International’s Phase+ line of skincare products is specifically designed to address the effects of diabetes, which tends to cause extremely dry, cracked skin.

It’s an interesting trend. And although it’s currently relegated to the high-end brands, experts are quick to point out that, given the competitive nature of the skincare industry, consumers will eventually see a lot of “me too” mass marketing.

MARKETING INSIGHT: The health and beauty market has always been a bit ahead of the curve, and they were early to realize the spending power of the mature market. Products that create unique positioning while addressing typical consumer concerns, as well as connecting a youthful appearance to workplace success are the opportunities.

Smart mature consumers already agree that lifestyle choices such as diet, sleep and exercise impact aging and its effects. However, products that speak to overall wellness, as opposed to just treating the physical signs of aging, could be winners.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

There have been great strides to become more environmentally conscious, as we uncovered in our recent Project Looking Glass II and Next Generation studies.

Based on new product introductions with green claims launched in the last five years alone, the title of “green” as a mainstream product feature appears to be firmly ingrained in both consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers’ offerings as well as in the minds of consumers.

That idea has trickled down into the mind of the mature market consumer as well. Today’s Boomers and seniors are much more environmentally conscious than their predecessors, thanks in part to education and intense messaging on the state, local and national levels, and to the social consciousness common among the Boomers, and starting to appear in the current Transitional Generation.

In the retirement living market, community “Green Teams” and recycling programs are now common. But for the older generations, thinking environmentally is often a learning process, while for the younger set, it has become part of their lifestyle. As we uncovered in our Next Generation research, there was still some amount of skepticism regarding the true impact on the world.

Knowing this mindset, today’s retirement communities are slowly realizing that they cannot simply be “green for green’s sake,” but need to incorporate these initiatives as a means to produce measurable results, as well as shorten the learning curve.

Here’s a great example: Our PLGII subject community, Frasier Meadows, was able to move from a dismal 70% to a 95% energy efficiency by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, high-efficiency boilers, occupancy sensors and 500 new windows. Residents and management alike saw the health benefits and long-term ROI.

MARKETING INSIGHT: In short, go ahead and be green, as long as it’s done in a practical, fiscally responsible manner and shows real results that benefit everyone.

Some communities have made efforts to overcome the notion that one person can’t make a difference by quantifying the environmental savings based on using their green initiatives, and differentiating their community to the environmentally-conscious.

From a marketing standpoint, a slightly different approach than the current crop of messaging (which centers on the cumulative savings based on “if everyone made these changes”) may need to be considered. Instead, providers may want to show how one single person’s annual – or lifetime – green habits can add up to savings on such things as plastic waste, pollution, and even money.

Sustainability and being “green” should be a collaborative effort. For residents, it should be promoted as paving the way for coming generations. For management, it should demonstrate corporate social responsibility, good stewardship of resources, and become a true point of differentiation.

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has some great tips and tools for making your community green without breaking the bank, and proving benefit to all.

Regards,

The Varsity Team