For seniors searching for additional ways to remain independent, a new hero has emerged: online delivery services.
Far beyond groceries from the neighborhood store, a world of delivery options is now available to seniors-even those with the barest amount of tech savvy.
Home delivery services that cater to the specific needs and preferences of seniors have gone from boutique niche to fast growing trend.
History of Home Delivery
Food delivery started with the milkman in Britain in the 1860s, while Italian royals began having pizza delivered in 1889.
Tiffany’s Blue Book was the start of mail order catalogs in 1845, followed by Montgomery Ward in 1872.
in 1952, Marvin Schwan began home delivery of his family’s homemade ice cream to rural western Minnesota.
The Amazon behemoth (remember when they just sold books?) exploded onto the retail-shopping scene in 1995.
Restaurants deliveries ramped up in the early 2000s. While all these companies nurtured the home delivery industry, the Covid-19 pandemic revolutionized it.
Seniors and Delivery
Maintaining independence and quality of life at home is one of the biggest challenges facing America’s aging adults.
Mobility, transportation, cooking, shopping, and health conditions can mean limited access to essential goods and services.
In addition to providing convenience, delivery services of all kinds return a modicum of control to seniors who feel bypassed by a busy world.
Perhaps not surprisingly, seniors able to provide for their various needs at home can experience lower long-term care costs.
While the home delivery industry now encompasses almost anything you can imagine, not all seniors are ready to embrace this sea change. But for those who are, home delivery is another tool in their aging-in-place toolbox.
Have a question for Youthful Aging – call 941.925.9532
Sheila Birnbaum’s professional career has been devoted to enhancing patient care. As the Director of the Patient Advocacy Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), Hamilton, NJ, she instituted numerous programs, many which received statewide recognition, including several prestigious rewards.
