Our fire department has begun implementing the Remembering When program. This program, produced by the National Fire Protection Association, is a fall and fire prevention program for older adults. The program consists of 8 fall prevention behaviors, and 8 fire prevention behaviors.
During the creation of this program, focus groups determined the following top 6 ways to get people (especially older adults) to attend and listen to your presentation.
- Good quality presentation. Content is always king. A presentation that adds value to the listener and is well presented, lets people leave with a sense of having gained something, not just wasted time. A good presentation will also attract future audiences, due to word of mouth (especially applicable to the older adult demographic).
- The presentation should be brief, 20-30 minutes. The Remembering When program has several time ranges, however, the main messages and presentation does not exceed 25 minutes.
- Focus on key messages. Focus the presentation on the most important messages. It would be impossible to make an exhaustive presentation (on any topic) in only 20-30 minutes. The object of the presentation is for the information to be retained, we do not want our listeners to suffer from information overload.
- The presenter should be a trusted expert. The donning of our firefighters uniform, automatically makes us the trusted expert. Do not do anything that would violate this trust. A well rehearsed presentation can make anyone seem like an expert on any subject. Practice!
- Transportation provided or easily accessible. Our library system has branches strategically located throughout the county. Partnering with them provides a convenient location. We also partner with our local Council on Aging, they have a transportation service that picks up and brings people to there facility.
- Food provided, include this information in the advertising. Everyone loves going to a meeting, knowing that food will be provided. Also, provides a free meal for those who are financially disadvantaged.
- Door prizes. Everyone loves free stuff! This also creates a buzz among the participants, and a certain level of competition.
- Time of day. Focus groups determined that the best time of day to offer a presentation (for older adults) is at 10 am or after noon, around 2 pm.
- Provide follow-up session. Collect names and contact information, at the very least provide a phone call or e-mail as a follow up. Remembering When, also has a home visit/risk-assessment component that provides a great method for follow up.
