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Strategies for Attracting Baby Boomers to Your Senior Center

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Alternative forms of exercise yoga, dancing, pilates, strengthening, etc. ... Yoga, meditation, tai chi. Discussion groups/book clubs focused on aging ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Strategies for Attracting Baby Boomers to Your Senior Center


1
Strategies for Attracting Baby Boomers to Your
Senior Center
  • Elizabeth Bernat, MHA
  • Director of Leisure Learning
  • Lowcountry Senior Center
  • Charleston, SC

2
Understanding Boomers
  • Choices Control
  • Relevance
  • Rule breakers, distrust authority
  • Juggling work, kids, and aging parents
  • Flexibility
  • Expect the Best
  • Value Education
  • Seeking Experience
  • Seeking Self-Improvement
  • Seeking Sense of Self
  • Looking for answers
  • Me to We Generation
  • Dont think of themselves as seniors
  • Re-evaluating Ageism
  • Diverse Generation

3
Boomers Like Choices Control
  • Theres so much to do. You cant do everything.
    You have to pick what you want to do the most.
  • TACTICS
  • Adopt a menu mentality
  • Many options for days/times/commitment levels
  • Menu of volunteer opportunities
  • Multiple membership levels
  • Packed calendar
  • Multiples days and times for popular classes
  • Variety and choices for any category of
    programming

4
Relevant Programming
  • Programming cannot be insulated from the culture
    around us. Programs must be relevant to boomers.
  • Tactics
  • Ask participants about their interests
  • Tell Us What You Want Survey
  • Program evaluations
  • Annual membership survey
  • Plug in to popular culture
  • AARP Magazine, More Magazine
  • Roads Scholar
  • TV, online, book stores

5
Relevant Programming
  • Programming cannot be insulated from the culture
    around us. Programs must be relevant to boomers.
  • Tactics
  • Research Boomers interests
  • 30 Plan to move (smaller home, bigger home, to
    be near family, enjoy better weather)
  • 87 Take better care of my physical self
  • 80 Spending more time with loved ones
  • 72 Spending more time on my interests and
    hobbies
  • 71 More time to do the things that I have
    always wanted to do
  • 47 Volunteering more
  • 56 Traveling more
  • 43 Taking classes or learning something new
  • Boomers Turning 60, AARP, June 2006

6
Boomers are Rule Breakers
  • Boomers distrust and dislike authority.
  • Tactics
  • Evaluate the centers culture
  • Dont want bureaucracy
  • Dont want an government or agency service
    mentality
  • Treat participants as customers not as clients
  • Quality customer service

7
The Ultimate Juggling Act
  • Sandwich Generation juggling work, kids, and
    aging parents
  • Tactics
  • Caregiver support
  • Caring for the caregiver programs
  • One-stop shop for caregivers
  • Resources and referrals

8
Demand Flexibility
  • Make it easy and keep it simple in all aspects
    of the center.
  • Tactics
  • Expanded hours evenings, weekends
  • Bend the rules
  • Superior customer service
  • Multiples ways to keep informed
  • Multiple ways to register, make payments, etc.

9
Expect the Best
  • Baby Boomers value quality over cost.
  • Tactics
  • Attractive building, furnishings, and décor
  • Updated equipment
  • Marketing materials, flyers, and documents
  • Professional instructors, experts
  • Knowledgeable, competent staff, volunteers, and
    other leaders

10
Value Education
  • Colleges and universities have adults going back
    to school in volumes.
  • Tactics
  • Partner with local universities and colleges
  • Cultivate relationships with academics
  • Offer intellectually stimulating programs on
    divers topics from history to science to
    philosophy

11
Seeking Experience
  • Boomers have always been an experiential
    generation
  • Tactic
  • Travel that immerses one in culture, nature,
    hands-on experiences, and physical activities
  • Off-site adventures canoeing, hiking, birding
  • Learning trips weekend trips dedicated to
    writing, painting, storytelling

12
Boomers Seeking Self-Improvement
  • Improving physical health is the number one
    interest of boomers.
  • Tactics
  • Fitness classes for all levels of fitness
  • Exercise for those with chronic conditions
  • Improving balance
  • Brain health and improving memory

13
Boomers Seeking Self-Improvement
  • Improving physical health is the number one
    interest of boomers.
  • Tactics
  • Alternative forms of exercise yoga, dancing,
    pilates, strengthening, etc.
  • Fitness center / gym with cardio machines and
    weights
  • Fitness and wellness should represent significant
    portion of programming/calendar

14
Seeking Sense of Self
  • Reinventing oneself, wanting fulfillment, explore
    new areas, seeking a mastery-level learning.
  • Tactics
  • Expand programming in the creative arts
  • Instructors that are experts/professionals
  • Create clubs
  • Progressive programming

15
Looking for Answers
  • Boomers like choices, but they cannot choose to
    age or control aging.
  • Tactics
  • Create broad spirituality programming
  • Yoga, meditation, tai chi
  • Discussion groups/book clubs focused on aging
    spirituality issues.
  • Partner with multiples spiritual/religious groups

16
Me to We Generation
  • Boomers want to give back to the community. They
    are trying to figure out what they have to offer.
  • Tactics
  • Civic Engagement
  • Leadership Academy
  • Partner with universities and colleges
  • Volunteers program instructors, leaders
  • Cultivate relationships for fundraising/giving

17
Dont Like the Word Senior
  • Forty is the new sixty. Boomers do not think of
    themselves as seniors.
  • Tactics
  • Remove the concept of age
  • Take the word senior out of programs titles
  • Senior Yoga Gentle Yoga
  • Banking for Seniors Banking Basics
  • Senior Tennis Tennis

18
New Image of Aging
  • Boomers will not tolerate aging stereotypes or
    ageism. Need to cultivate a new vision and new
    images of aging that reflect todays older adult.
  • Tactics
  • Would you attend your own senior center? Create a
    senior center that you and other staff members
    would join
  • Develop an ageless approach
  • Create an image that appeals to 40-year olds

19
Boomers are Diverse
  • The sheer size of this generation, 77 million,
    eliminates a one-size-fits-all approach.
  • Tactics
  • Diversity in programs
  • Sensitivity to cultural differences
  • Social issues are important
  • Retirement is becoming de-standardized

20
QUESTIONS?
21
Contact Information
  • Elizabeth Bernat, MHA
  • Director of Leisure Learning
  • Lowcountry Senior Center
  • 865 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
  • elizabeth.bernat_at_rsfh.com
  • Tel 843.762.9555
  • Fax 843.762.7116
  • Managed by Roper St. Francis Healthcare
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