Page 18 - HME Business, December 2017

“The mantra for the HME retailer needs to be, ‘There ain’t no app for service and care.’”
— Ty Bello, RCC, T eam@ Work
their homes is estimated to be 87 percent. This will also lend to the increase of bathing and bed supply sales for the HME retail provider.”
Products That Meet Baby Boomer Needs
McKesson, a large medical supplies company, considers that the consequences from diabetes, obesity and hypertension are the top ailments facing baby boomers today. They carry products that cover these categories, including urinary incontinence, which has been linked to obesity, prostate issues and aging.
“It’s never been a very well publicized medical condition,” says Cheryl L. Hutton, BSN, RN, CWON, clinical director at McKesson Medical- Surgical. “Even though we’ve known that it’s been an issue for years, the message that the healthcare community wants to get out right now is that incon- tinence is not a normal part of aging. The majority of sufferers are most likely not even talking to their doctors about it, and, instead, are out there trying to nd a solution in the retail environment.”
According to her counterpart, Susan Wood, RN, BSN, PhD, WCC, FAPWCA, LLE, clinical educator and consultant with McKesson Medical- Surgical, products that HME retailers should carry include pull-ups, diapers and liners. And carrying several brands and sizes is important, because each product will have different levels of comfort and absorbency for patients.
“One of the biggest challenges that we even see in long-term care facilities and hospitals is that the staff doesn’t understand how to properly size the incontinence products for the patients,” Hutton says. “That’s very important so that they don’t have a failure. Wipes are also an important product to carry. They come in handy for baby boomers, who are on the run, very busy and in the workforce.”
As mentioned previously, boomers are savvy Internet shoppers. As some may nd the incon- tinence product category embarrassing to buy in-store, Hutton suggests making sure boomers can purchase these items from your website.
When it comes to wound care, Hutton explains that the three biggest baby boomer disease states that cause wounds are diabetes mellitus, peripheral artery disease and chronic venous insuf ciency.
“DME providers need to know what those 18 HMEBusiness | December 2017 | hme-business.com
disease processes mean,” Hutton notes. “For example, the type of wound that a diabetic might have would be very different than someone
who had a venous insuf ciency wound. There
has to be some clinical education on the part of the customer service people who would know what type of products would be most commonly requested in those speci c chronic disease processes. In diabetes, the big issue is that people can’t feel their feet. There is neuropathy.”
Wood said that advanced wound care patients typically purchase roll gauze, saline, tape, cotton swabs, tubular elastic gauze, topical antibiotics and gloves.
“Baby boomers have a strong desire to live independently in their own homes and remain a part of their communities,” Araújo-Méndez says. “For most seniors, their homes lack the necessary structural features and support systems they need to live independently. When it comes to catego- ries, bath safety products are a top category, along with personal care products as a close second. However, baby boomers don’t want the standard bath bench that they saw their parents use. They want innovative products that blend nicely into their homes and look less institutional while providing them with the same functionality.”
Araújo-Méndez adds that baby boomers
who suffer from limited mobility due to aging, diseases, or rehabilitation would bene t the most from bath safety products, homecare bedroom products and personal care products.
“Popular bathing products to carry in an HME showroom include seats, benches, grab bars, hand-held showers, non-slip bath mats, foot scrubbers and long-handled sponges,” she explains. “It’s important and crucial to think of the consumer’s day to day and provide solutions to help facilitate ease, which allows them to continue to be independent. For the bedroom, products to carry in your showroom should include handles, rails that assist getting in and out of bed, transfer products, any kind of table or bed tray, bed pads, sleep covers, and orthopedic pillows.”
Display these products where customers
can see and touch them and provide at-shelf education that visually shows the bene ts of the category to the shopper, she advises. Consider displaying bathing products by the bed products because they go hand-in-hand.
Carex Health Brands offers its ‘endless isle technology,’ which is an application that displays at-shelf education and all the products avail- able so the dealer can offer the entire Carex line without taking up valuable showroom space.
“Based on our learnings, it’s really about providing a holistic journey for someone, to allow the customer to feel empowered and assured with their purchase decision,” she says. “The endless isle application we developed helps with all of this.”
Rutti recommends carrying compression, with best and better options. He also says nice retail packaging can help make the sale and suggested that Nova had great looking packaging for their
bathroom products, while Incrediwear has attrac- tive packaging for its recovery products.
Some of the top marketing strategies Rutti employs to hit the boomer market include:
• Radio ads — We run radio ads on both a local
news station and the main local sports station. The ads run on the sports station are focused on baby boomers in the role of caretaker. The news ads are focused on the consumer themselves.
• Traditional print ads — clipper magazine, senior newsletters, direct mail
• Education — extensive focus on both internal and external education
• Product Display — We have products displayed in showrooms and also in our Home Accessibility Center, which is in a nearby shop- ping mall
• Digital — Website (including links to manu- facturers website), social media (Facebook and Twitter), Google.
Rutti recommends to re-merchandise often to keep things fresh and give customers a new experience each time they come to the store.
“And if products don’t sell, swallow your pride, clear it out and make room for something new
or expand on what’s working,” he says. “Finally, be an educator not a salesperson. We’ve had the best results with spending time and being empa- thetic to gain customer trust and loyalty.”
More on Caregivers
“Caregivers are the thriving force in assisting the quality of life for baby boomers,” Araújo-Méndez says. “It’s important to also include them in the equation from a sales and marketing perspec-
tive. If an elderly person can’t go to the store and purchase a urinal, who will do it for them? Most likely a loved one. That is why it’s important to not forget about caregivers, as they will go out of their way to care for their loved ones.”
She also points out that it’s not just baby
“Nobody
benefits when
we try to sell
customers
products they
absolutely
don’t need. The
customer spends more money than necessary on items
that won’t help them, and
we get a reputation of being product-pushers. ”
— Rob Baumhover, The VGM Group
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