The Business of Aging

New Twitter List - The Business of Aging

I recently (I know, late to the party) started a Twitter account for SeniorCareMarketer.com to share timely news on the senior and Boomer marketplace so I invite you to follow us on Twitter. 

I quickly realized there are some really fabulous Twitter accounts on the subject of Aging, Boomers and senior care. So I am building a Twitter List that aggregates these various Twitter accounts.  The List is The Business of Aging and I invite you to follow the list.

If you know of any Twitter accounts that I should add to this list please let me know. I tend to favor non promotional Twitter accounts that provide useful news on the space. Check it out here.

Disruptive Demographics: The Future of Retirement

I've been spending time this morning on Disruptive Demographics,  an online publication providing insights on the convergence of global aging and technology on business innovation and public policy.

Disruptive Demographics draws upon original research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, business cases, cross-national data, developments in technology, and lifestyle trends to present new thinking about old age.

In particular I wanted to share two audio interviews with Joseph Coughlin on the subject of disruptive demographics and the future of retirement – best characterized by the baby boomer’s new expectations for old age.

The next generation of retirees are more likely to demand the opportunity to remain engaged, productive, and to have the flexibility to work, care, learn and play in old age. What opportunities for business innovation do these expectations create? What personal and public challenges are ahead?

Listen to these excellent interviews with Joseph Coughlin - really interesting stuff.

Part 1. An Introduction to Disruptive Demographics 
Part 2. Envisioning Retirement Tomorrow  

Carefully Consider What Ads You Place on Your Web Site and Blog

The quickest way to kill your blog's credibility (for me at least) is to place random and uncontrolled advertisements like Google Adsense on your blog. Unfortunately, increasing numbers of blogs and other content publishers in the senior care space seem to be doing this.

I cannot tell you how many times I get notified by my news aggregation software of what appears to be a great article on an interesting Boomer or senior care topic only to click through to the article and find AdSense dominating the page (see image below as an example).

And when I see these I immediately leave the site - and my guess many other people do as well.

Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with placing ads on your web pages and blogs but you must understand that the types of ads you choose to place impact your company and brand credibility. And I believe AdSense kills credibility because (a) anyone can place these ads on their site and (b) you have no control over what types of ads show up and (c ) too many sites have abused AdSense by creating a bunch of junk sites for the sole purpose of making a small commission each time one of these ads is clicked. So by participating in this game you are guilty (of no credibility) by association.

Telecare: Packaged Technologies to Help Peope Age in Place. Very Cool.

An article from the Asian Leader titled "Home care service using technology launched"   discusses how technology can be used to help people age in place. Nothing really new (in terms of technologies) are discussed but how they package the technologies is what's interesting.

The packaged services are called "Telecare". In fact, there is an association dedicated to the concept in the UK - its called the Telecare Services Association. In their words:

"…..elecare is as much about the philosophy of dignity and independence as it is about equipment and services. Equipment is provided to support the individual in their home and tailored to meet their needs. It can be as simple as the basic community alarm service, able to respond in an emergency and provide regular contact by telephone. It can include detectors or monitors such as motion or falls and fire and gas that trigger a warning to a response centre staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…."

The West Sussex county council  is an example of how one community is implementing Telecare equipment, enabling their  residents to continue living safely and independently in their own homes and communities. The equipment can raise an alert to a call center, monitor a person's wellbeing and environment and trigger a warning if this changes, and can provide immediate feedback to help with memory problems. It is hoped the equipment will prevent hospital admissions and support residents discharged from hospital to return home safely.

Telecare equipment enables vulnerable people to use technology, such as community alarm and pendants, fall detectors, movement sensors, medication dispensers and bed and chair sensors. But it can also help people communicate and stay mentally healthy. Examples of Telecare products may include:

• Bed and chair occupancy sensors
• Emergency caller buttons
• Enuresis sensors
• Epilepsy sensors
• Fall detectors
• Flood detectors
• Gas detectors
• Lifeline boxes and alarm triggers
• Passive infa red (PIR) detectors
• Property exit sensors
• Smoke detectors
• Temperature sensors
• Memory aids
• etc…………

Again, nothing new but the value is how they are all packaged together and delivered into the community. A benefit to ALL.

Anyone want to start a USA version of The UK's National Telecare and Telehealth Association? 

SeniorCareMarketer.com Article explains Web 2.0 search engine marketing and PR campaigns.

Our final installment of a three-part series teaches how to leverage your  original content and SEO through marketing campaigns and social networking.

Companies that boast a dazzling, search-optimized Web site brimming with innovative content may still fail to get noticed without consistent marketing and PR activities.

That’s the theme of our latest SEO article which focuses mainly on Web 2.0 search engine marketing tactics while still encouraging traditional marketing and PR campaigns. The article is titled “Using Traditional and Search Engine Marketing (and Social Networking) to Leverage Your Investments in Original Content and SEO".

New media tactics are explained such as search-optimized press releases, direct e-mail marketing, podcasts, webcasts, blogging and more. Social networking vehicles such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, online directories and syndicated content are also examined. It’s all designed to help senior care companies increase their Internet visibility, Web traffic and maintain high search engine rankings—which translate to increased sales leads.

It’s now available (free download) at SeniorCareMarketer.com. Enjoy.