Stay Dead-On in Dealing Death for Seniors

Upon its release, the Pixar animated movie “Coco” was praised as a realistic depiction of feelings about death in the traditional Mexican culture. There, death is accepted as familiar, routine, even celebrated as in the Día de los Muertos holiday. By contrast, death is typically feared in other developed countries’ cultures. An exception is among seniors, who generally carry a more accepting perspective on the looming reality.
     The characteristics of what has been called a “good death” increase the acceptance and therefore indicate benefits points for those offering services concerned with end-of-life:

• Attention to individual preferences. Most seniors prefer to die at home but there are those who would rather be in a nursing facility where pain relief is readily available. Most seniors want to be surrounded by family and friends at the time of passing, but there are those who say they’d prefer the peacefulness of having only a few others, or perhaps solitude. 
• Tying it together. When contemplating their mortality, seniors are motivated to complete unfinished business in their lives and talk with others about the meaning their lives have had. As death seems closer, seniors’ interest in spiritual counseling often grows. 
• Consideration for those being left. In general, women show more concern than men about the consequences of their death on loved ones and on caregivers, including the medical personnel. Men and women alike want to have in place arrangements for finances and the disposition of possessions. 

     In consumers of all ages, thoughts about death influence purchasing and donating behavior, so these effects may be seen to a greater or lesser extent in senior citizen shoppers. Researchers at Chinese University of Hong Kong and Shanghai Jiao Tong University found that stimulating awareness of mortality increases receptiveness to bandwagon charity appeals. Bandwagon appeals ask for contributions on the basis that others already donated. The researchers contrasted this with need appeals, in which the request is based on the deprivations which would be eased by a contribution.
     A group of college students were asked to “briefly describe the emotions that thoughts of your own death arouse in you.” Another group were instead asked to describe emotions and thoughts related to dental pain. Of those study participants in the first group, 67% were influenced by a bandwagon charity appeal, while only 23% were by a need appeal. In the dental pain group, the respective percentages were 20% and 50%.

For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology

Click below for more: 
Resolve Identity Crises for the Elderly
Shadow Dark Tourism