The Golden Years
Elder Care
Promotions for seniors focus on healthy living and active retirement
In 2015, the global population of adults ages 65 and older was 8.5 percent of the total population. By 2025, U.S. Census researchers estimate an increase of approximately 236 million members of this demographic, from 617 million to 853 million. In fact, before the year 2020, the world will be home to more people over 65 than children under age five.
In the U.S., the market for seniors encompasses healthcare solutions as well as opportunities for active living and senior-focused recreation. Sue Grzybowski, a marketing and promotional analyst for HALO Branded Solutions based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has provided promotional services for hospice care and in-home care clients and says their messaging needs to extend beyond patients to the service providers who care for them.
“The hospice gave items to the hospital facilities to encourage them to look to the hospice” for end-of-life patient care, Grzybowski explains. “Our goal was to get the information closer to doctors, and we did that by getting pens into their hands, that way they would have the contact information in front of them. It was a very successful program.”
The hospice employees also received targeted promotions in the form of useful bags and notepads, while patients have received pill boxes as branded giveaways, she adds.
Grzybowski’s home-care client wanted to expand its own presence in the marketplace, so she supplied them with pens and sticky notes to use as leave-behinds with physicians and hospitals. “These worked really well,” she says. “The company name was visible. We also did travel mugs, and bags for the home-care nurses as well.”
To put the right products in clients’ hands, Grzybowski says the most important thing to know is what their needs are. “Do they want to give their residents things, or do they want something to give out to doctors and caseworkers?”
“It’s not always about the senior—sometimes it’s about the sales aspect. But when you find out what their needs are, then you can help.”
Pick functional products like these for focused promotions.
Give hardworking caregivers a rest with the Sleep Mask PM Kit. The kit includes a sleep mask, ear plugs and U.S.-made lavender pillow spray, all packaged in an organza cinch pouch. Silkscreen a logo on the mask, and pad-print a message on the spray bottle. The mask and bag are available in several colors.
Fast Track Promos PPAI 258623 www.fasttrackpromos.com
Keeping track of daily prescriptions is a breeze with the AM/PM Jumbo Easy Scoop pill box. Designed to easily remove pills from the 14 large compartments that hold seven days’ worth of twice-daily pills, the box features a white base that can be imprinted, and a choice of color options for the lid. It can be labeled in standard and Braille letters.
BIC Graphic PPAI 114187 www.bicgraphic.com
Make brands more memorable with an embroidered patch for uniforms, staff apparel and thank-you gifts. These patches are produced with high quality colorfast polyester thread and fabric. Patches can be made in custom die-cut shapes or as standard rectangles in a variety of sizes.
World Emblem International, Inc. PPAI 287527 www.worldemblem.com
Residents stay warm and sturdy on their feet in a pair of fuzzy slipper socks with slip-resistant dot-grip soles to prevent falls. Decorate with a Fusion embroidery applique or patch, or a Fusion Sublimation DigiPrint applique or patch.
Suntex Industries PPAI 113094 www.mainstsun.com
Give ‘em a helping hand with an extendable shoe horn. When it’s compact it measures 11.5 inches long, but fully extended it reaches 30.5 inches. Choose from blue or lime green and imprint for customization.
Beacon Promotions PPAI 113702 www.beaconpromotions.com
Polish up any campaign with an eyeglass repair kit. This 13-piece kit includes three screwdrivers (Phillips, flat and punch), magnifiers, a lens-cleaning cloth, four eyeglass screws and four nose pads (two soft and two clear).
Essef Distributors PPAI 383490 www.lincolnline.com
Keep a record of medications handy for the doctor with a Medication Record Keeper that contains tips and lets you record dosage, time and uses, as well as prescription numbers. The keeper folds into the size of a credit card and is printed on gloss-coated card stock.
Fields Manufacturing PPAI 111951 www.fieldsmfg.com
State Of Health
Healthy life expectancy for Americans who reach age 65 varies by state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Throughout much of the Southeast and parts of the upper Midwest, fewer than 13 percent of men are estimated to enjoy a healthy life expectancy. Women in the same regions vary more widely, from around 13 percent in the Gulf states to 15 percent or more in Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Factors that contribute to the lower percentages include smoking, morbid obesity and high blood pressure.
The Fountain Of Youth
What’s helping us live longer? In part, health care. Treating and preventing heart disease and diabetes in adults has led to an increase in life expectancy of at least three years for men, and four for women. Men who quit smoking stand to gain an additional two years.
By the time they reach 85, women in the world outnumber men by two to one.
Global life expectancy reached 68.8 years in 2015; a girl born today is expected to live nearly 71 years, while a boy is given almost 67 years.
Americans who live to age 65 can expect to enjoy another 19 years. If you make it to 80? Look forward to another nine.
The Old Folks’ Home – A History
Prior to the 20th century, older citizens with little means who were no longer working and had no family to live out their days with would end up in almshouses. First established in Britain, almshouses in early America were often located on farms where crops were sold to support the facility. While some religious groups also established homes for the elderly, most were relegated to living alongside society’s “throwaways”—the mentally ill or severely disabled.
The turn of the century, and later the Social Security Act of 1935, brought new levels of assistance to seniors. Government officials believed providing a small pension would help alleviate the cost of keeping almshouses afloat. Around this time, private nursing homes began to crop up around the country. The passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 helped boost the growth of the industry, and the number of nursing homes grew by 140 percent between 1960 and 1976. By 1979, more than 75 percent of elderly citizens not living in their own homes were residing in commercial nursing homes.
The mid-20th century also saw the creation of something different, something for seniors who were still able-bodied and active, who wanted a community that catered to their interests and needs. In 1960, real estate developer Del Webb Corporation opened its first Sun City in Arizona. The community was such a hit that all 400 of its first planned homes were sold within the first month; 2,000 homes were sold by the end of that first year.
Real World Solutions
Case studies from the industry
Emblematic Assistance
A large company that provides assistance services to the elderly wanted to brand itself in a recognizable way, so World Emblem provided a guide dog patch to use on apparel worn by representatives of the company. While the emblems are a small item, they are a valuable part of the company’s brand recognition.
Source: World Emblem
Branding Notes
A chain of senior care facilities wanted to boost its name recognition, so it handed out 5-inch by 7-inch notebooks to potential residents and family, as well as event attendees. The notebooks were branded to include the company’s phone number for a visible, functional promotion.
Source: Hit Promotional Products
Scrolling For Services
A hospice care facility needed to provide local physicians and caseworkers with a quick reference point for their services that included information on patient qualifications as well as the facility’s brand and services. An easy-to-use fact sheet was created that outlined the relevant information and it was incorporated into a promotional banner pen. The pen features a two-sided scroll that unrolls to reveal the information and the client’s brand. As a result, the client received several patient referrals.
Source: HALO Branded Solutions
Fast Facts About Senior Living In The U.S.
Number of assisted living facilities – 30,200
Number of nursing homes – 15,600
Number of hospice agencies – 4,000
82 percent – proportion of assisted living facilities with for-profit ownership
68 percent – proportion of nursing homes with for-profit ownership
60.2 percent –proportion of hospice agencies with for-profit ownership
835,200 – number of assisted living facility residents
1.4 million – number of nursing home residents
1.3 million – number of hospice patients
Source: Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (2013-2015)
Home, Sweet Home
55places.com, an online community for active adults ages 55 and older, listed the 55 Best 55+ Communities in America for 2016. Criteria for selection were crafted from feedback, research and on-site tours. More than 500 communities were reviewed for the list. Here are the top 10.
- The Villages – The Villages, Florida
- Sun City Texas – Georgetown, Texas
- Sun City West – Sun City West, Arizona
- On Top Of The World – Ocala, Florida
- Laguna Woods Village – Laguna Woods, California
- Holiday City at Berkeley – Toms River, New Jersey
- Sun City Grand – Surprise, Arizona
- Sun City Center – Florida
- Sun City – Arizona
- Century Village at Deerfield Beach -- Florida