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Helping Seniors Helping Seniors

UC Digital Spark students Deegan Miller and Maddie Kuklentz help an elder care franchise reach its target markets.

UC Digital Spark Business Assist students Deegan Miller and Maddie Kuklentz are partnering with the franchise Seniors Helping Seniors to help them increase their social media profile. While the company began in Pennsylvania in 1998, they have now expanded both nationally and internationally. In particular, Maddie and Deegan are focusing on the branch of the franchise in Chester County, Western Montgomery County, and Upper Bucks County.

Seniors Helping Seniors finds seniors in need of in-home, non-medical care and matches them to other seniors who can help them give them that care. They often help with personal care, meal preparation, and running errands, and help these seniors remain independent. They are also trained in assisting seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and similar ailments.

According to Maddie and Deegan, there are clear benefits to matching seniors with people their own age. 

“They’re a lot more receptive to help as well when it’s someone their own age,” Deegan said. “It almost feels like having a friend there with you.”

Maddie added, “A big problem with seniors is losing their freedom, and it gets a lot easier to feel like you’re still in control of your life if there’s somebody your own age coming in just to help you out.” The company also tries to match seniors who have similar interests to help them relate to each other and establish a trusting bond right away.

Maddie and Deegan are helping the company grapple with a crucial problem: how do you market a service for seniors over social media when seniors are notoriously disengaged from social media? So far, they’ve decided to focus their efforts on appealing to the “sandwich generation:” adults with children and aging parents that need to be cared for. These middle-aged adults are more likely to be engaging in social media and online research on elder care, and will hopefully find this unobtrusive and beneficial service appealing for their aging loved ones. Additionally, Deegan and Maddie hope to help them find seniors who want to help care for others.

Maddie and Deegan will face a number of challenges working with a well-established senior care franchise, but they’re more than up to the task, and will gain valuable experience along the way!

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