Surprising Data on Aging Services Perception
Unlike other services such as landscaping or asset management – to pick two at random – the subject of Aging Services often elicits emotional responses on the part of consumers. In my responsibilities at Cross Keys Village, I am reminded of this frequently as I monitor social media for trends in our field. Factual stories about Aging Services on pages as neutral as those of NPR or AARP attract the passionate comments you would expect under more controversial material.
Over the years I thought I understood the nature and the scope of this phenomenon. I sensed that having one’s parents in a Senior Living setting was internalized as a failure by many, a dereliction of duty. Even considering Senior Living as an option was fraught. I perceived adult children’s tension and guilt as they balance convenience, cost and other factors. It sounded as if the later chapters in Mom and Dad’s story were meant to involve painful sacrifice on grown children’s part, possibly to atone for the sacrifices Mom and Dad had made while bringing children up.
This heavy, psychoanalytical view of mine was considerably lightened last week, when I became aware of a new campaign by LeadingAge, the trade association of nonprofit Aging Services providers. The campaign, titled “Opening Doors to Aging Services,” is designed to confront numerous misconceptions head-on. Not only the misplaced opinion that Senior Living settings are to be avoided, but also the corollary that aging is synonymous with decline and dependence.
In an illuminating presentation, LeadingAge shared numbers that stunned me: only 20% of the public sees Aging Services unfavorably, while 45% are aware of Senior Living’s benefits and a whopping 35% has no opinion. Of great significance was the following: Among those who have experience with aging services, 68% say it was positive, and 70% would recommend the services to others. As the LeadingAge presenters summed it up, “To know us is to love us.”
I look forward to further training on the subject and to the opportunity to educate the 35% still without an opinion. This will involve finetuning Cross Keys Village’s message in alignment with the comprehensive findings of the opinion survey. Some of the Opening Doors material is open to all and may be of interest to our villagers and readers of our blog.
OPENING DOORS TO AGING SERVICES
Oliver Hazan – Vice President of Sales and Marketing