Trend paper

It has been very interesting doing this trend paper. Even though I have been a nurse for many years, I have learned to continue to do research on trends in healthcare to make sure that my patients have the options to looks at when making decisions on their healthcare.

Marketing to the generations

I learned a new term today: "Spring greens" (16-19 year olds)

This generation are the advance guard for an environmental movement that will find new answers to industrial age problems. A small group in adult terms at the moment, they were born between 1989 and 1992, so are now teenagers. Unlike the baby boomers, less than half of them care about society, but nearly half of them say online social communities are very important to them. They are likely therefore, to be even more tribal than generation Y. They worry about their safety in public places, but their greatest concern is for their ‘green credentials’, with 20% being hardcore environmentalists and 25% saying they choose their friends based on green attitudes and values.

http://www.mycustomer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=133804

Medical house calls

www.futureofaging.org/publications/pub_documents/house_calls.pdf

http://www.mobilemedicalpractice.com/

Additional information on medical house calls.

"Who's going to take care of the baby boomers?"

This is an interesting article about "who is going to take care of the baby boomers?". According to the statistics, there will not be enough geriatricians when the 78 million baby boomers begin to turn 65 in 2011.( according to a new Institute of Medicine report). By 2030, there will be an estimated 8,000 geriatricians, but the nation will need 36,000.

www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/05/05/prl10505.htm

Taking care of the baby boomers

I thought this was an interesting article. Everywhere you go these days, you meet someone who's caring for a parent, brother, sister or friend living at home. I thought this was interesting as I was doing research on trends in healthcare. Take a look.

www.taking-care-of-mom-at-home.com

Advertising to Baby Boomers Book

I feel that this book is based on the experiences and opinions of the author rather than on research. One benefit that the book does have is some book and web resources to utilize.

Trends in healthcare- Physician home visits

A new trend is arising in healthcare. In some areas of the country, particularly on the east and west coasts, physicians are making doing home visits their business. This is benefiting the frail elderly, parents with young children that are sick, etc. This is an option rather than going to the clinic or ER for a visit. Many people are too sick to go to the clinic, but not sick enough for a ER visit. I think that this is a very good thing. I think it is important for physicians to see clients in their own environment. They can get a better, and broader picture of everything that is going on in the patients life. It is interesting that what physicians did many years ago is now coming around full circle.

Internet trends in healthcare

The new generations are looking more and more at self-directed care and self-managed care. Often, when people are not feeling well, they will go to the internet to research on their symptoms or diagnoses. Here is one website to go to for information about your health.
www.webmd.com

Trends in healthcare- end of life choices

Today, more than ever, people are facing their mortality head on. People diagnosed with a life limiting illness have many options available. Hospice is designed to support the choice of people who have decided to manage end of life for themselves. Hospice allows patients to experience the disease in its normal course while managing symptoms as they arise, rather than pursuing curative treatment. I have worked as a hospice nurse in my career and I have definitely seen the benefits of having a hospice program available to the community. It gives people another avenue of choice when dealing with their healthcare. Many people want to die in their own homes and a hospice program may help a person to meet this objective.

Home health

Home health is a health care service that works with client's in their homes, where ever that may be. Skilled homecare can provide skilled nursing, aide, or therapy services. The patient must be home bound to receive these services. This service is short term, intermittant care. The focus is to treat and educate patients so that they recover quickly and are able to self manage their care. Home health also has a couple other programs. This is personal care and supportive care. You do not need to be home bound for these services. The focus on these programs is to assist patient's to keep them in their own homes. Personal care workers assist with things such a bathing, dressing, light transfers, meal preparation , medication reminders, etc. Supportive care workers do not do any "hands on care". They do meal prep., house cleaning, run errands, shop for clients, take people out in the community, etc. The trends in health care are really supporting "in the home care".

Trends in healthcare

Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. One aspect of telehealth is remote monitoring. Many home health agencies are using "technology" to help serve their clients. The nurse may set up monitoring equipment in the home of the client in which the client can take their blood pressure, pulse, weight, etc. in the home independently or with the assist of someone and then the results are immediately transmitted to the computer at the home health agency. The agency can put in indicators that may flag for need for an intervention; example: blood pressure range or weight gain/loss. The staff can use this information for medication monitoring or help to increase a clients abilities to self-manage their healthcare. They have found that this has helped to reduce hospitalizations. This technology is very beneficial to home health agencies in rural areas where distance between clients can be a lot. Some monitoring equipment can have video cameras on them so the nurse can also get a visual on the client without actually going to the home.

Happy Fourth of July!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvBFkgErV9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RssIN3ustUw

The aging of boomers

Product failure

I saw on the news this AM a newscast on Starbucks Coffee is closing 600 stores in the near future. This company did have very rapid growth in the past and now they are seeing a decline. Their stocks have shown a drop. They are trying to recover from their rapid growth. They foresee that they will open different stores in 2009, but will be searching out a more lucrative market.

Baby Boomer and Alzheimer's Disease

I thought that as we are looking at trends, the effect that Alzheimer's Disease may have on the Baby Boomer population is something to look at. Possibly increased marketing for healthcare.

http://a.abcnews.com/Health/story?id=4475644&page=1

www.alz.org/national/documents/release_031808_2008_facts_and_figures.pdf

Trend paper

I want to focus my trend paper on the focus of home-based health care. Example: home care, home physician visits, medical websites, etc.

http://boomer-living.com/homeshopping/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50

Please look at above site on the trends for baby boomers towards home care services.

Advertising to Baby Boomers

Baby boomers are the largest demographic, the primary target market. Boomers are the richest generation in history as a whole- those 46 and older control more than half of the nation's discretionary income. One comment made was that Baby Boomers are still ' the single most vibrant and exciting consumer group in the world". I agree! (Since I am in this group). One way to capture the attention of the baby boomers is to use humor. Use a witty turn of a phrase, a humorous slant on things, etc. Make sure the wit is not derogatory and the humor is not embarrassing. One key marketing tip was to make sure you do not criticize or alienate a secondary or hidden market group. When developing a marketing campaign for baby boomers, focus on the product or service and not the age the consumer happens to be. As baby boomers get older, they do not want change, but to continue life as it has been. They want a seamless transition. Some sociologists predict that retirement communities in the future will be based on common interests, example: gardeners, motorcyclists, vegetarians, the arts, etc. Others say that Baby Boomers may shun retirement communities and opt for a mixed community. Due to the Baby Boomers focus on health, marketers should focus on this. Examples, bike trails, walking/running trails, ergonomics, etc. Another concept discussed is "aging in place". This really is the focus now. People want to stay in their own homes and continue life as it has been. Baby Boomers love to read and will want to know everything about a product. They are not looking for change but are looking for products that compliment their lives and help them create more choices.

I am not surprised by this information. Since I am in the baby boomer group, I totally agree that I do not want change but a transition as I get older. I feel that now, I am at a point in my life where I am still young enough to do anything I want yet. I am still very young at heart, and definitely do not consider myself "old". Baby Boomers generally are eager to try new technology, they just want to know all about it and have all the pertinent information. Most baby-boomers are going into a transition now, where their children are grown, and they may have more time and money on their hands. More people are then looking to travel, buy things that they could afford before, or advance their educations.