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Award
Winners
1999
BUSINESS AWARD
The ASA Business of
the Year Awards, one for large companies and one for medium/small companies,
recognize exemplary company programs that meet the needs of older people
and their families, expand public awareness of the private sector's increasing
involvement with older people and create performance models for other
companies to emulate.
LARGE
COMPANY
The Hartford
Financial Services Group, Inc.
Hartford,
CT
 With
in-house gerontology expertise for more than 15 years, The Hartford
Financial Services Group, Inc. is honored with ASA's top business award
for large companies. Under the leadership of Beverly Hynes-Grace, The
Hartford was among the first corporations in America to create a corporate
gerontology program to promote good business practices and service for
an aging population through sensitive and knowledgeable personnel. Their
corporate gerontology program has brought the voice and image of the
older customer inside the company through staff training, special awareness
programs, widowed customer services, consultation assistance, and resources
for Hartford employees in caregiving roles. The Hartford has demonstrated
a sustained commitment to quality service to their older customers.
Among the many programs
that The Hartford offers is an all-day seminar for new employees called
"Focus on the Older Customer," designed to help avoid age-related stereotypes
and promote sound business practices sensitive to the needs of older
customers. "Celebrating Our Customers" helps employees understand the
wide diversity among older customers, and the "Widowed Customer Program"
provides training and referral services to help employees meet the special
needs of newly widowed customers who must conduct business during emotionally
difficult times. Gerontologists work in many departments at The Hartford
providing assistance with product development, consumer trends, print
and audio communications, and aging-related needs of employees. An extensive
library, the Gerontology Resource Center, is also available for employees
to use.
Much of The Hartford's
work is done in public education and service, including The Hartford
House, a full-scale traveling exhibit that teaches safety ideas in the
home to older adults. The Hartford Car is an innovative, multimedia
interactive 2,000 square foot exhibit featuring life-saving information
for older adults and their families. Although both exhibits are now
retired, public education campaigns continue with updated information.
The Driver Safety Research program provides valuable safety tips for
older drivers. The Hartford is also active in public education and service
through many local, state and national organizations, including the
Alzheimer's Association, Connecticut Community Care, Massachusetts's
Blue Ribbon Commission on Older Workers and AARP.
HONORABLE MENTION
Merck-Medco
Managed Care, LLC
Montvale, NJ
Merck-Medco Managed
Care, LLC, receives an Honorable Mention for a large company. Its Partners
for Healthy Aging Program, begun in 1995, is a comprehensive approach
to coordinating prescription drug care for elders. Research has found
that some elders may suffer unwanted, adverse or even potentially fatal
side effects when combining several drugs. Using an extensive database,
the program seeks to ensure that pharmaceuticals are prescribed appropriately
by the physician, dispensed correctly by the pharmacist and taken appropriately
by the older patient.
The program also
includes a 300-page Medication Guidebook for Older Adults and patient
package inserts tailored specifically for older adults, and the Patient
Pocket Formulary Guide and Preferred Prescriptions Formulary for physicians,
with older adult warning symbols next to less than optimal medications.
Mark Monane, director of geriatrics at the Department of Medical Affairs,
oversees the clinical development of the program. He is a physician
who is board-certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, clinical
pharmacology, and utilization review and quality assurance. His research
on medication use and geriatrics has resulted in numerous articles and
review publications in journals like the Journal of the American Medical
Association. Available nationwide, the program has been implemented
by more than 50 million members, including 20 million retirees and 9.7
million older adults.
SMALL
COMPANY
Moving
Solutions
Wynnewood,
PA
 In
the small-company category, ASA's highest business award goes to Moving
Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based relocation company focused on the needs
of older adults. The company philosophy, "We don't pack things-we pack
a lifetime," reflects Founder and Owner Margit Novack's commitment to
doing much more than simply packing and unpacking boxes. As individuals
live longer and families disperse geographically, more older adults
than ever before are faced with the trauma of relocating in their later
years, typically from a home they have lived in for most of their adult
lives. As specialists in older adult moves, Moving Solutions eases the
way.
Founded in 1996,
there are six key elements in the service: focusing on a business about
people, communicating effectively with multiple constituencies, empowering
staff to solve problems, being sensitive to the aging process and the
belongings of a lifetime, breaking down stereotypes by remembering that
they are working with one chapter in a long life, and measuring their
effectiveness. The measurement involves a questionnaire to clients and
families that provides both qualitative and quantitative feedback. They
have a 75 percent response rate.
Moving Solutions
does everything from sending out address change announcements to helping
elders arrange furniture in the new home to minimize disorientation
for clients who may have memory impairment. Because Moving Solutions
recognizes that for many older adults, moving out of a home is often
precipitated by a negative event, such as a serious illness, a fall
or the death of a spouse, it trains its employees to be particularly
sensitive to the special needs of older clients. Often, family members
are not present for the move and employees must help the client make
important decisions about which items to pack and which to donate to
charities or discard.
The Philadelphia
Chamber of Commerce recognized Moving Solutions in 1998 for its outstanding
business practices with the Annual Business and Community Excellence
Tribute.
HONORABLE
MENTION
GoodLife TV Network
Washington,
DC
The
GoodLife TV Network of Washington, DC, is awarded an Honorable Mention
in the small-company category. A 24-hour basic cable network, GoodLife
TV focuses on the interests of baby boomers who consider themselves
to be in their mid-30s to their mid-60s (regardless of their actual
age). Formerly known as Nostalgia Television, the network was founded
in 1987 and is the only 24-hour network dedicated to programming for
adults over 49.
There
are 7.1 million subscribers to the network, which broadcasts original
programming, community service initiatives and special events, and other
materials specifically for baby boomers. The network does not including
programming that has profanity, violence or gratuitous sex. Programs include
"Ballroom DanceSport Competition"; "More Money with the Dolans" (a call-in
financial advice show); "The Real Me Autobiographies" (featuring famous
Americans talking about their lives); and "The TV Book Shop" (authors
discussing their latest books). There is an accompanying narrative description
for the visually-impaired, closed captioning for the hearing-impaired
and a Spanish language version of the network available. GoodLife TV Network
also recognizes its audience's commitment to improving their community.
One community initiative is "Homework Helpers: Get It Done. Get It Right!"
The service offers free tutoring services to elementary students by a
corps of retired volunteers. Volunteers are recruited from groups such
as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
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