To develop senior care content that engages decision makers, you need to understand who the decision makers are and what is important to them. One way we do that at The Senior Care Specialists is through the use of personas. They provide us with a means of developing a personality for our senior care target audience. That helps us build senior care content that fits each potential decision maker.
Meet the Senior Care Decision Makers
For the majority of our aging services clients those personas are:
Dutiful Daughter – She is usually the oldest daughter or the daughter living closest to her parents. Because the average of a new assisted living resident is 86.7 we know the daughter will typically range in age from 45 to 68. Although there are certainly some daughters that fall outside those ranges. Depending upon the type of senior care, adult children are the major influencers between 60 and 80% of the time. The senior makes this decision on their own only 22% of the time.
We also include granddaughter in this category. As more and more grandparents are raising their grandchildren, we see granddaughters taking on the role of daughter in senior care.
Professional Supporters – These are the health care professionals (physicians, nurse practitioners), attorneys, estate planners, and financial advisors that are often involved with older adults. Their advice is valued and respected by seniors. Especially their primary care physician. Even the most resistant senior will often listen to the advice of their family physician.
Trusted Friend – Because our society is so mobile and families are often spread out across the country, friends and neighbors can sometimes play a key role in senior care decisions. While not family, they are loved ones who look after and help care for older adults.
Who does your senior care content speak to? Do you have resources that support these three personas?
As always, we love to hear from you! Please feel free to offer your suggestions in the Comments section below. You can also contact us directly if you’d like to Talk About Senior Care Content.