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Sophisticated expectations in lifestyle and longevity
in lifespan mark a new look and feel to growing old.
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Old Stereotypes
When dealing with seniors and the
elderly, it is easy to fall back on stereotypes about the aging. Yet today’s
elderly are progressively changing what it means to be old. They value independence,
social connections, altruism, personal
growth and experiences. This means older
perceptions of who the elderly are and what they want will no longer
apply. Today’s elderly will not be
content with stereotypical bingo games or shuffle board at the nursing home as
their parents might have been. They will
expect to remain at home and actively participate in their lives and community.
Perceptions of aging have
changed. A look through this breakdown
of how the elderly traditionally viewed themselves in the past and how the elderly
of today perceive themselves will show how conventional perceptions of the
elderly are seriously out of date.
Traditional Elderly
• Identify all older people to
be about the same in outlook
• See age as a physical state
• Perceive themselves at or
near their chronological age
• Tend to feel, think, and do
things they feel
match their chronological age
• Feel that one should act one's age
• Feel life should be
dependable and routine
•Have less sense of being in
control of their own lives
• Low to average capabilities
as consumers, possess less self- confidence about making consumer
decisions.
• Some concern that they will
make a mistake when buying something
• They are not innovative
• Seek stability and a secure
routine
• Normal interest in gather possessions
• Lower measured life
satisfaction with some regrets over how they have
lived their lives.
• Perceive themselves to be of
normal health for their age
• Feel less secure financially
Today’s
Elderly
• Believe themselves to be
different in outlook than others the same age
• See age as a state of mind
• Perceive themselves as
younger than their chronological age
• Feel younger, think younger,
and behave in a more youthful manner
• Have a youthful outlook on
life
• Feel there is considerable
adventure in life and is willing to pursue it
• Have greater sense of being
in control of
their own lives
• Especially knowledgeable and
alert consumers, possess greater self-confidence about making consumer
decisions.
• Less concern that they will
make a mistake when buying something
• Innovative about selective
issues
• Seek new experiences &
personal challenges
• Less interested in
accumulating possessions
• Higher measured life
satisfaction with less regret over how they have
lived their
lives.
• Perceive themselves to be
healthier than more people their age
• Feel more financially secure
Understanding who the Elderly of
today are and how they perceive themselves is an important step to providing
care for them as they age. Physical care
needs for the aging will generally remain the same but attitudes and approaches
to providing that care will need to be adjusted to accommodate today’s elderly.
Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health
Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and
independent at home. HomeAid is sister
company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical,
spiritual, mental and health needs of their Residents since 1999. Together the two family owned companies
provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.
Sources:
“Journal of
Services Marketing” by Anil Mathur, Elaine Sherman, and Leon G. Schiffman. Retrieved from www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm
on 4/13/14.
