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'Holiday Helpers' Lend a Helping Hand for the Holidays

By: Senior Helpers |  4 Shares     67 Reads

Elders’ Elves Help Seniors with Everything from ‘Gift Wrap to Google’

November 27, 2012 // Franchising.com // Holidays are “the most wonderful time of the year” to many – but if you’re a senior, it’s also one of the most challenging. If seniors’ children can’t be by their side to help them put all the dressings on the holidays, our Holiday Helpers can! These elders’ elves drive the cars, open the doors and wait in the lines for their aging friends who can’t do it on their own anymore. They hunt for deals, decorate, wrap the presents and help seniors shop online. They are Holiday Helpers, and they aren’t from the North Pole.

Caregivers from Senior Helpers, a leading national in-home senior care provider, are doing the little things and helping thousands of seniors from coast-to-coast prepare for the holidays. Whether they need errands run, cleaning done or even online shopping assistance, Holiday Helpers are lending a helping hand to embrace the season.

“The holidays can be tough on seniors, especially those who aren’t able get out and to do things like they used to,” says Peter Ross, co-founder and CEO of Senior Helpers. “We care for seniors in their own homes year-round but the holidays tend to bring additional challenges that require an extra set of hands and feet. From gift wrap to Google, our caregivers are taking care of everything seniors need to celebrate the holidays.”

New Senior Holiday Trends

Two trends many seniors are embracing this holiday season are 1) more on-line shopping and 2) increased experimentation with Internet-based technologies. For the first time ever, half of all seniors are going online*. Holiday Helpers show them how to find the best deals online and help seniors learn to use newer communication tools, like Skype and social media platforms, to connect with family and friends who may be far away.

Fast Facts About Seniors Online*

• As of April 2012, 53% of American adults age 65 and older use the internet or email.
• As of February 2012, one third of internet users, age 65 and older, use social networking sites such as Facebook; 18% do so on a typical day.
• Email still remains the main source of online use for seniors: as of August 2011, 86% of internet users age 65 and older use email, with 48% doing so on a typical day.
• Nearly 69% of adults 65 and older report that they have a cell phone. 56% for those 76 and older.
1. *4 in 5 mobile device owners (smartphone or tablet) will use their devices to help them with their holiday shopping this year (Google and Ipsos survey).
• Online holiday shopping for 2011 finished at an all-time high of $35.3 billion, up 15 percent from last year’s sales figures (source: comScore).
• Online holiday sales for this November and December are projected to grow roughly 12% over last year’s holiday season, to $96 billion (according to the U.S. Commerce Department).

*Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

“We work with seniors living on their own each day and we understand how difficult and frustrating it can be when they realize they can’t do it all by themselves anymore,” Ross says. “The holidays can be a hectic and physically demanding time for a lot of people. We’re helping seniors by shouldering some of the burden so they can focus on enjoying the season, which is really what this time of year is all about.”

We set up interviews with caregivers, senior care experts and possibly seniors. We can also provide you with photo/video/b-roll opportunities in your area. This is a great holiday story that affects a huge portion of the population. Let us know if you’d like to tell it.

About Senior Helpers

Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home as opposed to a nursing or assisted living facility. The company has nearly 300 franchises in 40 states and one Canadian province offering a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care. For more information, please visit: http://www.seniorhelpers.com/

Contacts:

Stacey Hilton
919.459.8163
shilton@seniorhelpers.com

Sue Yannello
919.459.8162
syannello@seniorhelpers.com

 

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