Final answer:
The editorial about massage therapy for seniors and encouraging them to consult a certified massage therapist is written with the intent to persuade the seniors to take action for potential health benefits. It may also touch on the benefits such as lowering healthcare costs and increasing healthcare employment, while ultimately focusing on persuading the senior audience.
Step-by-step explanation:
An editorial that discusses the benefits of massage therapy for seniors and urges all seniors to book an appointment with a certified massage therapist aims to accomplish a specific purpose. When considering the purpose of the editorial, one should ask whether the author intends to persuade, inform, entertain, or criticize. Given the content that advocates for seniors to actively seek massage therapy, it's most appropriate to conclude that the editorial is designed to persuade the target audience, which in this case is seniors, to take a particular action. The action being to schedule an appointment with a certified massage therapist, implying that it brings benefits suitable to their health.
The editorial likely includes information on how massage therapy can lower the costs of healthcare over time by potentially decreasing the need for more extensive medical interventions, which could be a supplementary point to strengthen the argument. Additionally, an emphasis on boosting employment in the healthcare industry could also be a secondary motive discussed within the editorial. The central goal, however, remains to influence seniors and their caregivers to consider massage therapy as a valuable addition to their healthcare regimen.
The content could also serve to help readers think critically about the importance and benefits of massage therapy, and give strength or credibility to this particular wellness approach. This is done in hopes of achieving the overarching objective of persuasion.