Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Market research
A profile of aging America
The United States Census Bureau recently released a brief profile of older Americans to commemorate Older Americans Month 2013. Using a by-the-numbers approach, this profile includes the following statistics about an evolving target market.
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So you want a wellness center. But is it feasible? by Margaret A. Wylde, PhD
Just about every community touts its wellness center, regardless of the size, features, services, amount of programming or use. Now your community is considering adding one. The first question to ask is, “Why do you want a wellness center?” Are your residents clamoring for it? Do you believe a new center is essential to compete in the future? Do you feel a bit hammered by the competition because they have a nice, new wellness center and you don’t? ... It’s essential for a community to determine if a wellness center would be a benefit for its residents and its marketing efforts and what type of center potential users want. A comprehensive feasibility study can help a community make the right decisions.
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Data pinpoint noteworthy trends at the intersection of green, active aging
The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI; www.nmisolutions.com) is a marketing consulting and research firm that focuses on health, wellness and sustainability, including the Baby Boomer market and their attitudes and behaviors with respect to green products and services. NMI also developed the LOHAS [Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability] segmentation model, a way of looking at the adult green market that is being used globally (See the figure on page XX).
Broadly, with respect to Boomers, NMI has found that “consumption and possession are being replaced by sustainability and purpose, which are revealed in Boomers’ growing understanding of the fusion of personal and planetary health – that in fact, one cannot be healthy without the other.”1 How does that growing understanding translate into action, and what are the implications for the active-aging industry? ICAA’s Green Guide spoke with Steve French, NMI’s managing partner, to find out.
Market research
Living well at 100: insights into the lives of today's centenarians
A new survey in the United States paints a cultural portrait of 100 people turning 100 years or older in 2012, with results that upend ageist stereotypes of the oldest-old. UnitedHealthcare’s seventh annual 100@100 Survey provides anecdotal insight into the lives and lifestyles of centenarians, and shows that these respondents are nearly as active—physically and socially—as adults half their age.
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How well do you know the older-adult market?
As an active-aging professional, you strive to create environments, programs and services that support older adults in leading full, active and healthy lives. To ensure offerings resonate with your customers and meet their needs, it is vital for you to know the market. Newly compiled statistics from the United States Census Bureau offer a current and concise profile of older Americans. Carry on reading to bring yourself up to date—and see how well you know the market.
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The active-aging landscape: trends in wellness center equipment and development by Patricia Ryan, MS
Organizations that embrace the concepts of whole-person wellness seek to integrate the philosophy throughout their operations. That integration includes making each staff member an ambassador for the wellness program, educating clients on the benefits and opportunities of an active lifestyle, and creating an attitude that reinforces “we’re all in this together.” Yet, when it comes time to implement a wellness culture, the philosophy must take a tangible form on strategic planning agendas and in operational plans.
The tangibles of wellness need a home within an organization. That home may be a single or multiple departments, with one or more staff members responsible for implementation. There are job descriptions to write and performance objectives to monitor. Plus, expenses and revenue must be placed somewhere on one or more budgets.
