---I am looking for ideas and suggestions for a service-based or educational consulting business geared towards serving the interests of our nation?s independent living elderly.
---I have a BSW; working currently on a Certified Senior Advisor designation; Certified as a senior fitness instructor; currently teaching active and arthritic clients 65+ land and water exercises; getting ready to volunteer with an organization to understand and counsel on the Medicare/Medicaid maze that seniors must face; and I?m on the fence about pursuing a masters in gerontology (money is tight these days and there is no educational bailout $$ around the corner). I guess you could say that I?m going in a certain direction, and that my preference is to work with that growing number of seniors who want to maintain their independence and ability to stay in their homes as LONG AS POSSIBLE.
---I?ve always loved to be an educator and resource person, and I have a tremendous respect for the elderly who are survivors of good and bad times. We really do need to stop and listen to them?they have so much to share with us if we only slow our busy lives and listen.
---Since I don?t know where to start as an entrepreneur, I?ve thought about starting something like a senior concierge service. The services that I could offer would be non-medical: accompying them to medical appointments, assisting them with bill pay and bill advocacy, welfare-checks, assisting in securing domestic or repair services (interviews and bids), accompany them to events; provide strength and flexibility exercise; and just open myself up to whatever custom needs are that they may have. The side benefit for them would be that would be getting a person with very valuable senior resource information, but what to charge for such a service. By the way the general liability insurance for such a little business venture would run me $1200 in annual premiums, that does not include additional vehicle coverage for the senior nor bonding.
---I provided my students with a little survey for their feedback on this service-based idea and what the cost should be. They loved the service idea, but being on limited budgets the response to the pay were very limited. I know my students do not represent all seniors, but these are just a small segment within my community of the independently living individuals that I want to target.
---Do I bite the bullet and invest in the insurance and all the upfront costs and see where it leads and how much of a livelihood I can make, or would the money be better invested in a master?s in gerontology? OR, are there other options that could pursue that would provide a more steady and promising income stream?
---I know for a fact that with this growing population of seniors there are going to be so many opportunities in working directly with them to manage their desires to remain independent, as well as businesses needing to understand this population better since the numbers are increasing. In the health club setting I am already hearing complaints that some of the one-on-one training that they are receiving in exercise is not suited to their physical limitations.
---In the service industries there are more people over 70 out there working behind cash registers who are moving at a slower rate because their response and mental processing have slowed, making customers in their lines impatient and frustrated. In corporations you have people choosing (perhaps there is no choice these days) to stay in the work force longer and working with younger people who are used to an age of instant everything?perhaps they lack the understanding and patients to deal with the elderly who certainly move at a much different pace. Reactions of individuals could be responded to with a form of ageism which translates into prejudice?something HR corporations everywhere react to quite readily. I guess you could say that I see opportunities before where me we will need to educate people in the development processes of aging, physical limitations, agisem, etc, but I don?t know where to begin there or even if I have the expertise there to sell it.
---Perhaps the best place would be to begin would be at the health club level and possible to the organization whose teaching principles I employ and am receiving training in ? Humana?s Silver Sneakers Program (aimed at 65+). There is no other place where you can make a greater improvement on the lives of those want to who choose to remain physically active in pursuit of their goal to live independently at home as long as possible. Both organizations could provide a more income stream, but what could I offer? Any suggestions out there?