Supporting elderly clients

There is a big demand for counselling among the elderly. They are often widowed, living alone, and have few friends.

The counselling sessions provide company, and may help them resolve some of their unanswered questions.

One woman’s son had committed suicide, and she needed to go over the subject at every session. Why had he killed himself? she would ask. The moment of discovery, seeing his feet in the air, was a sight which still haunted her.

You should therefore make efforts to seek clients among the elderly, and you will need to decide how you will approach them.

The elderly who occupy their own home are more able to request the services of a counsellor than those in a retirement home, who in turn are more likely to use your services than those in a nursing home.

However, the elderly in their own homes are less easily identified because they do not live in clearly marked accommodation, which is why a successful marketing campaign will help you gain the elderly as clients.