Promoting Food Intake in Older Adults Living in the Community, Marketing Plan Example

Introduction

Company X is an organization that provides meals, education, and care for young and old African Americans suffering from sickle cell disease in the southeast United States. Their services are based on meals on wheels programs. The meals on wheels program enable the elderly, the sick to remain to remain in their home with the help of their caregiver. Through the meals on wheels, home delivered meals are provided to persons who are unable to prepare their own meals and are at risk of going to a nursing home or be admitted to a hospital. Providing meal and care service reduce the need of such people from being admitted in care facilities, thus reducing the pressure to those facilities (Stoll, 2010).

The meals and wheel program provide meal service from Monday to Friday to eligible individuals in southeastern states. Meals are delivered between 10 AM-1PM. Eligible individuals may select one or two meals option. For those requiring additional meals, there are frozen meals available to eat on weekends. The meals are prepared by local organization with kitchen through contracts with Company X.

A fee of $2 per meal is charged per meal. The meals on wheels program largely depend on donation from local community, government and volunteer for funds, containers and other operational expenses. In addition, volunteer service provides drivers for delivery of meals. Furthermore, with collaboration with many hospitals in the American southeast, Company X also offers education service to people with sickle cell anemia.

Organization History

Joe Schmo founded Company X 1980 to offer care for young sickle cell anemia patients. Since then the organization has grown in term of its network and the type of services offered. Currently, the organization has broadened its services to provide care to elderly African Americans in the southwest through meals on wheels. In addition, with collaboration with local hospitals, the organization offers education service to those who care for elderly people and sickle cell anemia patients. The meals on wheels program is a unique model and it will help Company X reduce overheads by utilizing mobile vending units to provide meals to the target groups.

The organization’s mission statement is, “we are committed to the healing process, promotion of health and provision of passionate care to all persons”. The organization vision is “to deliver patient focused, safe, quality and compassionate health care service to all persons, within the limit of available resource”. The organization value “we are committed to these values; compassion, dignity, excellence, safety, common good and respect. The care and service that the organization provides are geared to meet the need of over 10000 African American people residing in the American southwest.

Situational Analysis

The demographic data shows that:

• The United States population is growing older and becoming frail
• As the aging progress the demand for service offered by Company X will continue to grow
• The southwest has the highest number of sickle cell anemia cases in the US.
• It is expected that with the advancement of technology population will live longer; technologies will also increase the desire to live healthier and more balanced lifestyles
• It is important for institution responsible giving care be mindful of the changing health needs of this vulnerable group

Furthermore, there are growing tendencies where individuals want to maintain their independencies. These tendencies will create society where individual will want to receive care at their homes. Such trend will increase the demand of home based service. In addition offering institutional care is becoming more demanding since it is expected that those person accessing care will require a much higher level of care than is currently offered, this creates the need of specialized centers (Boles & Winsor, 2012).

In terms of economics, it is expected that the economic situation will continue to be hard for most of the US citizens. In the recent past, the cost of living has been gradually increasing. This trend is expected to continue in the next 10 years. The level of inflation is also expected to continue rising. This means that families will continue to experience financial hardships such as in ability to pay for basic services such as food. The new meals on wheel survive will therefore be very important (Uhr, 2005).

In addition, with increase in population, and emergence of new type of complications, the institution expected to provide care are going to continue facing pressure for new beds, or specialized equipments in order to maintain higher standard of care. Lack of for instance, bed space will mean more people requiring care will be forced to receive the service at their home. Thus, the needs for home based care will increase.

In terms of politics, the ongoing changes in the government in response to pressure for new services and economic meltdown will stress the available resources for health. Furthermore, new information management in the health care, patient reporting, the continued emphasis on patient-centered care and need for privacy will put more pressure care providers, and call for other option such as home based care (Keller, 2007).

From the situation analysis, it is clear that the potential for growth demand of home based service in southeast is enormous. Indeed, for the following five years, Company X administrations are certain to experience gigantic development. Building up itself as the first mover for the meals on wheel program in the area, Company X will appreciate the first mover favorable position. It is likewise expected that in the following five years contender will enter the business sector. Company X has set goals to assist at least over 10000 African America in south-west. One important thing to note is that, the projected increase in demand for home based services will increase the need for volunteers and will require families to become more involved in the provision of meals and other the health service to residents and the patients.

SWOT Analysis

According to Stevens, Loudon, and Warren, (2011), the SWOT analysis provides the opportunity to examine the internal strength and weakness that Company X must address. It also allows us to examine the opportunities presented to Company X as well as the potential threats.

Strengths

1. Long-term commitments to individuals
2. Caring volunteers
3. Ability to keep up with new technology
4. Professionally dedicated staff
5. Excellent and strong leaders at all level within the organization
6. Community focused
7. Willingness to grow and strive for success
8. Growing need for home based service
9. Proximity to urban areas
10. Ability to form string partnership with others; Affiliation with teaching facilities

Weakness

1. Voluntary activities are subject to availability of funding. This lead to gaps in services since the resources is limited
2. Un balanced regional network
3. Access to specialist, difficulties in recruiting professional staff and physicians
4. No 24 hours services
5. Changing in old way of doing things
6. Transportation of the staff
7. Space limitation in the resident rooms

Opportunities

1. Population growth
2. Staff wellness program
3. Development of greater community partnerships
4. New funding: Increase in aging population and sickle cell patients will lead to more funding and policy development.
5. The is currently lot of interest to understand aging and sick cell anemia
6. Expand of transport services
7. Improvement of IT services.
8. Opportunity of strong community volunteer program

Threats

1. Uncertainty in funding
2. Competition for resource and staff
3. Rapid growth of the elderly people and sick cell anemia patients
4. Pay equity
5. Loss of community capacity for honoring and understanding by peoples as they go through aging process
6. Potential loss of autonomy in the way health service is evolving

Strategies for the future

The evaluation indicates that Company X have strengths that will enhance its excellence. The strength include, growing case of patient with sickle cell anemia, and aging population, ability to keep up with new technology and availability of professionally dedicated staff among others. Qualities are significant yet it is critical to understand the shortcoming that Company X must address. The weakness include; gaps in services due to inadequate resource, unbalanced regional networks, limited storage space and difficulties in recruiting professional staff.

The Company X qualities will help it to gain by developing open doors, for example, new financing (increment in maturing populace will prompt even more subsidizing and strategy advancement), extending transport framework and increment sought after of home based administrations. Company X should bear in mind threats such as; uncertainty in funding, pay equity, rapid growth of aging population and loss of autonomy in the way health service is evolving

Some of the key strategies that Company X should follow include

1. Nature and strengthen relationships with the community
2. Build partnerships with stake holders such as government and other health care providers
3. Maintain the required standard of their services
4. Enhance educational opportunities among its staff in order to increase competence
5. Ensure that professional staff is fully utilized
6. Advocate for air and equitable funding from the government
7. Nature and strengthen commitment prevention, control of infections, risk avoidance and aggressive behavior.
8. Continue seeking new opportunities for finding in order to assure high quality of service, new capital improvement of major infrastructure.

In conclusion, the future of Company X is bright however, it needs to use it strength to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In addition, Company X should maximize on its strengths, improve on its weaknesses, and enact strategies to counter its threats.

Reference

Boles, J. C., & Winsor, D. L. (2012). Learning, Growing, and Connecting in Sickness and in Health.

Keller, H. (2007). Promoting food intake in older adults living in the community: a review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 32, 991-1000.

Stevens, R. E., Loudon, D. L., & Warren, W. E. (2011). Marketing planning guide. New York: Haworth Press.

Stoll, M. L. (2010). Moral Guidelines for Marketing Good Corporate Conduct Online.

Uhr, E. B. (2005). Marketing problems: Situations for analysis. New York: Wiley.