Businesses have long realized that the population of older adults in the U.S. is skyrocketing, and will keep doing so for some time. This is why so many of them are beginning to start marketing products more heavily for seniors. It is a big population, and there is a lot of potential for making money here. A lot of these things have been used within other demographics, but because of marketing reasons, they are being repackaged and dressed up in order to take advantage of the shift in the average age within the U.S. Some of this is legitimate, but some of it is not and should be avoided.
What it comes down to is that you need to be careful. Some companies truly have your best interests in mind, while others are just looking to make a few dollars and that’s it. You should always be cautious when looking for products and services for your elderly loved ones, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to ask yourself this question: will this help make their life better?
With a service like in-home care, the answer is yes. A caregiver is designed to take away the stress of the day by helping out with tasks like meal preparation, grooming and bathing, transportation, and companionship. Services that have your best interests at heart like these are not senior scams at all, but rather something designed to help make the days easier and people happier. If you find this in other services too, then that’s a good thing and should not be avoided. However, just beware that you should not overpay for these services. It is not ethical to overcharge someone just because they are of a different demographic. It’s almost akin to paying $8 for a slice of pizza just because you are at a concert or a park. The big difference is that in one place you are a captive audience. When buying things in the general marketplace, you are not and shouldn’t be forced to do so.
Other companies, like online matchmakers, might not have the most honorable motives. They might be looking just to make money off of a vulnerable market by selling them something that they don’t actually want or need. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, especially because every for-profit company does need to worry about remaining profitable. The best companies however, offer a service or a product that you want to spend money on because it’s designed to add value to your life. It’s like this in the senior care industry, too. A service is provided to make life better for those that need care and their families.
When you are looking for services for older loved ones, ask yourself if this is something that will help them out in any way before you begin. Take away all of the fancy marketing and gimmicks to see if it’s something that will help them, or if it’s something designed to just look like it will. As the senior population ages, there will likely be more and more of these types of marketing campaigns, so be aware and help your family to keep their finances safe.
Leave a Reply