If you are like most financial professionals, your client base is aging. Even clients in middle age see their parents (or in some cases, their grandparents) face the ups and downs that naturally occur as they get older.
Some are good things: more freedom with less “climbing the ladder,” the benefit of valued long-term friendships, the ability to engage in hobbies or activities that weren’t practical or possible before, or the enjoyment of grandkids or great-grandkids.
Some are not so wonderful, especially with advanced age: losses of physical and/or mental function, increasing aches and pains, greater susceptibility to illnesses and dementia, more sleep troubles, and greater dependence on the assistance of others for everyday living.
Regardless of where each client falls on the spectrum, you want to provide as many resources as you can to them and their families. One site that we highly recommend is Caring.com.
It is essentially a one-stop-shop for those caring for aging parents, spouses, or other loved ones. They provide information, reviews, directories, and education on various living arrangements (assisted living, memory care, 55+ communities, and nursing homes), as well as in-home care and adult daycare. They list geriatric care managers who can help coordinate ongoing care for elders, and they have comprehensive reviews of the best medical alert systems and the best hearing aids for seniors. They detail the items that Medicare does and does not cover, and they do the same for Medicaid. For those who are seriously ill, there is education on palliative care vs. hospice and a review of hospice organizations. There is also information on caregiving itself, with resources and a guide to avoid burnout.
Peruse this comprehensive site for the wealth of information and research they make available. Then recommend it to your clients and their families, either as a whole or with specific pages in mind. It’s an easy, reliable way to act as a hub of information, which builds client satisfaction and loyalty.
P.S. While you’re focusing on aging clients, encourage them to get their flu and pneumonia vaccinations. Research recently presented at an international conference on Alzheimer’s disease reports that flu shots can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 17%. For those who are 60 – 75 years of age, the pneumonia vaccine reduces the risk by 40%! These shots protect your clients’ bodies; we now know they also protect their brains.
Some are good things: more freedom with less “climbing the ladder,” the benefit of valued long-term friendships, the ability to engage in hobbies or activities that weren’t practical or possible before, or the enjoyment of grandkids or great-grandkids.
Some are not so wonderful, especially with advanced age: losses of physical and/or mental function, increasing aches and pains, greater susceptibility to illnesses and dementia, more sleep troubles, and greater dependence on the assistance of others for everyday living.
Regardless of where each client falls on the spectrum, you want to provide as many resources as you can to them and their families. One site that we highly recommend is Caring.com.
Peruse this comprehensive site for the wealth of information and research they make available. Then recommend it to your clients and their families, either as a whole or with specific pages in mind. It’s an easy, reliable way to act as a hub of information, which builds client satisfaction and loyalty.
P.S. While you’re focusing on aging clients, encourage them to get their flu and pneumonia vaccinations. Research recently presented at an international conference on Alzheimer’s disease reports that flu shots can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 17%. For those who are 60 – 75 years of age, the pneumonia vaccine reduces the risk by 40%! These shots protect your clients’ bodies; we now know they also protect their brains.