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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Age Friendly Business - Ballinasloe

9. 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