Author: Varsity Team

We’re not referring to retirement communities, but rather the actual towns, cities and suburbs that are facing an aging tidal wave, and are still woefully unprepared to meet the needs of the growing senior population. A large number of older adults and around half of adults under the age of 60 still believe the areas where they currently reside have few to no preparations in place for the future, according to a new survey released by the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

The new survey, produced by NCOA, UnitedHealthcare and USA Today, showed that seniors have maintained a positive outlook in terms of their future and the aging process in general. When it comes to their health, most express little concern about their current health status, and not surprisingly, many report not investing in activities that are important to help manage their health for the long-term.

On the financial front, most seniors surveyed expressed a comfort level with their current financial situation, but are somewhat concerned about the financial impact of living longer. More than half of respondents (53%) said they are concerned about whether their savings and income will last the rest of their lives, while 33% were not concerned.

Both retirees and those retiring in the near future intend to rely on Social Security as their main source of income, shown in the survey as 43% and 41% respectively. Nearly 19% reported difficulty in affording living expenses, based on their current income and savings.

Community support was another issue altogether. Most seniors (71%) agree their community is “responsive to the needs of seniors.” But only around 30% of people aged 60 and older don’t believe the community is prepared to meet the future needs of an aging population, and a full 45% of those 18-49 don’t believe communities will be prepared to meet those needs at all.

Friends and family remain constants: seniors also say that staying connected with family and friends is important to maintaining a high quality of life.

You can read the executive summary report from The United States of Aging Survey here.

MARKETING INSIGHT: As far back as 2005, aging population studies were showing that while many communities have some programs to address the needs of an aging population, very few have a comprehensive assessment of what it would take to make their community “elder friendly.”

That’s also reflected in the retirement living industry, where there’s currently a major gap between family expectations and changing resident needs, and an industry completely unprepared for the “next generations.”

There needs to be a better way to educate the public on planning for the future, about their living accommodations and unexpected illnesses that are sure to increase as the population ages. Likewise, smart communities and the retirement living industry will need to find ways to inform their current residents – of all ages – on what products and services are available to help them, and how to access them. Click here for a “community checklist,” courtesy of About.com.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

If you’re a grandparent, you can still play a role in you adult grandchildren’s lives, and as a new study shows, they can help improve your life as well. Researchers have concluded that a strong relationship between grandparents and their adult grandchildren has real, measurable effect on one another’s psychological well-being.

Top-level findings indicated that a close emotional relationship between the generations was associated with fewer symptoms of depression for both. Also, giving tangible support to, or receiving it from grandchildren affected the psychological well-being of grandparents but not their grandchildren. That support, also called “functional solidarity” or “instrumental support,” includes good deeds: rides to the doctor, monetary assistance, help around the house, or simple advice.

The study also supports conventional folk wisdom that if a grandparent gets help but can’t give it, he or she feels badly.

“Grandparents expect to be able to help their grandchildren, even when they are grown, and it’s frustrating and depressing for them to instead be dependent on their grandchildren,” said study co-author Sara M. Moorman, Ph.D.

Methodology included data from the Longitudinal Study of Generations, a survey of 3- and 4-generartion U.S. families that had been collected between 1985 and 2004. Subjects included 376 grandparents with an average age of 77, and 340 grandchildren with an average age of 31.

Moorman also believes the research suggests that extended family members serve important functions in each other’s daily lives throughout adulthood, and that efforts to strengthen families shouldn’t simply focus on families with young children. It also indicates that helping older people remain functionally independent may aid their physical and psychological well-being.

“All people benefit from feeling needed, worthwhile, and independent,” she said. “In other words, leg Granddad write you a check on your birthday, even if he’s on Social Security and you’ve had a job for years.”

Source: American Sociological Association

MARKETING INSIGHT: It’s an interesting study, and it supports the important role of grandchildren as being influencers in their grandparents’ lives – from technology to care options. In many cases, this could be due to the rise in multigenerational households, or simply the grandparents’ desire to stay connected and ahead of the proverbial curve. For grandchildren, it’s a primer to stay in contact, whether the grandparent lives in a CCRC or on their own – in person or via Skype. In any case, marketers need to keep the grandkids in the loop when trying to reach the older contingent.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

You’ve probably heard someone refer to forgetting a name, date or person’s face as having a “senior moment.” But does testing whether someone recognizes Elvis or George Bush help diagnose rare forms of dementia?

A recent study asked people to name and recognize images of famous faces of the 20th Century, including Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Pope John Paul II and Barbra Streisand, to name a few. All the famous people selected were considered “cultural icons” and easily recognizable.

The test was given to 27 healthy adults and 30 people with a rare neurological condition called primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which causes problems with communication, especially spoken language, but does not affect other brain functions. PPA is one of the rarest types of dementia, and often attacks between age 40 and 65 – hitting the Boomer population.

The study was completed by researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago using their proprietary NUFFACE Test, and funded by the National Institute on Aging and National Center for Research Resources, among others. Results were published in the August 13 issue of Neurology. Although similar tests exist, researchers note that most are outdated and not appropriate to use with younger people affected by rare and specific forms of dementia.

Not surprisingly, those with PPA had significantly more difficulty naming and recognizing the famous faces. Researchers then tested whether the findings from the test were associated with changes to the brain structure using MRI. Again, those with PPA showed more atrophy in areas of the brain involved with both visual perception and language.

For a more in-depth look at the study, click here.

MARKETING INSIGHT: Despite the positive findings, this was a small study that only looked at the performance of people already diagnosed with one rare type of early dementia. It’s not clear whether this test would be accurate in diagnosing more common forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.

It seems as though more forms of early-onset memory issues have become prevalent in the Boomer demographic, pushing what had been previously viewed as “senility” up a few generations. As we saw in Project Looking Glass II and The Great Disconnect, memory support is top-of-mind for the “next generations,” and senior service providers must be ready – be that through preventative programs, wellness initiatives or even physical exams. We encourage more research, education and awareness on memory issues, and again, for nationally standardized methods of diagnosing and treating them.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Labor Day is a yearly national tribute to the contributions American workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. On this Labor Day, we’d like to thank those who are making a difference in the senior care industry, namely in the area of memory care.

We write about memory care a lot, and rightfully so. This issue is projected to become an even bigger tsunami than the actual aging of America, and will affect every aspect of the senior services industry, from CCRC occupancy to home- and community-based services. It’s expected that up to 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease by 2050, and that there will be only four caregivers available for every person 80 years old and above by 2030.

We know that cognitive and memory impairments can change how a person thinks, acts and feels – and those changes bring challenges for families and caregivers alike. For the caregivers, you’re on the forefront of something that has yet to be standardized, yet holds a lot of hope and opportunity. Despite the number of studies, observations, advancements and resources, in many cases, you’re learning as you go – whether you’re providing meaningful activities or medical care. You truly live in the moment.

Never forget: You can truly feel good about the service you provide. Rest in the fact that you’re helping families, helping to define an industry, and making people’s lives a little bit easier. For that, we salute you.

Regards,

The Varsity Team

Pharmacy chain Rite Aid recently launched the very first drugstore loyalty program for consumers age 65 and older, appropriately named wellness65+.

wellness65+ builds on the company’s successful wellness+, a free customer loyalty program. wellness65+ includes one special savings-day per month, and 24/7 access to a pharmacist. Members who purchase more also become eligible for greater discounts and additional wellness benefits, such as a gym membership.

The integrated marketing campaign features interesting clips of seniors who engaged actively in various activities such as water-fighting with grandchildren and swimming laps. A full-page ad running in AARP The Magazine shows an older woman on an amusement park ride with a child, with headline copy that reads, “Here’s to suddenly remembering where laugh lines come from. Feeling and living your best. Rite Aid is committed to helping you realize it, with exclusive, new benefits for seniors.”

Rite Aid also launched a 30-city bus tour to promote the program. At each stop, the company will partner with local senior organizations to host community wellness events, including free health screenings, seminars and pharmacist consultations.

Is it working? The company reports that wellness65+ had more than 25 million active members as of the end of the first quarter of the current fiscal year. Those program members also generated 77% of non-prescription sales and 70% of prescriptions filled in the same time period.

MARKETING INSIGHT: This program was probably a reaction to competition from other chains and large retailers like Walmart and Target, who offer discount prescription programs. But Rite Aid obviously sees the benefit of targeting Boomers and seniors – no doubt a large portion of their existing customer base.

Along with this loyalty program, perhaps the next step is to use customer information to develop mobile marketing plans for pharmaceutical products and prescription management, for example – something that would appeal to tech-savvy Boomers. Increasing the size of its senior patient base will also allow Rite Aid to provide additional services (like immunization and medication therapy management) to a demographic that will benefit the most from those services.

Regards,

The 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