Content Marketing
“The Longest Day” is an all-day event in June organized by the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s held annually on the summer solstice, lasts from sunrise to sunset, and symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with the disease and their caregivers. This year, The Longest Day is held on June 20 to “honor the strength, heart, and endurance of those facing this devastating disease.” To raise awareness about Alzheimer’s caregiving, fundraise for research toward a cure, and connect with others doing the same, your organization can participate in offline event(s) and join the conversations online.
Content Tips for Any Senior Care Company:
Contact the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and find out what opportunities exist for your senior care organization to participate in The Longest Day. The event website also has ideas for participation. Include your involvement in your content this month, whether in your e-newsletter to residents and families, or on your social media profiles, or via your blog.
Use photos as much as possible to create engaging content — whether photos of your senior care organization participating in the event, or of real families affected by the disease (who are willing to be featured and have opted in to having their photo shared in this way). For inspiration, the campaign website has some great examples of images associated with the event.
Tell stories and/or showcase those individuals who are living examples of the campaign themes. If doing original, new interviews: consider doing the Q&A via email with the family caregiver(s) — making it as convenient as possible for him/her to participate on their own time. Or compile and share anonymous quotes from online caregiver or patient forums to highlight the challenging journey of this disease. Alternatively: Do any of your leaders or staff have personal experience caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? See if they’re willing to share stories from their personal experiences to help raise awareness and make a connection with those you’re trying to reach.
For those on Twitter: Consider participating in the online conversation via a series of tweets throughout the day to highlight specific facts and resources around Alzheimer’s care. The campaign hashtag is #TheLongestDay.
If creating original content seems too daunting: compile and summarize Alzheimer’s care expertise from any of the resources linked below (see “resources to support this spark” sections), or tap into the Content Made Simple program to reprint from Caring.com’s extensive archives on this subject.
Content Tips for Senior Living Communities:
As applicable: Create content that demonstrates your community’s expertise in memory care. Include specifics of how your community supports those living with the disease (and their family members) and if possible, incorporate specific examples of any positive outcomes for those individuals. For instance, in Caring.com’s online support groups, family caregivers often discuss the initial guilt they felt with moving mom or dad to a memory care community, and how that changed over time when they saw how much better their loved one was doing, and how much relief it brought to the family to have their loved one in safe, engaging, professional care. If you have similar stories with residents in your community and their loved ones, see if they’d be willing to share about that openly, and/or be an anonymous example in your blog post.
Incorporate activities from The Longest Day campaign into your community’s activities programming that day. Then share photos and summaries on your social profiles, in your e-newsletter, and/or on your blog.
You might also participate by incorporating The MIND Diet into your community’s menu that day, or by including foods that promote brain health. Perhaps post a recipe on your blog, or talk about how your community’s meals are keeping residents’ brain health in mind.
Content Tips for Home Care Agencies:
As applicable: Create content that demonstrates your agency’s expertise in care for those with Alzheimer’s or memory loss. Include specifics of how your caregivers support those living with the disease (and their family members) and if possible, incorporate specific examples of any positive outcomes for those individuals. For instance, is your agency providing much-needed respite for a family caregiver whose loved one has Alzheimer’s? Making it possible for the family caregiver to work outside the home while your agency engages their loved one in activities and takes care of their basic needs such as meals, meds, dressing, etc.? See if they’d be willing to share their story or be included as an example in your blog post for The Longest Day.
Caring Resources to Support this Spark:
Online Support Groups for Caregivers in the U.S. — including a group focused on Alzheimer’s Care and one for those Caring for a Spouse with Dementia
The Best Memory Care Communities Nationwide — the Caring Stars of 2016
Additional Resources to Support this Spark:
The Alzheimer’s Association information page for The Longest Day
Memory People on Facebook — includes posts and comments by individuals living with this disease, their family members, and experts or professionals in Alzheimer’s care
Second Wind Dreams’ Virtual Memory Tour — an interactive program to improve communication and care by building a greater understanding of dementia through the use of sensory tools
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Content Marketing
“The Longest Day” is an all-day event in June organized by the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s held annually on the summer solstice, lasts from sunrise to sunset, and symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with the disease and their caregivers. This year, The Longest Day is held on June 20 to “honor the strength, heart, and endurance of those facing this devastating disease.” To raise awareness about Alzheimer’s caregiving, fundraise for research toward a cure, and connect with others doing the same, your organization can participate in offline event(s) and join the conversations online.
Content Tips for Any Senior Care Company:
Contact the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and find out what opportunities exist for your senior care organization to participate in The Longest Day. The event website also has ideas for participation. Include your involvement in your content this month, whether in your e-newsletter to residents and families, or on your social media profiles, or via your blog.
Use photos as much as possible to create engaging content — whether photos of your senior care organization participating in the event, or of real families affected by the disease (who are willing to be featured and have opted in to having their photo shared in this way). For inspiration, the campaign website has some great examples of images associated with the event.
Tell stories and/or showcase those individuals who are living examples of the campaign themes. If doing original, new interviews: consider doing the Q&A via email with the family caregiver(s) — making it as convenient as possible for him/her to participate on their own time. Or compile and share anonymous quotes from online caregiver or patient forums to highlight the challenging journey of this disease. Alternatively: Do any of your leaders or staff have personal experience caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? See if they’re willing to share stories from their personal experiences to help raise awareness and make a connection with those you’re trying to reach.
For those on Twitter: Consider participating in the online conversation via a series of tweets throughout the day to highlight specific facts and resources around Alzheimer’s care. The campaign hashtag is #TheLongestDay.
If creating original content seems too daunting: compile and summarize Alzheimer’s care expertise from any of the resources linked below (see “resources to support this spark” sections), or tap into the Content Made Simple program to reprint from Caring.com’s extensive archives on this subject.
Content Tips for Senior Living Communities:
As applicable: Create content that demonstrates your community’s expertise in memory care. Include specifics of how your community supports those living with the disease (and their family members) and if possible, incorporate specific examples of any positive outcomes for those individuals. For instance, in Caring.com’s online support groups, family caregivers often discuss the initial guilt they felt with moving mom or dad to a memory care community, and how that changed over time when they saw how much better their loved one was doing, and how much relief it brought to the family to have their loved one in safe, engaging, professional care. If you have similar stories with residents in your community and their loved ones, see if they’d be willing to share about that openly, and/or be an anonymous example in your blog post.
Incorporate activities from The Longest Day campaign into your community’s activities programming that day. Then share photos and summaries on your social profiles, in your e-newsletter, and/or on your blog.
You might also participate by incorporating The MIND Diet into your community’s menu that day, or by including foods that promote brain health. Perhaps post a recipe on your blog, or talk about how your community’s meals are keeping residents’ brain health in mind.
Content Tips for Home Care Agencies:
As applicable: Create content that demonstrates your agency’s expertise in care for those with Alzheimer’s or memory loss. Include specifics of how your caregivers support those living with the disease (and their family members) and if possible, incorporate specific examples of any positive outcomes for those individuals. For instance, is your agency providing much-needed respite for a family caregiver whose loved one has Alzheimer’s? Making it possible for the family caregiver to work outside the home while your agency engages their loved one in activities and takes care of their basic needs such as meals, meds, dressing, etc.? See if they’d be willing to share their story or be included as an example in your blog post for The Longest Day.
Caring Resources to Support this Spark:
Online Support Groups for Caregivers in the U.S. — including a group focused on Alzheimer’s Care and one for those Caring for a Spouse with Dementia
The Best Memory Care Communities Nationwide — the Caring Stars of 2016
Additional Resources to Support this Spark:
The Alzheimer’s Association information page for The Longest Day
Memory People on Facebook — includes posts and comments by individuals living with this disease, their family members, and experts or professionals in Alzheimer’s care
Second Wind Dreams’ Virtual Memory Tour — an interactive program to improve communication and care by building a greater understanding of dementia through the use of sensory tools
