Media Coverage
Linda Hayes Help-line
Helpline House
One thing that makes getting older more exciting and manageable is the plethora of gadgets that help us get around. The digital age is here to stay and it behooves us to learn about it. This is a really good way to keep our brains active. (I have relied heavily on my kids to help me and Facebook is daunting!) But I will be retiring next spring and I’ve decided to accept this challenge and learn more.
The computer (or iPad) is a handy thing for seniors because there are many websites that can help us find items that increase our involvement in our world. For example, there is a gadget for blind folks that help them find the color of clothing they want to wear. There are talking watches, Kindles, etc.
One website is www.silverplanet.com. There are free articles that have to do with aging independently and a lot of relevant content you can peruse from nationally known speakers and authors. In addition, there is free information that you can access if you register. There are also advisors who are professional geriatric care managers, architects and other experts who can provide personalized solutions on a fee basis. Check out other websites online, such as, National Institute of Health (http://nihseniorhealth.gov/siteindex.html), AARP and Healthy Aging (www.healthyaging.net).
So let’s make a New Year’s Resolution that includes a challenge! There is never an excuse for boredom!!!
SeniorChecked and Silver Planet Announce Distribution, Content, and Referral Partnership
Partnership to provide Seniors and their families with greater access to trusted local service providers, information, and consultation to better help Seniors safely age in place
10.01.2010– BETHESDA, MD, AND SEATTLE, WA (September 30, 2010) – SeniorChecked (www.seniorchecked.com), a national network that connects seniors, their families, and caregivers with verified, trusted local service providers, and Silver Planet® (www.silverplanet.com), a company that helps boomers guide their parents to age in place by providing advisory services and products related to aging at home, have announced a distribution, content, and referral partnership. The partnership includes the following:
• SeniorChecked’s national directory of verified service providers may be distributed to and used by Silver Planet’s Silver Advisor phone consultants when advising clients who are looking to identify trusted local businesses in their area.
• From its large library, Silver Planet will distribute selected Boomer- and Senior-focused articles, blog posts, and scam alerts to SeniorChecked, further positioning SeniorChecked as a resource for comprehensive information for seniors and their families when looking for trusted information on aging in place and caregiving issues.
• Silver Planet will require each of their Silver Advisor consultants and its current network of service provider partners to go through SeniorChecked’s extensive screening process to ensure they meet SeniorChecked’s high standards for verification.
• SeniorChecked will refer customers who are looking for phone consultation on aging in place and caregiving issues directly to Silver Planet’s Silver Advisors.
“Our distribution partnership with Silver Planet is a great example of how we can connect our network of verified local businesses with consumers who are looking for trusted providers at a critical time in their lives,” said Chris Spanos, CEO of SeniorChecked. ”The addition of Silver Planet content on SeniorChecked.com will provide our visitors high-quality and trusted information from a leading source on a range of important aging in place and independent living issues.”
”We are very excited about our new partnership with SeniorChecked,” said Karen Klein, CEO of Silver Planet. “This collaboration means that anyone coming to SilverPlanet.com for help with caregiving issues can rest assured that our Silver Advisors and service provider partners have been thoroughly vetted and are completely trustworthy.”
About SeniorChecked, Inc.
Founded in 2010, SeniorChecked® is a free-for-consumer network of screened and verified local businesses focused on helping Seniors safely age in place. SeniorChecked spans a wide range of Senior related needs from elder care and senior move managers to more common services like plumbing and home repair. Seniors and their families now have a simple, easy and convenient resource to rely upon to find trusted service providers. To be part of the SeniorChecked network, businesses must pass the most comprehensive background checks in the industry. Those that do are awarded the SeniorChecked Trust Seal. The SeniorChecked program distinguishes member businesses and connects them directly with this valuable market, growing their customer base and expanding their referral network.
About Silver Planet
Silver Planet® offers Silver Advisors™, professional geriatric care managers and other experts who provide phone consultations on issues Boomers must resolve while caring for an aging loved one. Silver Planet combines its personalized advisory services with relevant, high-quality content from nationally known authors, webinars, blogs, and senior scam alerts in one place, making it an essential resource for Boomers. SilverPlanet.com is owned by Silver Planet, Inc. Its business offices are located on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
For more information, contact:
Jared Farber
SeniorChecked, Inc.
Head of Marketing & Communications
(240) 205-2594
jared.farber@seniorchecked.com
Amy Babcock
Silver Planet, Inc.
Head of Communications
(719) 488-9266
ababcock@silverplanet.com
Caring in a Digital World
Caregivers live the mantra, “It takes a village,” and the creation of partnerships, be it in their local communities or their online communities, is something we understand here at Halo. We are thrilled to welcome caring.com and silverplanet.com to our network of affiliates and look forward to long relationships with them both.
Known across the planet for their online resources, webinars, phone consultants, blogs, and senior scam alerts, Silver Planet has emerged as a vital resource for boomers looking to help their parents remain safe, informed, and independent. Their team of Silver Advisors assess concerns, suggest plans of action, help prioritize next steps, and furnish personalized written plans and recommendations based on individualized needs.
As independent professional geriatric care managers, Silver Advisors solve problems and provide crucial and up-to-date information for boomers who are struggling with the ever-changing needs of their parents. Advanced technology in fall detection is one piece that the advisors have turned their attention toward. The myHalo system has been selected as the featured product recommended to users by Silver Advisors.
Anyone who has ever taken on the responsibility of caring for a loved one desires information that will be helpful and accurate, and the guidance and tools to have less worry. Caring.com attends to a community of more than 40 million caregivers, offering a breadth of knowledge that few other sites have available. Thousands of articles, dozens of active blogs and support groups, and a directory of local caregiving services make the site a virtual thoroughfare for seniors and caregivers. Their staff members have all had caregiving experience along with professional expertise in product development, technology, multimedia management, and marketing, thus creating the foundation for one of the most comprehensive Web sites on caring.
Those of us who are in the business of helping seniors and their caregivers navigate through the challenges of aging by using advanced technology understand the importance of good partnerships. The partnerships with these Web sites are a natural fit for us at Halo because as we move forward promoting our advanced fall technology, these sites are helping us better meet the needs of seniors and their caregivers.
The Boom Factor
Boomers saw the U.S. change from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy. They saw the formation of the Interstate Highway System, enabling their families to “pack up the station wagon” and travel like never before. They were able to leave their hometowns and go to college. They embraced technology, as they saw the number of television sets grow from 4 to 50 million from 1950 to 1960.
“In the industrial age, it was all about product, price, place, and promotion,” says Nancy Shonka Padberg (MBA ’03), founder of Best Boomer Towns, Inc., and Navigate Boomer Media, LLC. “The manufacturers pushed the product to the customer. You could get your Ford in black or black. In the knowledge age, it is all about consumers, cost, convenience, and communication. The consumer is in charge. And I would argue that the boomer consumer is in charge.”
Even as they age, baby boomers still control 70 percent of the total net worth in the U.S. They spend an average of $3 trillion dollars per year and an additional $7 billion online. They purchase 41 percent of new cars and shell out for 80 percent of luxury travel.
Padberg, a former Fortune 500 executive, first discovered the baby boomer market as vice president at The Phelps Group, where she worked on campaigns for Fairmont Hotels, PETCO, and Whole Foods Market. “All these companies have research on their clientele,” she explains, “and the research was astounding. Specifically, with PETCO, we found that baby boomers and empty-nesters spent the most on their pets.”
As part of the team developing TV, print, and radio campaigns, Padberg strove to help advertisers understand and reach the boomer audience. She asked her clients, “How do we connect with boomers emotionally? It was easy with animals. We really had some terrific commercials for PETCO.”
Seeking to start her own marketing firm and realizing that with knowledge comes opportunity, Padberg went back to school, earning her MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management of Pepperdine University, where she “saw all the pieces come together.” In marketing class, she again studied the demographics of boomers. She also learned the two biggest takeaways for a startup: have a clear point of differentiation and develop a healthy culture.
Parlaying her knowledge from school and her career, the Iowa native developed a business plan for Best Boomer Towns, Inc., which launched in 2005. The Web site serves as a destination for boomers to find and exchange information on the best 21 locations in the U.S. to relocate or retire.
Recognizing additional needs in the marketplace, Padberg brought together nine media colleagues, including Pepperdine alumnus Kyle Murphy (BSM ’04, MBA ’05), and launched Navigate Boomer Media, LLC in Fall 2009. Navigate allows time-starved media buyers and marketers to buy display advertising on 10, 15, or 20 Web sites at a time. Launched in 2009 with 50 sites, the company now represents 119 sites with over 112 million unique visitors per month.
“Boomers spend an average of 15 hours per week online,” says Padberg of her decision to create online businesses. “Print and radio can’t say they have their audience for 15 hours per week. The largest segment of the population is coming through and embracing new technology like never before. In fact, the fastest growing segment on Facebook in the last year has been women 50-plus.”
Not even one year later, Navigate Boomer Media has emerged as the No. 1 online boomer ad network in the U.S. They represent boomer-focused Web sites such as vibrantnation.com, grandparents.com, and silverplanet.com, and publish original content for Web sites, blogs, social networking communities, and streaming radio. The business is now expanding into Canada and Southeast Asia.
While the young company continues to grow, Padberg observes, “We’re not a Fortune 500 company, we’re not corporate. We wear quite a few hats. We’re nimble and can make quick decisions. We know that we have the right media with the right target audience, at the right time.”
Silver Planet Launches Silver Advisors
Silver Planet, a company whose web site provides 20,000 pages worth of free content about aging and home care, has recently launched Silver Advisors, a program that offers professional consultations about senior housing decisions and related issues.
“Children often live far from their parents, but want to help them make the best choices for their situation,” explains Karen Klein, the CEO of Silver Planet. “We empower boomers to make decisions on age-related issues and how to make the best use of their resources. Silver Planet can assess their individual situation and problem-solve specific issues: everything from whether your parent can stay at home or move; understanding Medicaid; supportive housing options; elder coaching; and tax advice. You can access our site for free and review all of the articles on the relevant topic yourself; and you can look for housing options or home-health care yourself; or, tired of surfing the web for the right information, you can make an appointment with a Silver Advisor.
“The expert can explain the differences between the types of communities, point you to additional reading materials on the choices, and suggest how each type might fit in — or not — with your needs,” Klein adds.
It’s never too early to begin think about senior housing decisions, and a visit to Silver Planet’s web site can be an information-rich place to start.
“Be active and plan ahead,” Klein says. “For example, Karen Braitmayer writes about universal design and making your home accessible. Look into financial options and resources so that you can age in place.
“Silver Planet empowers boomers and seniors to make informed decisions about aging in place and housing options,” Klein add. “Silver Planet’s team provides live professional Silver Advisors, the latest information on scams, housing, financial planning, caregiving, spirituality, elder law, health, and new tech tools for staying at home, thus providing the information you need to make aging with choice a reality.”
For more information, click Silver Advisors.
Bainbridge Island company provides help for boomers with aging parents
What: Silver Planet, Bainbridge Island
Who: Karen Klein, 52, CEO
Mission: Provide baby boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) with the information to evaluate resources about aging and its surrounding issues. The Web site is www.silverplanet.com
Employees: 4
Financials: The private company expects to become profitable in the second quarter of 2011. It relies on referral fees and advertising, but also charges customers for live phone counseling.
Rate base: Online experts are available six days a week. The rates range from $70 for a basic 50-minute assessment to $150 an hour for questions that involve an architect or an attorney. Regular appointments take a few days to set up, or customers can pay an emergency premium to get a return call in 30 minutes.
Mother cam: While clients can connect to the site to address their own issues, the site is designed for those who need to manage care for their aging parents. "People used to spend their entire lives in the same place," Klein said. "Today, many people live hundreds of miles from their parents, but need to be involved in their care. We help them to deal with the information overload, so they can ask the right questions and determine who they can trust with that care."
Staying put: People vary in their reactions to the aging process, but Klein said there is a universal desire to stay in their homes for as long as possible. Klein said innovations such as online access to medical records and improved emergency devices can postpone a trip to the nursing home.
Hearing aid: "Communication is part of what we do," Klein said. "We use social networking to give people a place to go to connect with others who are dealing with the same aging issues."
—Charles Bermant
Baby Boomer Knowledge Center
"Ten Web destinations Baby Boomers Should Visit" is a new monthly column that will appear on several syndicated Boomer-centric high-value content sites.
Our objective is to provide Baby Boomers with the broadest variety of expertise, opinion and unique perspective offered on the Internet. Each month we will feature ten distinctively different web destinations together with our point of view with regard to why they have been chosen. Here's our first installment of Ten Best Baby Boomer Websites and Communities:
Silver Planet is a trusted senior resource for the new view on aging. Senior resources on aging, health, finance, living, retirement, and scam prevention are designed for baby boomers and 55-plus seniors. Launched in April 2008, Silver Planet comprises a content-rich environment with a unique social community. SilverPlanet.com is designed to empower individuals over the age of 55 (and their families), enabling them to be better informed and to make better decisions about issues of concern to the aging population, such as eldercare services, elder law, financial and health issues, scams, and living arrangements. Read more. . . .
eDigest
Just What Is a "Senior Specialist"?
A lot of people are calling themselves “senior specialists” these days, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA).
It’s reporting “a significant increase” in what it calls
“designations"—credentials that imply expertise at providing services
to investors 55 years and older. Read more. . . .
PR Web
National Consumer Protection Technical Resource Center
Volunteer Program Targets Medicare Fraud
SMPs train seniors to recognize scams
A few older adults are milling around outside a senior center. Someone approaches them and offers to arrange to purchase scooters for them through Medicare. Because they’ll need physicals before being approved for the scooters—and they’ll need a ride—the person offers to drive them as a group to see a doctor, all for free. After a brief check of their vital signs, the seniors go home. And wait. Sometimes the scooter never arrives, but the Medicare statement does; sometimes a cheap scooter shows up, but Medicare is paying for a really nice one. And someone else, the thief who billed Medicare, pocketed the difference. Read more. . . .
eMedia Wire
September 24, 2008
Silver Star Mildred Heath shines again. Mildred was recently honored at the Experience Works Prime Time Awards Program in Washington, D.C. as the Oldest Worker for 2008. At 100 plus, Mildred Heath continues working as a journalist, begun in 1923 at age 15, at the Beacon Observer in Overton, Nebraska. Read More.
IT News Online
Key website features include syndicated columnist Dr. Barton Goldsmith, best boomer town bloggers, town videos, local weather, daily news feeds, Amazon book store, tax information and Google maps. Featured columnists from Silver Planet, BoomersAbroad, Baby Boomer Knowledge Center and Boomer Golf News write about retirement issues boomers are seeking. Read More.
St. Petersburg Times
April 28, 2009
Silverplanet.com
It's no wonder that more Web sites devoted to the over-50 crowd pop up every day — because 10,000 more boomers turn 60 every day, according to government estimates. One comprehensive site is silverplanet.com, which breaks down health, financial planning, caregiving, retirement, lifestyle changes and more with articles, blogs, video and weekly newsletters. Among the blogs is the Recipe Doctor, written by nutrition expert and author Elaine Magee. The site also invites members to single someone out for doing good; notable folks are highlighted and awarded a "Silver Star." Silverplanet.com was founded in 2008 by Florence Klein at age 74. Keep track of updates on Facebook, MySpace and twitter.com/silverplanet. Read More.
Compiled by LifeTimes editor Mimi Andelman
Mimi Andelman, LifeTimes editor: mimi@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8272.
The Huffington Post
March 25, 2009
"I try to commit to getting outside at least once per day, even if it's to walk down the driveway to grab the mail," said Silverplanet.com founder Florence Klein. One sneaky wellness strategy commonly used among the new modern women entrepreneurs and executives is to swap walking for driving as often as possible, including to and from lunches and meetings. Read More.
The Gazette
January 30, 2009
“I had a big vision, so I started big," says 74-year-old Colorado Springs Florence Klein . “I wanted a place that seniors could trust," she says, and so she started the website www.silverplanet.com. “The site looks as if it had been an online mainstay, with a range of information not seen on even more mature sites that target seniors,” reports columnist Carol McGraw of the Gazette. Read More.
The Huffington Post
January 27, 2009
…I would like to inspire other women, as I have for 4 decades to say "yes we can" lead active lives. For that reason, at age 72, I started the SilverPlanet website - Florence Klein, Founder Silverplanet.com. Read More.
The New York Times' The New Old Age
“I was immediately drawn to the title of one blog: “A Good Enough Daughter” by Sara Myers, who has 30 years of professional experience in the field of aging," says Jane Gross of the New York Times “Old Age Blog.” Ms. Gross includes Ms. Myers’ blog entry in her own blog, and then suggests that readers read other entries because she “enjoyed them and hope you will, too.” Read More.
The Huffington Post
January 21, 2009
...."Listen to your inner self. Protect your integrity and go for it all, girl!" said Silverplanet.com founder Florence Klein. Read More.
Big Tent
December 19, 2008
Former Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland has been nominated for the Silver Star of the Year. Silver Stars are extraordinary, inspiring seniors who embrace a new view on aging. They are not limited by stereotypical boundaries. These senior Silver Planet Agers live active, fulfilled, informed lives. They reinvent themselves and redefine their work and lifestyles. Please vote for Faith by reading about her at www.silverplanet.com and clicking on the Silver Star to register and vote. Vote early and often!
The Huffington Post
January 6, 2009
Florence Klein, Founder Silverplanet.com, shares that gender is not important when it comes to industries. Read More.
Kitsap Sun
January 5, 2009
Silver Star Kyra Petrovskaya Wayne has written several books, including “The Chaperone.” However, Kyra’s life story is more compelling than any novel. Read More
Denver Post
Silver Planet, a Colorado Springs-based website for people ages 55 and over, was awarded a $10,000 matching grant from Rose Community Foundation as part of its Boomers Leading Change initiative. Read More.
Montgomery Newspapers
At 90, Andora Quinby holds the world record for the deadlift: “My whole motivation for doing these things is to get middle aged and older women moving," Silver Star Andora Quinby of Blue Bell, PA said. "And besides that it's so fun," she added with a giggle. “Quinby was recently featured on SilverPlanet.com as a "Silver Star," which are extraordinary seniors who embrace a new view on aging and are not limited by stereotypical boundaries.” Read More.
What We Do
Silver Planet® helps baby boomers guide their parents to age in place by providing services and products related to aging at home and housing options.
