Seniors and Social Media Project, Assessment Example

1. Identify five (five) senior websites (other than hospitals) that are associated with healthcare.
2. Elder helpers
3. Administration of Aging
4. AARP
5. Retirement Life Matters
6. Love to know senior citizens

a. Provide the website link (URL).

1. http://www.elderhelpers.org/index2.php
2. http://www.aoa.gov/
3. http://www.aarp.org/
4. http://www.retirementlifematters.com/
5. http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/Main_Page

b. Briefly describe the website’s purpose

Elder Helpers

The purpose of the Elder Helpers website is to help seniors with errands, groceries, cleaning their house and transportation free. Elder Helpers has 10,000 volunteers that are eager and waiting to help seniors that need assistance. The Elder Helpers volunteers spend their lives wanting to give back to the community. The volunteers all come from all different walks of life and have shared a personal profile for the senior to read, so they get a chance to know them. In addition, the personal profile can help a senior make a good decision on choosing the best fit for care and companionship.

Administration of Aging(AoA)

The purpose of the AoA website is to assist seniors with elderly care and rights. The website was directed towards helping coordinated cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.

AARP
The purpose of the AARP website is to provide seniors with excellent benefits such as saving 30% on all FDA-approved prescription not covered by your insurance, in addition to:

• Pharmacy card with access to 55,000 network retail pharmacies
• Discount is extended to family members including spouse, children and grandparents
• Major Medical Insurance
• Hospital Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Long Term Insurance

Retirement Life Matters

The Retirement Life Matters (RLM) website helps those over 50 participate and be successful in the new model of aging. RLM brings relevant topics and discussions to the forefront to this community and provides them with the tools needed to live a fulfilling life. With the help of RLM, people will enter this new chapter with the proper assets and resources to lead a life full of passion, purpose, and pleasure.
i. Is the website used as a marketing tool?

Yes. All five websites are used as marketing tools because many seniors utilize the internet for banking, retirement services, email, and daily needs using the Internet. Therefore, each website is strategically marketed to reach those seniors. The five senior websites has been listed as the top five websites for seniors and one the most utilized by seniors seeking advice and help. However, AARP has led the way for customer’s service excellence.

ii. Is the website used for customer services purposes?

AARP is one the best customer service websites because they provide so much pertinent information for the seniors about health insurance and life insurance benefits. However, over the years AARP has been lacking in customer service, which has open the doors for other companies to provide stellar customer service for seniors.

iii. Explain your answers.

Retirement Life Matters has taken customer service to the next level. They listen to seniors that could not get a real person with AARP or AARP has the black hole answering machine that makes seniors have to wait 15 to 30 minutes just to get a live person. The Retirement Life Matters reached out with customer service, free newsletters, senior retreats, and a blog radio dedicated to seniors.

2.With respect to seniors as a cohort, compare Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is easier for seniors are easy to use versus learning the new language and applications in Twitter. For seniors Twitter is valuable but Facebook is more in tune with families. Families plan weddings and family reunions using Facebook. Seniors are using both Twitter and Facebook because they are more active and their churches are using the communication channels to reach their members and keep in contact. Seniors have some many technology resources but Facebook and Twitter are trying to make it easy for the senior groups to communicate with families without worrying about learning different technologies. Seniors are fast-growing segment among social network users in 2011 33% of Internet users 65 and older were on social networks and Facebook tops the list and 4% of people over 65 in the U.S. are now using Twitter(Silverman 2012).

a. Which is better for marketing? Explain your answer.

Facebook is more family oriented and seniors have the easy way of communicating with families without learning a lot of technology. Facebook users tend to be more interested in keeping close tabs of family, friends, and their favorite brands by “liking” everything from celebrities to books to causes than is true for Twitter users.
b. Which is better for customer service? Explain your answer.

Facebook is better for customer service because they are driven to help customers versus Twitter is most online line help available. Facebook has a 24/7 platform that can help seniors any time of day or night. With news talking about Facebook gathering personal information, Facebook has made a conscious effort to provide better customer service for customers, especially seniors because they are becoming relevant in the use of social networks. However, Twitter is improving daily with their customer service support. At this time, Facebook is the best customer service option for seniors but tomorrow it maybe Twitter.

3. With respect to providers — compare Facebook and Twitter

Facebook has the best capabilities to help seniors with their customer service or application needs in real-time. Facebook has Live Support 24.7. Facebook provides a foundation that families are already using to help their senior members of the family to get involved. Facebook is easy for seniors to sign-up and responsive to any technical problems with live support. Twitter is easy to sign up but most seniors do not have time to watch every move someone makes but seniors are using Twitter as a tool to get the most current news. Even the seniors understand that Twitter is on the brink of news every second and every minute of the day. Twitter is gaining a reputation as a solid provider of social network because many businesses are using Twitter like never before, however Twitter may be more conducive to businesses, Facebook has some flaws that are sending more seniors to Twitter, Facebook is gathering so much personal information and using it for advertising but Twitter has not released a person’s private information to the public. Basically, Twitter cares more about your privacy and seniors are taking notice.

a. Describe how a physician group practice can use both to “engage” and communicate with seniors.

The new technology today use emails to keep seniors involved and communicating channels concerning their health. Physician offices need to provide more channels of communication for seniors including texting, cell phone, and email and faxing. They have some these channels available but do not utilize them.
b. Describe how a hospital can use both to “engage” and communicate with seniors. Hospitals can develop newsletters for seniors to learn about the hospital and what the hospital can offer. Hospitals can have senior day where they buy seniors meals so they can give presentations about what the physician office can offer that other offices do not offer. Many times physicians do not understand how difficult for senior patients to get to the office. They should provide a shuttle just for seniors. The hospitals can have senior day at the hospital-acknowledging seniors providing them with a free tour and lunch at the hospital. They can develop a better communication channel if they engage seniors to participate.
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages in using social medial for seniors?

Some of the seniors do not have access in some facilities to Internet or do not have the health to respond. The disadvantages are seniors have diverse needs, which are disabled, blind, or they do not have a computer or they cannot read the telephone at home because of their help.

The advantages are seniors using technology are easier to reach to verify or remind them of appointments or request additional information before an important surgery.
4. Select a hospital or hospital system in Florida and briefly examine their social media. Is the social media aimed at seniors? Explain your answer.

Baptist Hospitals Systems is an innovative hospital that caters to seniors. They have provided locations that house all the specialist physicians for seniors in one place just minutes away from the Baptist Hospital locations. Here is list of the Baptist Physician groups: Baptist Primary Care for seniors, Baptist Orthopedic, Baptist Pulmonary Specialist, Baptist Heart Specialist, and Baptist Age Well Physicians. This helps the senior make all their follow appointments because they can either choose one the physicians in the area or one of the practices in the Baptist Hospital.