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At this time of year, thoughts of service are paramount. A regular reader of this blog suggests two creative ways to serve seniors, build goodwill, and expand your reverse mortgage reach in the bargain.

Expand Your Service Circle With Your Reverse Mortgage Borrowers

Not-for-profit sponsorship event: The LO received an invitation through a local senior networking group to an afternoon cookout at a senior living facility. The entrance fee: a jar of peanut butter or jelly for each person attending. The event’s purpose was collecting food for undernourished schoolchildren so they could enjoy lunch during the summer months when school is not in session.

Obviously the senior living facility could have funded the event, but they chose to frame the occasion as a community gathering day, generating publicity in the newspaper,

drawing visitors to the facility and inviting other local businesses to participate. They invited a massage therapist to offer free 10-minute chair massages. (She was allowed to provide business cards for people to call and make future appointments.) The facility also invited a musical duo the residents enjoyed. Staff barbequed ribs and hot dogs, set up banquet tables with side dishes and had a variety of beverages available in coolers. Event participants registered for prize drawings — another creative way to gather potential referrals. 

While there, the reverse mortgage professional, who is also an accomplished ballroom dancer, volunteered to visit the facility again at another time and teach a free dance class for residents who are able to stand and retain their balance. Facility management loved the idea and promised to schedule it soon.

The LO reports, “This event was a win on every level: for the kids, the seniors, the facility, the community, and participating businesses. A loan officer or bank might team up with the Realtor Association in their area to promote interest in a similar type of sponsorship.”

Thinking of you: Whether they dwell in independent living, assisted living or a full service care community, seniors may feel isolated and forgotten, and a simple act of kindness can mean so much. 

Acknowledging them helps them retain their identities and sense of self worth. The LO mentioned above tracked one couple he’s known for a long time, who moved into an independent living facility and seemed to need more and more help as time went by. One day he stopped by and left a small bouquet of flowers at the front desk to be delivered along with a greeting card. Another time he dropped off two floating Mylar balloons with a note.

The couple “always call and express their thanks,” he says. “It gives us one more opportunity to visit. After all, we all like to be appreciated and remembered.” This simple act of kindness takes so little time and effort, and means so much to those you serve. Whether they’ve obtained a reverse mortgage and are still happily independent in their own home, or have moved into a senior facility, taking the time to show you care creates far-reaching ripple effects, the greatest of which may accrue in your own heart.

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