‘Pay attention to the needs of people born in another generation’
There are plenty of ways to make businesses more age-friendly
How age-friendly is the place you shop or do business? This question may not pertain to you now, but it may be applicable to your parents or grandparents. And let’s face it — it will apply to many of us someday.
Clarenville, N.L. resident Leo Bonnell, a retired bank manager and former chairperson of the province’s Provincial Advisory Council on Aging & Seniors, has devoted his retirement years to volunteering, and helping address concerns related to the well being of seniors. He receives many invitations from seniors and community groups throughout N.L. to speak on a variety of seniors related topics, including Age-friendly Businesses.
According to Statistics Canada, the population aged 85 and older is one of the fastest-growing age groups in the country. With these numbers in mind, it’s therefore not surprising that Bonnell says his many interactions with seniors’ organizations and community conversations have identified “a need for a shift in the thinking by many business owners in the way the changing needs of a growing seniors’ population should be addressed.”
Bonnell says that many seniors have shared with him that services they feel are needed as they age are lacking, and furthermore, that business owners “are not adapting to the reality that seniors with spending power are increasing in numbers.”
A DECADE IN THE MAKING
“My advocacy for the idea of creating an age-friendly business concept goes back to more than 10 years ago, when as a member of a National Advisory (Board) on Age-friendly Communities, I recommended that there should be a robust focus on developing a framework for an Age-friendly Businesses model. I pointed out that with Canada’s population aging, and people living longer, the business and service community needs to adjust to the changing needs of people as they age,” he said.
Bonnell also points out that improvements to the shopping experience can appeal to all ages, providing a comparison in that “what is good for an older person with mobility issues is also good for a young mother with a child in a stroller.”
The Town of Clarenville was awarded one of the 10 Age-friendly Rural and Remote Communities pilot projects in Canada back in 2007, and the Random Agefriendly Communities Board was formed at that time to lead the project on behalf of the municipal government. Over the last 15 years, Bonnell says the pilot project in Clarenville has become a leading model that continues to be shared with other N.L. communities and towns.
“Other communities looked to the Clarenville experience for guidance in moving their respective programs forward on their journey to becoming age-friendly. The board’s overall focus was to showcase the town as an age-friendly community where services and programs would be appealing not only to the existing residents but those who would like to relocate to the region,” said Bonnell.
In 2021, Bonnell pitched the idea of an Age-friendly Business initiative to the Random Age-friendly Communities Board in his role as Vice-chair of the Board.
As part of this pitch, Bonnell says that real estate developers in Clarenville were encouraged to build affordable seniors housing based on the forecasted need. It worked and over the last two years just under 200 units are now occupied by seniors — some of whom he says relocated with no prior connection to the town.
What put Clarenville on the map of being an agefriendly community, he says, were programs such as computers for seniors, an annual age-friendly fair for seniors, improved street signage, agefriendly parks and gardens, seniors’ transportation, and seniors’ information sessions to name a few. It was these age-friendly features that Bonnell says resulted in an influx of retirees and newcomers to the area.
Given the overall success of the Age-friendly Communities concept, Bonnell says that piloting an Age-friendly Business initiative seemed like the natural next step, which was formally launched in June of 2022.
Bonnell said that the first objective “was to access 10 places of business, made up of a cross-section of stakeholders ranging from a supermarket to health care providers.” With this objective met, he says 20 more local businesses are projected for this coming year.
“It has been so well received that a number of business managers are now requesting an assessment,” he said.
AGE-FRIENDLY BUSINESS ASSESSMENT
The first step recommended by Bonnell is for businesses “to do an assessment of the demographic that make up the bulk of their business base and review how their current business model can be adjusted to meet ever changing needs in an evolving marketplace.”
When a request is received from a business owner, there is a three-step process that follows. First, an assessment is given to the business manager for them to complete. Secondly, at a prearranged time, members of the Random Age-friendly Communities Board carry out their own assessment. Thirdly, the two groups then meet and compare their findings.
“It is an opportunity to engage the business owner/ manager in discussions around correcting any deficiencies if applicable. A decal and certificate are then presented along with a photo of the presentation to the business with employees in attendance,” he said.
Bonnell offers a few more items for business owners to consider. For example, keeping older workers for their experience and knowledge, he points out, is highly valuable in retaining and gaining new customers in any place of business. He also feels that Human Resource programs to allow for older workers to work part-time, odd shifts, work from home, and knowledge sharing/mentoring can ensure a stable workforce for the business well into the future.
“Embracing one or more features of an Age-friendly Business concept will give business owners better opportunities to not only retain existing customers but attract a new base of customers looking for a new experience in service,” he said.
STAFF AWARENESS TRAINING
Bonnell points out that there is information available through community college business programs for businesses interested in staff awareness training with respect to Age-friendly Businesses.
He adds that “we would be more than happy to share the Clarenville experience as we have already done.”
The federal government also provides information concerning Age-friendly Communities and a Community Implementation Guide online.
Some examples of agefriendly modifications for businesses to consider:
Outdoors:
• Sideways accessibility
• Parking lot areas that are level, well maintained and well lit
• Wheelchair ramps that are easily accessible
• Entrance ways wide enough for seniors with mobility issues Indoors:
• Non-slip flooring
• Matts secured to the floor
• Washrooms are located on the main floor with proper signage and paper dispensers that are easy to reach
• Enhanced and brighter lighting in service areas
• Appropriate seats in the waiting areas (ie: chairs with arms)
• Signage that is easy to follow. Shopping:
• Wider aisles
• Smaller shopping carts
• Lower grocery shelf levels
• Smaller portion sizes (ie: two seniors in a home can’t accommodate or need a 10pound turkey)
Service industry:
• Racks and hooks for walking canes.