Silver Innings, a social enterprise celebrates it's 6th Foundation Day

 MUMBAI , INDIA / NGO / APRIL 10TH 2014  

 

“A change agent is someone who has an inner flame  pushing them out into the world to improve it. My work at the Silver Innings is to feed that flame so it grows into a bonfire. My hope is that each person’s flame will grow to be so bright that one day we will create Elder Friendly World where Ageing becomes a Positive and Rewarding Experience”  

: Sailesh Mishra , Founder President, Silver Innings   

Today 10th April 2014 on our Foundation Day, its an amazing experience, completing 6 Years, Silver Innings has become a movement, a trend setter with its uniqueness and innovative Positive approach towards Ageing. 

We take this opportunity to Thank all our supporters, well wishers , colleagues , friends , partners and all Elders for their continuous support and blessings. 

We still remember that day, 10th April 2008, our Social Enterprise organization 'Silver Innings' was launched with website www.silverinnings.com to work With Senior Citizens to provide need base service to Senior Citizens and their family members.

The idea behind Silver innings was to take the fear out of ageing by empowering the elders and bringing dignity in their lives Who’s afraid of ageing? Is what the team at Silver Innings believes in. 

Silver Innings was born with idea of a new beginning for our elders. It is a new path, the journey of successful ageing. It is an initiative that was started by my young change-makers team , Hendi Lingiah, (France), Prof Parul Kibliwala (India,SNDT) Bhavesh Chheda (Web designer,India) and Sailesh Mishra(Marketing Professional, India)  who were far removed in distance but united in the cause of elders. 

The idea was germinated by our founder Sailesh Mishra and took root with the support and contribution of these individuals and many more people, to list them all will be an endless list. Silver Innings took form as a one stop destination for dissemination of information and resources for the elders and their family members. The social enterprise opened a platform for discussing issues regarding the elders and soon a need for a social organisation emerged. Taking on this gaping need, Silver Inning Foundation a NGO was born in July 2008 to address  the micro and macro level issues of the elderly to create an elder friendly world.

Silver Innings had taken a bold and innovative step to address the issues concerning elders with the help of technology by proactively using ICT in creating awareness and sensitization. It believes in partnerships and networking and uses various platforms, NGOs, educational institutes, medical institutes to promote the cause. It is trying to break the centralised system by reaching out to the elderly where they are situated and empowering them to find resources within them to deal with the issues.

Silver Innings believes in creating an environment and understanding of ageing as a positive and beautiful experience with no negativity attached to it.  A few organisations in recent years were addressing some of the issues of the elderly. However there was a need for better marketing of the issues of the elderly with proactive participation, networking and advocacy towards the cause. A non-discriminatory, approach was needed since most of the organisation working for elder care were addressing the elites on the one hand and the down trodden on the other but the middle class was somehow left out of this outreach. 

Silver Innings has a vision that after 20 / 30 years Silver Inning Foundation (SIF) , NGO will ceases to operate, elders won’t any more need any NGO’s and we believes that NGO’s should not survive on stakeholders.There will be only service and product providers.That's why Silver Innings is working towards creating Elder Friendly World where Ageing becomes a Positive and Rewarding Experience. Now its like monopoly of handful organisations but it should be consumer driven market. A social innovation and Social Entrepreneur module will make huge difference to other wise most neglected and ignored sector of Senior Citizens globally. 

Our Sixth year 2013-14 was an Interesting year with lots of ups and down , but with limited funds and human resources we could still make some difference with events like Lectures , Workshop, Training, World days events, Heath  camps,  Advocacy , Participation in national and international conference's and also with some concrete New Initiative such as : 

Silver Innings Matrimonial & Companionship, A match making bureau for senior citizens, launched in April 2013

Silver Innings FC ( Foot ball club of youths playing for cause  of Elders)  we won all the matches in Div III group E , we were the topper , launched in July 2013

A1 Snehanjali, Assisted living elder care home (for Alzheimer's, Dementia, Parkinson and Very old) , one of its kind in Mumbai city ( Nalasopara west) , Launched in Aug 2013

Koffee with Kahani, launched in Dec 2013 with ‘The Metrognome’ a  Inter-generation programme promoting story telling 

'Silver Innings' Registered as Trade Mark 

16 vs 60 Cricket match (between Youths and Senior Citizens)  launched in Jan 2014, Inter-generation programme with sports 

Silver Innings Helpline, India’s first online helpline portal only for Senior Citizens , Launched in Feb 2014, a brain child of Ramaa Subramanium, co founder 

Our work was also appreciated when our founder Sailesh Mishra was Awarded with Rotary Club Award , Dec 2013.

It was one of the important milestone with Book Launch of  ‘Karma Kurry for the mind, body, heart and soul’ in Dec 2013 Book published by Jaico with ‘Son of Million Parents’ our founder Sailesh Mishra change maker story.

We also got covered in many media, print in English and local languages  but one of the important one, to be mentioned is Electronic Media Interview of our Founder Sailesh Mishra regarding Old Age Homes and Senior Citizens issues at World Islamic Network's WIN TV 'Haqeeqat  Telecast on 13th April 2013. 

  

Doing all this we never realized when we had reached out to one million people globally.  

Some real time Statics will give you an idea of our proactive online activity, being pioneer in Asia using social media as tool for cause of aging :

Silver Innings (SI) Group Outreach  Reach Out , as on  9th April  2014                                          

           

Website and Publications:

                                                           

Websites :   Total Hits 1,71,187                                                         

www.silverinnings.com  :  1,10,765 hit  (since April 2008 )                                                 

http://a1snehanjali.com/  :  3841 hits  (since Dec 2013)                                                         

http://silverinningshelpline.com/  : 2581 (since 16th Feb 2014)                                                         

http://silverinningfoundation.org/   :  Under Construction                                                    

                                               

Blogs:   Total Hits  2,66,512                                                  

People for Social Cause Blog: 1,32,190 (since July 2007 )                                                   

Silver Innings blog :1,04,813 hit (Since April 2008 )                                                

Alzheimer’s Society (ARDSI), Greater Mumbai Blog: 17,996 hit   (Since Jan 2011)  - Managed by SI

Missing Senior Citizen Alert Blog9,754 Hit ( Since 25th Nov 2011)

Silver Innings Matrimonial and Companionship :  1759  ( April 2013)    

Acquired Blog:                                                     

Seniors World Chronicle  10,78,372 Hits (acquired on 8th May 2012)                                                        

                                   

Social Media:                           

Total Followers/ Friends : 8093                                                         

Facebook :6000 Followers/Friends (including personal)                                           

Twitter            :2093 Followers          (Including Personal)                           

                                                           

Facebook Pages / Community : Total Likes 3109                                                     

Youth for Seniors: 579 (Since July 2010)                              

Silver Inning Foundation: 439 (April 2008)                          

Silver Innings Matrimonial & Companionship: 109 (April 2013)                              

Silver Innings: 604 ( April 2008)                               

Silver Innings Young at Heart (Talent): 77 (Since 1st March 2014)             

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 232 (Since 2010)                                

The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA): 532 (since 2011)  Managed by SI  A1 Snehanjali: 285 (since July 2013)

Silver Innings Dementia Management Services(SIDMS): 91 (since April 2012)      

Silver Innings FC : 51 (Since July 2013)                               

Celebrating Age (Event):  110 (Since 2012)                          

           

Facebook Groups : Total Members  2559                                          

Missing Senior Citizen Alert: 700                              

Alzheimer's Related Disorder Society of India (ARDSI): 975 Managed by SI       

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 460                              

Senior Citizens National Solidarity Day 16th Aug: 354 Managed by SI      

Online Newspaper:                                                    

Silver Innings Newspaper (Paper li ):  77 subscriber                         

Dementia & Alzheimer's Times :  83 Subscriber        

Total Outreach For Social Media including Websites and blogs:   13,95,670 - 9th April 2014                    

                                                           

Silver Innings Members : 5000  ( since April 2008 )    

                                             

Meri News.com - Citizen Journalism  : 36 Article published : 72,000 hits (5 years)           

                                      

Reach Out  / Impact :                                                  

Indirect: 10, 00,000 plus people globally (through ICT - internet) since April 2008       

                             

Direct: approx  1,00,000 people in India since April 2008    

                                               

Yes we all are the Change to make this society for all Ages.

From 

Team Silver Innings

silverinnings@gmail.com 

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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights. Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA : Senior Citizens to benefit from 'Celebrating Age' EXPO

Countdown begins for India’s biggest ever active-ageing carnival, the ultimate Retirement Lifestyle Expo 'Celebrating Age' is presented by MetLife India Insurance Company Limited, Associate Sponsor: State Bank Of India (Reverse Mortgage), in association with  International Longevity Centre India ILC-I India’s premier Institute in ageing as Patrons and produced by Vision India, a niche consulting and market analytic firm specializing in show management.  The event will be staged across 8 cites in India for two days each to propagate products, services   opportunities and activities that the elderly can participate to enrich their retirement lives.

“Celebrating Age”! Retirement Expo an active ageing series is being organized from Sept 1 to 21 Oct 2012 (two days in each city) at Bangalore ,Pune, Mumbai, Ahemedabad,  Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad , Delhi. It will be perfect platform for the industry to flourish, to enhance the retirement lifestyle of senior citizens. The challenge is to ensure that the elderly are able to lead a healthy & dignified life ahead. They should have every opportunity to pursue the activities of their choice and be treated with respect and dignity. The elderly form a rich repository of knowledge and experience. 

'Celebrating Age', an active ageing retirement expo is being organised by Vision India in association with the International Longevity Centre India Chapter and supported by the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), the Silver Inning Foundation (SIF) and the Association of Senior Living India (ASLI).

Event Composition includes Grand Inauguration followed by workshop on Qualitative and Healthy Ageing by panel of experts. Two day Exhibition featuring Banking, Insurance and Housing companies. Recruitment Desks. Health & Wellness Counters. Activity Zone, fun and frolic like Tambola, musical chair, live performances, Jaaz Band, Magic, Yoga, and Aerobics. Closing Celebrations on second day.

“Celebrating Age”! India Expo 2012, an active ageing series on Retirement is crafted with an objective of setting the tone where the 21st century ageing populations make useful networks. Profile includes assemblage of lifestyle products and services for those who are looking forward to enjoy the years of retirement in full style and grandeur. The newest products and services will be on showcase for discerning buyers.2012 Retirement expo will be perfect platform for the industry to flourish, to enhance the retirement lifestyle of senior citizens.

Focus: Worldwide ageing populations are recognizing that active ageing marks the emergence of new markets, requires adherence to innovation and inclusive practices. It is expected that the Private sectors and Governments would play an increasingly specific and supportive role to encourage qualitative ageing & productive human talent.

An opportunity exists to tap into the imagination of this potentially significant market given that the 55 + aged may spend 25 to 30 years in retirement. A burst of innovation is expected. Serving this market profitably may require fresh ideas, inclusive approach and new ways of doing business.

The senior community in India presents a tremendous opportunity to service providers and entrepreneurs to innovate on their housing needs and addressing their various lifestyle service and product needs. Seniors are evolving as a mature and serious consumer segment that have needs and wants, which are specific. A significant section of seniors today are independent, financially stable, well-travelled, socially connected, and as a result have well developed thoughts of how they want to spend time after retirement. There is, today, a larger percentage of educated seniors than ever before in India. This demographic, dubbed the active ageing 50+ generation has more wealth to spend and a greater desire for new experiences. 

The challenge is to ensure that the elderly are able to lead a healthy & dignified life ahead. They should have every opportunity to pursue the activities of their choice and be treated with respect and dignity. The elderly form a rich repository of knowledge and experience. 

Unique showcase of an unexplored market poised for growth, addressing trends and tipping points that are accelerating change in consumer attitudes of those aged 50 Plus. This market segment has only touched the tip of the iceberg. 

This Mega event is a pioneering initiative on qualitative ageing and productive human talent. This joint initiative aims to unfold the way forward and take retirement to the next level, thereby setting the tone for the forum, where emerging trends and challenges of the 21st century could reach out through an international network of exhibitions, conferences & entertainment .

You can Join 'Celebrating Age' at  Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/CelebratingAge

You can Follow 'Celebrating Age' at Twitter :

https://twitter.com/CelebratingAge

About : Vision India

Vision India is a fifteen year old organization founded by Janaki Raman. A niche consulting and market analytic firm, with an excellent track record of  designing and developing many National and International projects of high impact to match the needs of technocrats and policy makers on socially relevant subjects. Vision India specializes in educationally focused Trade Fairs and Conferences and creating live forums.

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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

USA: Seniors at Greater Risk of Complications from Key Medications

LAKE TAHOE, Nevada / ConsumerAffairs / Consumer News / November 25, 2011


Promoting safe use of blood thinners and diabetes medications can protect patients

Each year, there are nearly 100,000 emergency hospitalizations for adverse drug events in U.S. adults aged 65 years or older, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Of the thousands of medications available to patients, a small group of blood thinners and diabetes medications caused two-thirds of the emergency hospitalizations, the report said.

“These data suggest that focusing safety initiatives on a few medicines that commonly cause serious, measurable harms can improve care for many older Americans,” said Dan Budnitz, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC′s Medication Safety Program.

“Blood thinners and diabetes medicines often require blood testing and dosing changes, but these are critical medicines for older adults with certain medical conditions. Doctors and patients should continue to use these medications but remember to work together to safely manage them,” Budnitz said.

The study used data collected between 2007 and 2009 from a nationally representative sample of 58 hospitals.

Almost half (48.1 percent) of these hospitalizations occur among adults aged 80 years or older, and two–thirds (65.7 percent) of the hospitalizations were due to overdoses, or to situations in which patients may have taken the prescribed amount of medication but the drug had more than the intended effect on the patient′s body.

Disease Detective Dan Budnitz

Four medications, used alone or together, accounted for two–thirds of the emergency hospitalizations:

• 33 percent, or 33,171 emergency hospitalizations, involved warfarin, a medication used to prevent blood clots.
• 14 percent involved insulins.  Insulin injections are used to control blood sugar in people who have diabetes.
• 13 percent involved antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin or clopidogrel, which prevent platelets, or pieces of blood cells from clumping together to start a clot.
• 11 percent involved diabetes medications that are taken by mouth, called oral hypoglycemic agents.

Copyright © 2011 ConsumerAffairs.com
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights. 
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

USA: An idea whose time has come - Seniors eager for fresh

CHARLESTON, West Virginia / Charleston Daily Mail / July 11, 2011

Source:  Kanawha Valley Senior Services

Senior citizens who meet income guidelines can receive $20 worth of coupons that can be used for fresh produce at local farmers' markets.

At the Capitol Market on Monday, AARP West Virginia was on hand to offer enrollment information about other benefits and promote the produce program, which is administered by the state Department of Agriculture.

Social workers from Kanawha Valley Senior Services took applications for people interested in the Veggie Vouchers.

Participants must be at least 60 years old. Proxies who sign up for participants must have signed statements from the participant giving them authorization to do so. Proxy forms are available at local senior centers.

The vouchers are made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is providing about $520,000 for the program this year.

© Copyright 2011 Charleston Daily Mail
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

NEW ZEALAND: Elderly warned of pushy sales tactics

WELLINGTON / Taranaki Daily News / June 14, 2011

By Leighton Keith

Door-to-door salesmen convinced an 87-year-old New Plymouth woman to buy a double bed – for almost $5000.

Dorothy Christian's daughter, Fay Cox, said it took weeks to cancel the purchase contract after her mother was taken to a bank by salesmen to withdraw money and sign automatic payment forms.

Mrs Cox said her vulnerable mother was pressured into buying a bed she did not want or need.

Her complaints about the tactics of Craftmatic sellers 11 months ago are now being echoed in other North Island centres, including Rotorua, Tauranga and Hamilton.

Mrs Cox said her mother was sold a $4750 Craftmatic adjustable bed after being approached by a salesman who came to her door.

Her mother was later taken to the bank by the man and a colleague to withdraw money for a $1425 deposit.

She also signed automatic payment forms for 78 fortnightly payments of $42.62.

"As soon as I found out about it I went down to the bank to cancel the automatic payments," Mrs Cox said.

She said her mother was intimidated and had signed the document just to get rid of the salesmen.

The company that sells the beds is based in Adelaide and promotes its products online. But an internet check by the Taranaki Daily News showed a court in Perth, Western Australia, fined the company for breaching fair trading laws in the case of two elderly customers. British authorities had also received complaints about the company's pressure-selling techniques dating back to 2005.

Last month express.co.uk reported a Craftmatic Company in Britain had collapsed, and one customer said she was left in debt to her bank after she was pressured into making a purchase.

The man Mrs Cox believes acted for the company when the sale was made to her mother is New Plymouth man Derek Abrams. He was not at his home when the Daily News called yesterday.

Mrs Cox said she had been alerted by Kathy Glass, elder protection service co-ordinator for Te Hauora Pou Heretanga.

Mrs Glass told the Daily News Mrs Christian did not want the bed and felt that she had been pressured into purchasing it.

"These men ... had been there for a long time and she just signed all of the papers to get rid of them," she said.

She believed the tactics amount to abuse.

Mrs Glass believed Mr Abrams had more recently been selling mobility scooters.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs senior advisor Debbie Bidlake said some sellers used pressure techniques and she urged people to be cautious when buying products from door-to-door salesmen.

"Run it by someone that you trust. Seek some advice before you actually agree to hand over your hard-earned cash. If you are feeling uncomfortable then call someone you trust to come around and give you a bit of a hand," she said.

New Zealand's Door to Door Sales Act provides a seven-day cooling-off period during which time the contract can be cancelled.

"That is designed to help protect consumers by providing things like cooling-off periods," Ms Bidlake said.

© 2011 Fairfax New Zealand Limited

Illustration by courtesy: marketingprofs.com

USA: Elderly Americans lose $2.9 billion annually to financial abuse

YONKERS, New York / ConsumerReports.org / Money & Shopping / June 2, 2011

Financial abuse of older Americans has increased by 12 percent over the last three years, according to a study released Wednesday by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

Elderly Americans are losing a reported $2.9 billion annually to financial abuse, up from $2.6 billion in 2008.

Crimes involving strangers accounted for 51 percent of cases, while 34 percent were committed by family members or friends. Twelve percent of crimes were from the business sector, and four percent were from Medicare or Medicaid fraud.

Among the results of the study:
* Women were targeted twice as often as men.
* The majority of individuals targeted were between the ages of 80 and 89, lived alone, and required some help with health care or home maintenance.
* Almost 60 percent of the perpetuators were male, with most between the ages of 30 and 59.
* Victims were particularly vulnerable during the holidays.

The study was produced in collaboration with the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech. It was published along with a guide, “Preventing Elder Financial Abuse for Older Adults.”

Consumer Reports recommends being on the alert for signs of financial abuse of the elderly, and taking preventative steps like ordering background checks on personal caregivers, shredding documents with identifying information, and checking credit reports for older relatives.

—Evan MacDonald

Copyright © 2004-2011 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc

USA: Twitterverse: Mostly Black, Smart, and Older Than You Think

NEW YORK, NY / PC Magazine / Internet / June 1, 2011

By Sara Yin

Thirteen percent of adult Internet users in the U.S. are using Twitter, up from 8 percent half a year ago, according to a a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

"Twitter is becoming less of a place to read what people eat for breakfast and more of a place where people can go for meaningful content," said Aaron Smith, a senior researcher at Pew.

Furthermore, over half (53 percent) are accessing Twitter on their cell phones.

Broken down, there are slightly more men than women on Twitter (13 percent vs. 11 percent), most have gone to college (16 percent), most live in an urban area (15 percent), and half earn more than $50,000 a year.

It's well-documented that most Twitter users are minorities, but Pew says the gap between African-Americans—the largest represented group—and white users is growing. In May 2011, there were 16 percentage points more African-Americans than whites on Twitter (25 percent African-American versus 9 percent white). Last November the racial divide was only 8 percent (13 percent African-American versus 5 percent white). One in 10 African-American Internet users visit Twitter every day, double the rate of Latinos and nearly four times the rate for whites, according to Pew.

There are also more older adults adopting Twitter than ever before: those in the 30-49 year old bracket doubled to 14 percent from 7 percent last November.

Who Uses Twitter?
 
Continue reading by clicking here
 
Copyright 1996-2011 Ziff Davis, Inc

USA: TV Industry Takes Second Look At Older Viewers

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NEW YORK, NY / The New York Times / Business / Media / May 14, 2011

Business Day
MEDIA & ADVERTISING

In Shift, Ads Try to Entice Over-55 Set

By BILL CARTER and TANZINA VEGA

After 40 years of catering to younger consumers, advertisers and media executives are coming to a different realization: older people aren’t so bad, after all.

Marketers like Kellogg’s, Skechers and 5-Hour Energy drink are broadening their focus to those 55 and up, who were largely ignored in most of their media plans until recently. During next week’s upfront announcements, the annual preview of the fall television season, network executives are planning to introduce shows created to have broad appeal, including to older viewers, and the ad dollars they represent.

NBC this week renewed the drama "Harry's Law," which stars Kathy Bates. Jordin Althaus/NBC

This amounts to a reversal in thinking that took hold during the 1960s, when advertisers first started aiming for baby boomers, the largest segment of the United States population. But the reasons for the shift are not just demographic, they are economic.

As a result of the recent recession, unemployment rates for younger age groups have been far higher than those for older Americans. The most recent unemployment rate for those 20 to 24 years old is 14.2 percent; for those 25 to 34, it is 9.4 percent. The rate for people aged 55 to 64 is only 6.2 percent.

Financially, the disparity is similar. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those people aged 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings of any age segment in the United States: $844 and $860, respectively. Meanwhile, those 20 to 24 had weekly earnings of only $454. Those who are 25 to 34 earned $682.

Stephanie Pappas, a senior planner for BBDO NY, said there was now good reason for ad clients to seek the mature audience.

“In some ways, they are the ideal consumer. They have money, they consume loads of media, and they remain optimistic,” she said.

The bimonthly magazine for AARP has been pushing to attract new advertisers, according to Patricia Lippe Davis, the vice president for marketing for AARP media. Recently, products previously thought of as youthful — brands like Jeep and Shape-ups by Skechers — have advertised in AARP The Magazine.

Products thought of as youthful - Shape-ups by Skechers - have advertised in AARP The Magazine.
“The grandkids say I’m ‘really cool now’ but what they don’t know is I always was,” reads the text of the Jeep ad.

“We’ve seen an increase in advertisers targeting this booming demographic, many of whom are not the types of advertisers you’d expect to see in our media properties,” Ms. Davis wrote in an e-mail.

For decades, television has been the most determined proselytizer on behalf of the premium value of reaching consumers aged 18 to 49. In the 1960s, ABC found itself hopelessly uncompetitive with CBS and NBC in what was then the standard ratings measurement, total households. So the network adopted a strategy to appeal to younger viewers with programs like “Batman,” “Shindig,” and “Mod Squad.”

The idea caught on, and even as the boomer generation grew older, advertisers continued to court younger viewers — first on the theory that they had not yet established brand loyalty, then because they were harder to reach than mature viewers who watched far more television.

Since then, all advertising sales have been based on two main groups, those people aged 18 to 49, and those 25 to 54. Once viewers reached 55, they were considered all but valueless.

In the last decade, NBC has been a central force in pushing that view, as the home of youth-oriented hits like “Friends” and “The Office.” But Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, initiated a study last year into a group he labeled “alpha boomers,” the leading edge of the baby boom generation, which is now turning 65.

For companies to avoid shifting advertising and marketing attention toward older Americans is “a big mistake,” he said. “You risk not only growth, but at some point you risk your brand.”

Mr. Wurtzel said that as NBC put together its lineup of potential new series for fall, he made the programmers in the company aware of the attractiveness of the 55-plus audience. He described it as “one of the things we look at when we look at pilots.”

The network has already ordered a new series, “Playboy,” set in the 1960s, and this week renewed the drama “Harry’s Law,” which stars Kathy Bates, who is 62.

Mature consumers also seem to be spending on categories not traditionally associated with older people. NBC’s study of those people 55 to 64 showed that they spent more than the average consumer on categories like home improvement, large appliances, casual dining and cosmetics.

They have also become heavy spenders on electronics and digital devices. The study also showed that members of the 55-to-64 age group were just as likely as those ages 18 to 34 to have high-definition televisions, digital video recorders and broadband service.

“They don’t buy everything,” Mr. Wurtzel said. “These folks don’t play video games. But iPods? Yeah. iPads? Absolutely.”

By contrast, CBS has for years argued that viewers of any age should count — and CBS had by far the oldest audience. Recently, CBS seemed to build an effective strategy for reaching all audiences with broad-based hits like “CSI” and “NCIS” that feature older actors like Mark Harmon (although they are typically surrounded by younger performers).

The dismissal of CBS’s strategy seems to have ended. “There is no perception that CBS has an inferior audience,” said David F. Poltrack, the chief research officer for CBS.

The median age for audiences for every broadcast network has moved upward since 2006. NBC has moved to 50.1, from 48.5; ABC increased to 52.3, from 47.4. Fox, always the youngest network, aged to 45.4, from 41.5. CBS began at 53 and is now at a median age of 56.

“American Idol,” once considered the hot show for young people, finished its first season 10 years ago with a median age of 32.1. This season, its median age is 47.2. ABC’s biggest hit, “Dancing with the Stars” has a large complement of 50-plus viewers.

Patricia McDonough, senior vice president for insights, analysis and policy for Nielsen, said, “35 to 64 is becoming a relatively common target now.”

Brent Bouchez, the founder of Agency Five-0, which caters to older consumers, said the biggest misconception about the group was that older Americans wanted to be younger. He cited the example of Ketel One, a vodka brand that he drank before it changed its advertising to aim for a younger audience. Mr. Bouchez said he stopped asking for the vodka at bars.

“I don’t want to look like the 53-year-old who’s trying to look 30,” he said.

© 2011 The New York Times Company

ETHIOPIA: Less Holiday Cheer (s)

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ADDIS ABEBA, Ethiopia / AddisFortune / Matters / April 24, 2011

Last week, liquor sellers complained that sales have been down lately and few of them expected business to improve towards the end of the week, as the Easter festivities drew nearer, writes Elias Gebreselassie, Fortune Staff Writer.

Taddesse Tesema, a married man with a son, was scanning the assortment of liquor on display at a shop near Balezaf Alcohol Factory located on Dejazmach Wolde Mikael Street near Hotel D’Afrique when he noticed champagne made by Awash Winery Co. The drink would be a suitable gift for the wedding of his best friend at the end of last week and he bought two bottles at 95 Br each.

“Except for holidays when I usually buy local wine, I do not normally drink alcohol because of my religious beliefs,” Taddesse told Fortune.

However, following the government’s price cap on beer, the wine appeared expensive to Taddesse.

“In addition, I also have the issue of buying bonds for the building of the Renaissance Dam to ponder, as I intend to buy bonds soon after Easter,” he said.

This attitude is indicative of the consumers feeling the pinch of rising livings costs on their wallets, which in turn is felt by retailers.

Kebede Hailu, the shopkeeper, reckoned the holiday season shopping bug had not reached his shop yet. He was counting on the days shortly before Easter for bumper sales.

“My customers, the majority of whom are young people, usually purchase Ouzo araqe [48 Br] although a substantial number of older people buy export standard local wine in the small [30 Br] or large size [55 Br] during the holiday season,” Kebede told Fortune.
.......
His customers hold a variety of tastes. Older men prefer Ouzo araqe and Dry Gin, followed by whiskey around holiday times, mostly to serve as gifts. Women bought more wine, while young people preferred Supermint and pineapple flavoured araqe....

Read on...

© 2007 AddisFortune.com

USA: Helping Seniors To Stay Put - Building Homes to Age In

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WASHINGTON DC / NPR / August 26, 2010

As Americans live longer than ever, some will find it difficult to stay in their beloved homes: Steep stairs or a slippery shower can pose dangers, and standard houses are not wheelchair accessible. One solution? With 78 million baby boomers about to hit retirement age, some say the time is ripe to overhaul the way homes are designed.


This movement is already helping 82-year-old Jim Waggoner.

He has lived in a Veterans Administration nursing home in Tampa, Fla., for 13 years, since cancer in his back and spine left him in a wheelchair. A lifelong bachelor, Waggoner figured he'd die in this institution. But then he hit it off with a nurse at the nearby VA hospital. Jim and Cheryl got married last year and wanted a cozy place to live.

"We had nothing to go on until we got our home," Jim says.

Jim and Cheryl Waggoner met and married while he was in a VA nursing home. Their custom home accommodates his physical limitations while also looking stylish. Jennifer Ludden/NPR

"We had discussed just remodeling my place," Cheryl says, "but there would have been too much to do. We would have had to have taken everything down, all the walls, the works."

It's a common problem — and an expensive one. Making a home accessible can cost tens of thousands of dollars. So Cheryl went online, and that's where she discovered the kind of homes Keith Collins is building.
 
 Explore A Universal Design Home
Imagine building a house when you're young that you can live in as you age.

Collins brings a personal passion to homebuilding. He spent time in a wheelchair after serving in Vietnam and sees overlap between the needs of injured veterans and the elderly. Florida, as it happens, has a lot of both. Collins explains that his company, New Millennial Homes, uses what's called universal design.


Interactive: Tour of a home designed to be accessible to all.

"The design allows a person to remain independent and keep their dignity," he says.

Custom-Made Homes

Collins tailored the Waggoners' white ranch

The mailbox is low enough for Jim to collect the mail in his wheelchair. There are no steps — just flat entries — and doorways are wide. All door handles are levers: Collins says a large share of seniors lose some dexterity, making it more difficult to turn traditional knobs.

In the kitchen, Collins points out the open space under the sink. That's to allow someone to do dishes while sitting, either in a wheelchair or on a stool, for rest. Even the wood in the walls is tailored: 2-by-8s instead of 2-by-4s. That lets the builder pop in a grab bar without ripping out the wall — and that saves money. Collins is adamant about building for the middle class.

"If you do it right from the beginning," he says, "it would normally cost you no more or very little compared in cost to any other conventional home."

The price tag for the Waggoners' house is $171,000.

Collins is also proud that his homes look like any other. He says he loves it when people walk in and ask, "Where's the handicapped house?" In fact, some of his features designed for accessibility are commonly found in glossy kitchen magazines: shelves that pull out like drawers, for example, and a faucet over the stove, to avoid having to lug a heavy pot of water from the sink. Aging experts say this crossover appeal is essential.

"We absolutely recognize that if these are pitched as they help you when you're old, that's a recipe for disaster," says Elinor Ginzler of AARP.

She'd like to see boomers plan ahead and buy a home with universal design now or use it for that kitchen renovation. But here's the problem: No one ever thinks they'll need such accommodations.

"We have polled people to ask them about the whole concept of what is old," Ginzler says. "And no matter what decade they are in, they believe that old is the next decade. And if you're even in your 80s, old is in your 90s."

Universal Design Has Broader Appeal

So advocates — and builders like Keith Collins — are trying to broaden the appeal. Those flat entries and wide doors? They're great for moms with strollers. Lever door handles? They're so convenient if your arms are full of groceries.

New Millennial Homes designed this ranch house for Jim and Cheryl Waggoner in Tampa Bay, Fla. Because its universal design features were planned at inception, the cost -- $171,000 -- is about the same as a traditional house. This photo captures the house in its final stage of construction earlier this summer. They have since moved in. Jennifer Ludden/NPR

Some communities aren't leaving it to the marketplace. In recent years, dozens of states and localities have passed laws promoting aspects of universal design. In part, that's because a lot of money is at stake. Medicaid and Medicare pay for a huge chunk of nursing home costs. AARP's Ginzler says the fewer people that must move into nursing homes, the more public money these states and cities save.

"Sometimes they pass a stick," she says, "and sometimes they pass a carrot. An example of a carrot is that they would say to builders, 'You'll have an expedited building permit process if you design your home to have these features in it.' "

For Jim Waggoner, moving out of a nursing home and into his own house, at last, simply means freedom. It gives him "the ability to do what I want, when I want and how I want — and not have somebody tell me that I can't do that, or can't do this," he says.

It's a privilege millions of Americans don't want to lose just because they're old.