Age-friendly Businesses: An inventory of age-friendly practices
Customer-facing businesses such as shops, cafes, leisure centres, libraries and arts venues, are vital components of local communities with a huge role to play in our day-to-day lives. The accessibility and inclusiveness of these businesses can impact physical and mental health and wellbeing at every age and. even small changes can support more of us to live a good life as we get older.
Our resource How to be an age-friendly business: A framework for customer-facing settings sets out some of the steps businesses can take to be more age-friendly.
But what might this look like within real business settings? To help inspire businesses thinking of taking action but not knowing where to start we have identified examples from a range of types of business in different sectors that align with our recommendations.
The examples are organised under the section of the framework with which it best aligns.
Your people
An age-friendly business recognises the importance and value of the older staff and volunteers in its workforce, as well as the pivotal role this workforce plays in providing a service that attracts and retains customers of all ages. Treating people with respect, not making assumptions based on age and offering appropriate levels of support and interaction are all important parts of a high-quality customer service.
Imperial London Hotels needed to rebuild its workforce quickly after the pandemic and it found a recruitment drive focusing on attracting more older workers was most effective. The group reviewed its needs and staff offering, resulting in a new approach to work patterns and different descriptions of job requirements and the work setting. For example, adverts highlighted people skills instead of using words like ‘vibrant’ and ‘exciting’ which research had found tended to be associated with younger applicants. Providing staff development and training also allowed people with experience in other sectors to join. The hotels used the Age-friendly Employer Pledge network for insight into creating an age-friendly culture.
Southern Vectis, a bus operator, provides age-friendly training for its drivers in order to better support its customers. An age simulation suit and glasses gives participants an insight into common physical challenges in later life. In particular, drivers are trained to wait until older passengers are seated before pulling away and to lower the ramp to help those with accessibility needs. All bus drivers are also trained as ‘Dementia Friends’, so they can assist passengers living with dementia.
In 2014, the Royal Exchange started the Elders Company to promote creativity into later life and to challenge stereotypes, attitudes and assumptions around ageing. The Elders programme is an opportunity to present a wide range of stories about getting older and to share a range of individual experiences. Encouraging people to free themselves, to find their creative voice and speak their truth while at the same time challenging inappropriate comments or behaviours. The theatre have made this work through the use of Equity’s safe spaces statement which is read at the start of all projects and one-off sessions. Creating and maintaining a space that feels equitable and inclusive and within which it is possible to challenge each other without shaming anyone.
Dunelm has introduced a supported shopping hour at its Oldbury branch and a few of its other larger stores. Every Thursday at 11am to 12pm, the music is turned down and more staff are on hand to assist, including to push trolleys, help find items, explain products and their benefits, and carry shopping to cars. There are also seating areas to enable people to rest when needed. This support empowers people with support needs, not all of whom are older people, to continue shopping independently, in person for longer.
The Clifton Exercise Club offers fun and supportive gym sessions and classes, working mostly with older adults. Staff are employed for their knowledge and approachability, rather than on whether they ‘look fit’. They focus on individuals’ fitness goals, taking into account particular health challenges. Classes have an inviting and positive atmosphere, being tailored to the needs and tastes of older people, such as balance classes to help prevent falls and spin classes “without the loud music, lycra and shouting”. To ensure customer satisfaction, they provide a week’s free trial plus rolling monthly fees that can be stopped at any time.
Your premises
Providing a positive experience by creating an environment that is safe, accessible, warm, and welcoming as well as acoustically and aesthetically pleasing can help you retain and grow your customer base. Think about the indoor and outdoor parts of your premises and remember to consider your older staff as well as your customers.
Shops and businesses in Banbury town centre have taken part in an initiative led by Age-friendly Banbury to make their premises more accessible. Age-friendly Banbury – a partnership between the Banbury BID and local organisations – has provided businesses with doorbells at wheelchair height. This is promoting better access for residents, especially to older buildings, where assistance might be needed.
Businesses in local shopping areas have signed up to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Take a Seat initiative, which makes seating available to members of the public so they are able to rest when out and about. Local shops who are part of the scheme display a We are Age Friendly sticker. This indicates that people will be offered the chance to sit down and receive a warm welcome. The council also provides a directory of seating by area, to help people to plan ahead. If people know that they will be able to take a rest when needed, they can stay active and social, which has benefits for health and wellbeing.
Morrisons supermarket has introduced a daily ‘quieter hour’, removing some of the ambient noise and other aspects that can make shopping difficult or unpleasant for those with sensory sensitivities. Changes include turning off music, avoiding tannoy announcements, reducing movement of trolleys, and turning down lighting and electronic noises. This was initially instigated to help neurodiverse people, including those with autism, but it will benefit people with hearing and cognitive impairments, including some groups of older people.
Manchester libraries established and have committed to a set of age-friendly standards to ensure their facilities and services could encourage more older people from the wider community to visit. The set of ten standards include reference to how customers are treated, and the provision support and useful information in a range of formats. The standards don’t only reference the provision of facilities, they also have one standard focused on offering safe and accessible facilities that are well-lit with flooring that is clutter free to reduce the risk of slips and trips. All 23 Manchester libraries have been granted ‘Age-friendly Libraries’ status by Age-friendly Manchester.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s football stadium, the Amex, ranks among the top four most accessible stadiums in the Premier League. As a member of Brighton and Hove’s Age and Dementia Friendly business scheme, it offers a range of services that make matches more accessible. These include the provision of stadium plans and guidance for visiting fans and an Inclusion Room, which provides a safe and reassuring space for supporters who may struggle to sit within the main stands, so they can still enjoy attending matches. The stadium also hosts monthly reminiscence sessions for people with mild to moderate dementia to relive and share memories of the club.
Your communications
Age-friendly marketing and communications use language and imagery that make older people feel they are being acknowledged, represented, and included. An age-friendly business also provides up-to-date and relevant information that is accessible and readily available in a range of formats. Investing in non-digital communications can help reach the millions of potential customers who are digitally excluded.
The Duke of York Picture House has an accessibility webpage directly signposted from the cinema’s homepage. The page is clearly laid out, with a full description of current facilities and services, covering physical access around the cinema and in the screens, provision for visually impaired and hearing-impaired customers, accommodation of assistance dogs, and relaxed screenings (which are suitable for people with dementia). It also prominently displays the phone number and daily opening times for their accessibility helpline. Customers can easily find information and book tickets online, by phone or in person.
Hartlaw LLP has signed up to Leeds’ Age and Dementia Friendly Business Scheme, with a commitment to making its private client services accessible and welcoming to older people. As part of this, the firm ensures their printed leaflets are clear and concise with legible text. They have also produced a bereavement pack with a step-by-step guide to the process involved when someone dies, including how to register a death and organise a funeral. It contains a glossary to help people understand the terms used and the contact details of trusted local service providers to support customers with their next steps. This helps older customers navigate the process with greater confidence.
At Shrewsbury and Telford hospital, dementia-friendly signage was successfully developed and introduced to a ward, following consultation with patients and carers over a 12-month period and environmental audits. The improvements to ward decoration and signage were introduced alongside other changes, such as providing finger food and staff T-shirts in place of uniforms, to provide a more person-centred and safer experience. It has also led to a more efficient and effective service.
JD Williams adopted age-inclusive imagery and language for its 2024 marketing campaign, using the tagline ‘Admit it, this age thing suits you’. Along with positive statements that challenge stereotypes and celebrate ageing, the advertising material features models of different ages and body types. The fashion brand states that its mission is to inspire women to live life to the full, on their own terms, offering clothing to fit and suit everyone.
Sunny Bank Mills is a multipurpose venue for arts programmes, workshops, exhibitions and events, as well as providing studio, office and retail spaces. It has signed up to the Leeds Age and Dementia Friendly Pledge and aims to make it a welcoming and accessible place for all. It has committed to continue providing marketing material and information in hard copy, including large print format, as well as using digital media. It also reaches older people through partner channels, for example by being included in the city’s Come in and Rest scheme.
Your offer
People want to have access to products, services, activities and offers that best meet their changing needs, including as they age. Businesses that fully understand and provide for the diverse range of older people’s needs, interests and preferences are best placed to win them as valuable customers.
Specsavers offers home visits to customers who cannot leave home unaccompanied because of their mental or physical health. Specialist mobile opticians carry out sight tests in private homes, care homes and sheltered accommodation for people aged 60 or over or who are eligible for free NHS-funded eye tests for another reason. Other in-home services offered are ordering new glasses and testing for specific eye conditions. Specsavers also has mobile audiologists who can carry out hearing tests at home in selected parts of the country. All visiting specialists receive Dementia Friends training to make sure they provide appropriate support to customers.
Eyra Design creates practical and desirable products with extra functionality for an ageing population. The business was started because, even though we're living longer and better than ever before, it can be difficult to find beautiful and useful products which alleviate the minor ailments that come with age. These products are sold in a range of supermarkets and houseware shops across the country as well as specialist organisations like arthritis charities.
Trinity Shopping Centre has implemented a range of age-friendly changes utilising their customer feedback process that includes an online survey, twice yearly focus groups and consultation with older customers through Leeds Older People’s Forum. Some of the changes the shopping centre has made include improving their guest services area, introducing stoma-friendly toilets, providing free mobility aids and large print maps of the shopping centre.
Some cinemas are now providing discounts for older people. For example, Odeon has the Silver Cinema Club which offers discounts for over-60s. This club includes a series of film screening of movies aimed at the mature audience, with tickets costing as little as £3.50 across the country. As a bonus, you’ll also receive tea, coffee, and biscuits before the movie starts. Other national cinema chains offer similar schemes, including Empire and Picturehouse and many independent cinemas offer concessions for over-60s
National Museums Liverpool has created an innovative way to help older residents, especially people with dementia, bring memories of the city and personal histories to life. As part of its House of Memories dementia awareness programme, it has created a mobile cinema and museum that provides an immersive and multi-sensory experience through film, animated images, sound effects and music. The projected displays are interactive, enabling visitors to create their own cultural experience and share memories with others in their community setting. This can start conversations that lead to positive engagement between families and care providers.
Your place within the community
Your local community has a vested interest in your success, how you operate and what you do to support it. There are many things you can do to support your local community and contribute to the lives of older people, now and in the future.
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is a not-for-profit charitable social enterprise and one of the country's largest leisure providers, operating 254 centres nationwide. Dedicated to improving the well-being of its customers and the communities it serves, GLL leverages local demographic data to refine and tailor its services. This data-driven approach enables GLL to strategically shape the "what, where, and when" of its offerings, ensuring they address the diverse needs, preferences, and challenges of local residents—including older adults—while maintaining full compliance with GDPR regulations.
The Guildford Institute hosts regular events where people can come together to enjoy the company of others. The V café hosts a chatter and natter table on alternate Wednesdays as part of the national Chatty Café scheme, where volunteers provide a welcoming space for individuals to chat and socialise. Stitch and Sip is an informal craft group that runs fortnightly, where people can come to learn and share crafting skills, such as knitting, crochet and embroidery. It is free to attend, making it accessible to people on low incomes.
Robin Parks leisure centre made rooms available for wellbeing checks, in partnership with the council and Primary Care Network. The initiative was also supported and promoted by the owners of Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors, based at the neighbouring WD stadium. The service was designed to reach people who would not usually consider making a health check appointment or who would be unable to attend during usual clinic hours. By running a drop-in service on Saturdays, it catered to adults dropping off children or grandchildren at sports clubs and activities, as well as those attending matches at the stadium.
The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury engages generously with their local community, hosting various groups and activities. They have also hosted bigger events including an Older People’s Day with electric blanket testing and stalls for partners to interact with residents. They work in partnership with Cherwell District Council to offer the Community Connections Fund, an initiative designed to help community groups and schools in Banbury’s Brighter Futures Areas connect with the arts.