SeniorApp
Older people face various problems daily. They concern shopping, minor repairs or walking a dog. Fortunately, there are those who can help. A special application SeniorApp helps to organise support.
This tool is especially important during a pandemic. SeniorApp is a mobile application created for people in need, the elderly, the disabled, as well as their families looking for support in their care.
As the creators emphasise, the task of SeniorApp is to build a community of people willing to help others. The impulse for the creators was the competition "I have an idea for a Startup" announced by the city of Łódź Office.
The originators became the winners of the main prize. They also won the title of the laureate of the "Forge of Ideas" program implemented by the Marshal's Office of the Lodz Region.
Importantly, SeniorApp helps to limit direct contacts with strangers, among others in clinics, shops, offices, etc. After installing the free application on a mobile device, you can use it as a person seeking help for yourself or a loved one or offering services.
If we are looking for support, SeniorApp will help find them on many key issues. It goes, among others for care, but also keeping the company, consultation with an internist, rehabilitation, dealing with official matters, and even taking care of the graves of relatives.
As the authors inform, after clicking on a given service, local offers of people who can implement it will be displayed. Each service provider on SeniorApp is verified by the application administrator. The provision of electronic services via mobile devices is in line with the idea of preventing and combating threats related to COVID-19.
The application will not end with the coronavirus epidemic, because the problems of the elderly and those in need will not disappear. It is important to add that global population aged 60 years or over numbered 962 million in 2017, more than twice as large as in 1980 when there were 382 million older persons worldwide.
The number of older persons is expected to double again by 2050, when it is projected to reach nearly 2.1 billion. As the average age of the population continues to rise, governments should implement policies to meet the needs and interests of older people, including those relating to housing, employment, healthcare, social protection, and other forms of intergenerational solidarity. Unfortunately, this help is not yet visible, and many people need it.
The recent times of the pandemic have shown how lonely elderly people are, and thus a great need for services and assistance for them. The natural transition of users from the middle-aged to advanced age entails the emergence of new needs from apps.
A wide range of affordable smartphones and tablets stimulates the growth of this high-potential market. Developers have recently increased their interest in this audience. Nevertheless, in almost all mobile app categories for the senior generation, competition is currently quite low. This is a giant and still underestimated market.
The business model of SeniorApp is based on a success fee from the services provided. Each user providing services has the option of setting his own rate for the services offered. Ultimately, there is a commission charge of 25% of the value of a well- performed service. Additional sources of income: in-app advertising, acquiring leads for business partners, affiliations, conducting and selling focus research on users.