The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #74357

Lené Levy-Storms, PhD, MPH¹, Randi Jones, JD¹, and Verónica Gutiérrez, MPH². (1) Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, UCLA, 10945 Le Conte Ave., Suite 2339, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1687, 310 312 0531, llstorms@hotmail.com, (2) School of Public Health, UCLA, UCLA, LosAngeles, CA 90095-1772

The purpose of this paper is explore the advantages of applying a social marketing framework to consumers' perspectives on long-term care. Much of the research on older adults' long-term care needs focus on either community-based or institutional care but not both simultaneously. To effectively design long-term care services to both, a framework that links issues with both consumer sectors would be helpful to creating services and policies that are sensitive to a broader scope of their needs as they navigate the nebulous long-term care continuum. Two distinct sets of focus groups were conducted with older African American and Hispanic women in the community and older, frail white elders residing in nursing homes. A total of 6 and 8 focus groups were held in community-based and nursing home settings, respectively. Data were analyzed using open-coding techniques for thematic patterns and then organized within a social marketing framework. The social marketing framework includes four major domains: product, place, price, and promotion. Thematic patterns within these domains revolve around interpersonal issues with both informal and formal care networks that emerge when these elders try to use their self-care behaviors to optimize their individual experiences with healthy aging. While these two groups of consumers have varied physical and mental health needs, they share common emotional and social needs. Their voices call for equal attention to these latter needs as much as their physical and mental health needs have been considered in the design and delivery of long-term services. The implications for long-term care policy that focus on rehabilitation and optimization all aspects of consumers' needs will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. To explore the common needs of community-based and institutionalized elders
• 2. To understand how a social marketing framework allows insight into consumers' long-term care needs
• 3. To listen to consumers' of long-term care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.