I was reading an article recently where someone
said she thought of her parents as old when they were in their
late 50s. Now that she is in her late 50s, she thinks that is young.
And how about those who were startled, if not somewhat offended,
when that AARP invitation arrived on their 50th birthday?
Kirk Douglas was interviewed in a recent issue of Newsweek magazine
and he feels being in his early 90s is fine. He enjoys this time
in his life — of being able to give back to others and enjoying
things that he perhaps didn’t have time for during his working
career.
In my own career in health care, the industry used to refer to
those age 85 plus as the “old-old.” That’s wrong.
My dad is 86 and he’s not old-old — at least he doesn’t
act like it. He still mows his own lawn and sometimes my sister’s
lawn. He still builds things with his grandson and washes his own
car. He still fixes my broken necklaces and kitchen appliances.
Please let me be among the old-old someday if that’s what
it’s like!
It is so freeing to understand that getting to be old-old, as we’ve
talked about in earlier blogs, isn’t just a matter of genetics.
It’s about eating right, exercising, socializing and all
those good things. It’s also about paying attention to your
finances and thus how well off you will or won’t be in those “golden
years.”
It’s interesting to note how advertisers relate to the “old,” which
many of them define as the “over-50 crowd.” Wow. They’re
missing out on a market segment that has money to spend and interests
to satisfy. Did you know it’s reported that 12,000 Ohioans
turn 60 every month?
There was a great article in the Plain Dealer on Aug. 23 that talked
specifically about marketing to us over-50ers. We have $8 trillion
in assets and more than 70 percent of U.S. disposable dollars.
Wouldn’t vendors love to get into them pockets! The newspaper
article noted that while over half the cars sold in the country
are purchased by those over age 50, only 10 percent of auto ad
budgets are spent in wooing that age bracket. And a quarter of
Vespa scooters are bought by that consumer group, but basically
zero marketing dollars are earmarked to entice them.
There is the notion that older folks are brand loyal and thus advertising
is wasted since it won’t sway them. Research tells us that’s
not true; they will and do. The author of the book “Advertising
to Baby Boomers” says marketing to them has to be different
in terms of presentation, but the return on investment can be great.
The author notes that ad agencies employ young creative professionals
who either don’t want to advertise to an older generation
or don’t know how to. One ad agency executive says his firm
is moving away from demographic advertising and toward psychographics,
which is defined as the study of personality, values, attitudes,
interests and lifestyles. Interesting … and smart, I’d
say.
As Mark Twain said, age is mind over matter. If you don’t
mind, it doesn’t matter. Young, old or somewhere in between,
life is what you make of it. You can be a real grump in a young
body or embrace life to the fullest in an older one. Excuse me,
I have to run. I think I hear my dad starting to mow my lawn now!
I am a native of Cadiz, Ohio (the infamous
birthplace of Clark Gable), a resident of Fairlawn, Ohio, and
am the president of Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates, which
is the largest comprehensive home health care system in Ohio.
I am also a Fellow of Hospice and Home Care, one of only a few
so designated in the United States by the National Association
for Home Care. At Kent State University, I received both bachelors
and masters degrees.
I’ve always been interested in the
health care industry and especially as that relates to services
for the senior population.
That has led me to be involved in many community organizations
such as the Senior Independent Living Coalition and Social Services
Advisory Board in Summit County.
I’m privileged to have
been recognized for my professional work over the years, including
Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Woman
of Note; Northern Ohio Live’s Top Woman Rainmaker Award;
2006 Extraordinary Woman Award from the Akron Beacon Journal;
and more.
I’m a baby boomer. One of 78 million in fact.
Lost in a crowd — no
way! Baby boomers and those before us will leave and have left
their mark on America for generations to come. Now that’s
exciting.
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