Pat Doherty & Aisling Costello March 2015 Focusing Business on the older customer – Age Friendly Ireland’s Approach Pat Doherty & Aisling Costello March 2015

Age Friendly Ireland in Action Age Friendly Business Age Friendly Towns Age Friendly Ireland in Action National Implementation and Integration Group Programme Coordinators Support Networks NGO Forum Expert Advisory Group Chairpersons Group Older Peoples Councils Age Friendly Libraries OPRA Older People Remaining At Home

WHO, Age Friendly Cities and Communities Programme in Ireland 2009: AFCC programme commenced: County Louth 2013: AFCC programme adopted by 16 of the 34 Local Authorities 2014: Age Friendly Ireland hosted by Dublin City Council 2015: Programme adopted by all 31 Local Authorities 16 Cities & Counties have; Consulted older people Launched strategy and action plan At implementation stage (Stage 4 - WHO) 8 Cities & Counties are; At advanced stage of consultation Launching Strategies in next 3 – 4 months (Stage 3 – WHO) 7 Cities & Counties commencing process of consultation To have completed this process by end of 2015 (Stage 1 & 2 – WHO) 24th February 2015 Setting the scene Hugh O Connor

Business Recognition To Date Implemented in 13 towns 6-25 Businesses per location Often emerges as action from Age Friendly Town 2014 Award – Cavan Town Hotels, Banks, Local Shops

Future plans Call for applications to each county 4 towns supported directly Learning network with how to seminars 11 new towns, and existing towns invited

Good Practice Examples Louth: Local Chamber run awards and events annually Kilkenny: Hotel gets national coverage, restaurant flyer Dublin: Shopping centres reduced centre music, seating area created Dublin Survey showed most money spent by over 55’s in city centre Skerries: includes services as well as retailers Ballinasloe: town map with services identified, distributed through local magazine Cavan: Chamber won National AF business Programme Award 2014 Dublin Airport: improved seats, signs and accessibility

Becoming an Age Friendly Business Town ……….….. the Journey continues Identify Key Resource Form Steering Group Find interested businesses AFI present info session 1 SET UP 2 CONSULT Business go through Four Step process Champion Workshop Ask Older customers Develop actions 4 ACT Mystery Shopping Monitoring and evaluation Follow up survey Online database Awards 3 PLAN 4 towns and 11 supported by network and seminars Recognition and window sticker Promotion of scheme Launch and present certificates November 18

Age Friendly Business - Ballinasloe

Age Friendly Workplaces Review of evidence and to develop a compendium of appropriate age friendly workplace strategies and practices to form a draft model To implement and test this age friendly work place and model in three areas. To develop and implement an evidence informed approach, set of guidelines and Age Friendly Workplace Recognition from the results of the pilot testing