I decided part of my marketing project should be on this blog, just in case some of you decide to read what I've written. Maybe you feel the same way.
1. Introduction to the program –
Taking care of the caregiver and maximizing the caregiver’s potential (utilizing the 350 Billion dollars spent by America’s informal caregivers annually) to help their loved ones and neighbors is the goal of The Cord of Three Strands Care Center, LLC. Too many caregivers are “used up” and society then takes over, leaving the caregiver bereft of his or her former duties.[1] The care giving profession takes a toll, with turnover rates well publicized in the long term care industry of 71 percent for nursing assistants and 49 percent for nurses. [2] In the health care industry as a whole, we know that there is a severe nursing shortage and competition for nurses in every facet is stiff.[3] Most elder care programs just focus on the care for the elder, but, as my doctor put it so well, “Professionals need care, too.”
a) Nature of product being offered -
The product would be multi-generational co-housing[4] for the cared and their caregivers. These could start as small independent-living communities with subsidized housing for potential professional care partners. An entire community of up to 30 households would share resources, including time, in order to maintain a stress free environment in which to keep the frail and disabled within their home community as they age.
b) What differentiates it from others?
There are no “others” at this stage. Efforts have been made over the years to meet the ongoing demands of an aging population. Society’s actions at each stage have been to try to assist a growing demographic as a separate “problem” instead of reaching a community solution.[5] The nation’s communities are stretched thin with manpower and funds.
This program combines and shares the resources that are available—then alleviates the stress upon individual families, consumers and medical professionals.
c) Extent of competition - Currently offered services meet the needs of a small demographic and base the service on age, disability or a medical model (Daycares, adult day services, group homes, CCRC’s, retirement villages).
d) Fee comparison The expense to participate will likely be competitive with CCRC fees. However, this option would likely allow someone the opportunities to share their skills and resources in cooking with a gourmet community kitchen, cleaning with shared tools and time, laundry with roomy and appropriate facilities, landscaping with shared tools and time, gardening with shared tools and time and guest suites outfitted with recovery necessities. Because of the community members’ involvement in reducing costs, living in such a community may end up being a more reasonable option for the community resident in the long term.
2. Issues
Currently, a group of like-minded informal and professional care partners is needed to work on the issue in order to create a community they can live in together. Framing the issue appropriately and selling individuals on the promise of this program is essential.
It is the next step needed in building this community.
3. Data Review
Caregivers are being stressed beyond their capabilities to maintain the care level they are accustomed to giving. A search of “Caregiver stress” will yield many stories of burnout and requests for assistance. Currently, stress issues are only relieved by asking others to “come in” to the living situation to help.[6] This project will create a community that will understand the stress issues care givers face and have already planned options for sharing to relieve stress.
Stress yields many physical and psychological results, including high blood pressure, low immunity from illness and absenteeism from work. Stress on elders can lead to confusion, falls, disorientation, and helplessness. Stress on families and the larger community can cost extra money and time for both family and employers.[7]
The Rogers model[8] for the adoption and diffusion of innovation shows we may expect 13.5 percent of the population to be aware of their need and also be unable to pay for insurance or are unsatisfied with the current solutions to their problems. Of those, ten percent might be able to afford and be interested in building this solution. Lincoln, Nebraska had a 2010 census of 258,379 people.[9] Out of that number a potential market of 3,488 people would exist for this initiative.
4. People who may be ideal adopters of this program include:
· Aging parents of disabled children; where either the disabled child or the parent is the care partner.
· Working people disabled by illness or injury, aging beyond their ability for independence.
· People in their late 30’s or upward, having waited to bear children, now find their parents in need of care. They are caught between generations.
· Professionals who understand the stresses they are under and wish to mitigate their stress.
Some people don’t want to abandon their families or friends to the current options available to them. This option will allow people to make a choice that is not yet available, perhaps without government funding.
This community would be a viable solution for the following reasons:
· As people age, their sense of place becomes extremely important.[10] They are not as adaptable to new surroundings and unfamiliar faces.
o This solution will allow them to stay rooted in the community they’ve come to be familiar with, to heal (or dwell for the remainder of their life) in the community house (if need be), and to still enjoy the activities that occur in the community house.
· Caregivers are a special group of people. They live and work for the good they can share with those around them. They find themselves in situations that conflict with caring, or between situations that require them to be in two places at once. They find themselves stressed and without an opportunity to relax and rest.
o This solution will let them share duties, arrange care, and share time without requiring them to remove themselves from the caring situation. Professionals will live right in the community to offer advice or extra support.
o The result will be a more relaxed caregiving community, sharing where they can, and being able to take time away for the important things without fear of “dropping the ball.”
· As children grow they need a place of learning and opportunities to stretch their capabilities. Their opportunities to learn are often in the classroom, on the playground, or in front of a computer, because the availability of adult supervision is stretched thin. Single parents who are also working as nursing assistants may find such a community supportive for their families, and giving them new growth opportunities for their family’s future in the long run. Their income often places them in a situation that either forces them out of the “business” of caring or of needing assistance from society to remain in a job which is so satisfying. Considering the outcome for more than a few children born in poverty, this would be an excellent expenditure of public dollars, should the group decide to seek public support.[12]
o This solution will allow children to learn from elders, professionals, and family within the co-housing community. They will learn how to share and become caregivers themselves as they age.
o The result will be adults who have learned how society can solve problems together, and will continue that pattern of leadership in all the vocations they choose to engage in.
[1] PDF, Valuing the Invaluable, AARP, Valuing the Invaluable PDF AARP
[2] Pratt, Long Term Care: Managing across the Continuum, p. 85
[5] Bowers, A History of American Entitlement Programs, http://www.helium.com/items/316120-a-history-of-american-entitlement-programs
[7] The pathology of stress, from Helpguide.org, http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
[9] Census for Lincoln Nebraska, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/31/3128000.html
[10] Thomas, William, What are Old People For? P. 202, “Place is vitally important to elders because the smaller one’s world becomes, the more precious the immediate surroundings are.”
[11] PDF : Kane, et al. Resident Outcomes in Small-House Nursing Homes: A Longitudinal Evaluation of the Initial Green House Program Resident Outcomes PDF
[12] Barber, Nigel, Evolutionary social science: A new approach to violent crime, as published in Aggression and Violent Behavior, a Review Journal, Elsevier 2008, PDF retrieved from: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=prison%20population%20poverty%20rates%20literacy%20violent%20crime%20psychological&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CDMQFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Ffiles%2Fattachments%2F3343%2Fess-new-approach-violent-crime-avb.pdf&ei=Rt3jTsQ94oSwArG93JIG&usg=AFQjCNE_rCEUR4OgzK1s6PhIUA-mnUrMQA&cad=rja
