Foundation Course Introduction PDF

FOUNDATION COURSE INTRODUCTION Surfing the Age-Wave! An age-friendly business considers the needs and preferences of maturing and older adults in our society by creating a welcoming, accessible and responsive environment for customers of all ages and abilities. This FOU...

FOUNDATION COURSE INTRODUCTION Surfing the Age-Wave! An age-friendly business considers the needs and preferences of maturing and older adults in our society by creating a welcoming, accessible and responsive environment for customers of all ages and abilities. This FOUNDATION COURSE guides the learner to a full understanding of becoming an age-friendly service provider. Welcome Optimize Everyday Places Exploring Your Customers Needs Your Opportunity Consider Your Thoughts On Aging Consider Your 'Aging Attitude' What Lens Do You Look Through? Agesim If Instead... 50+ Influencers Corporate Value Alignment Age Wave Learning Vignette INTRODUCTION End of Introduction ITEM 1 of 13 Welcome A key benefit of becoming an age-friendly business is that you can enhance your reputation and social responsibility by showing that you care about the well-being and dignity of older adults in your community. Rho nda Latreille, CEO , Age Friendly Business, Canada “ Hi there, my name is Rick, and I will be your guide through this great course on becoming an Age-Friendly business. Here, you will be given opportunities to gain new insight s that will help you provide bet t er service to people in the 50 plus age group. Being Age-Friendly is great for business, and great for your customers.”  There is a lot of information for you in this course. To get the most out of it, have a note pad and pen at the ready! Use them to... Write down your t hought s and f eelings, your a-ha moment s 1 and also consider documenting your personal shifts! 2 Write down anything that inspires a change for you as a service provider. Keep a record of new ideas you may want to discuss in your 3 business arena. Being Age-Friendly is great for business, and great for your customers. C O NT I NU E ITEM 2 of 13 Optimize Everyday Places “ The World Health Organization has shown that when we opt imiz e t he everyday places in our communities, we improve the quality of our life experience. We know that it is more than just improving buildings or services. It's about feeling connected valued and respected. When we enhance t he qualit y of our int eract ions wit h each ot her. Everybody wins. It is good for you, good for your community, and good for your business.” *Optimizing everyday places is the process of making the spaces where we live, work, and play more comfortable, functional, and efficient. It involves designing, organizing, and improving the physical and social aspects of our environment to suit the needs and preferences of those who will use it. It can f oster positive relationships, collaboration, and community by creating spaces that are inviting, inclusive, barrier-f ree and respectf ul. C O NT I NU E ITEM 3 of 13 Exploring Your Customers Needs “ We will explore what it is like for your customers when they try to access your products and services, and how you can help to make their experience more saf e, easy, ef f ect ive, and enjoyable. You will learn how to recognize and accommodate some of the more common age-relat ed changes, you will find out how t o respond better to some of the more difficult challenges some of your customers face and of equal importance, you will discover t he good news st ory about living longer. ” I appreciate the businesses that offer discounts, flexible payment options, and delivery services. They make shopping easier and more enjoyable. C O NT I NU E ITEM 4 of 13 Your Opportunity “ During this course, you'll have the opportunity to reflect on your own beliefs and ideas about aging. To learn about the age-related changes that may be occurring, for your customers, and to ensure you are providing exceptional service by anticipating and accommodating the needs of an aging population within your service, or work environment. ” C O NT I NU E ITEM 5 of 13 Consider Your Thoughts On Aging “ Your customers are only one half of the equation, you are t he ot her half , and an equally important part of the business relationship! Let's take a moment to consider what are the first five words that come to your mind when you think about aging. Okay. now take a moment to jot them down. ”  To Reflect is to Grow! Here are a few questions you might want to ponder as you embark on this new learning journey...  Point 1 What are my thoughts? T he first 5 Words that come to my mind when I think of Aging are...  Point 2 What has been my experience? What is my first memory / experience of interacting with a senior person as a child?  What do I imagine ? When I imagine my own aging, the first image that comes to my mind is... “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.” - Frank Lloyd Wright C O NT I NU E ITEM 6 of 13 Consider Your 'Aging Attitude' “ Though it is slowly changing society has tended to view aging, as an experience to be avoided at all costs. Words like this are often used. Strong images, aren't they? Sometimes, older persons feel like they are walking around with a best bef ore dat e stamped on their forehead, and that the date you see on their forehead relates to your own feelings about aging. If we see aging in only negative terms, and a customer comes to you showing some of the physical  attributes of aging, how do you think this might influence your interaction with that person. Can you see how your own belief s, values and f ears can impact how we int eract wit h ot hers?” The Boomer Generation, born between 1946 and 1964, witnessed unprecedented societal shifts, from the civil rights movement to the advent of technology. C O NT I NU E ITEM 7 of 13 What Lens Do You Look Through? “ Did you know that your values and belief s about your own aging can make a difference in how you provide services today. It all comes down to our own perspective, the lens we look through when we look out at our world. Let's see what happens when we change the lens on this picture now.  Interesting, isn't it? When we shif t from indifference or judgments to recognizing the humanity and richness of each person's history, our story about them changes. We invite you to look at the kind of jokes you laugh at, the birthday cards that you buy, and the words that you choose. They can all make a difference in how we t hink about growing older, how we f eel about growing older, how we see older persons, and how we relat e to persons on this life journey. ” It all comes down to our own perspective, the lens we look through when we look out at our world. C O NT I NU E ITEM 8 of 13 Agesim “On Ageism...The negative view of late life isn’t just false. It’s also dangerous. “The narrative that age is decline, age is burden, hurts everyone: individuals, families, communities, and society. Some older adults do need support, but mostly they’re giving it.” “They make important contributions to the workforce, including paid work as well as volunteering and caregiving. Those contributions to society are a resource, not a luxury.”” - Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, a professor of social policy and expert in gerontology at Washington University in St. Louis. 00:47 click play to hear the audio file There are challenges and joys in the aging journey. AGEISM is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person's age.  Teenagers and older people are the most affected by AGEISM which hurts our society. “ As we will find out in this foundation course, there are some age-related challenges that we need to be aware of and to prepare for. And there are also some age-related positive developments, to be recognized and appreciated. There is a concept called ageism. Ageism refers to stereotypes that we may hold based on someone's age. Can you think of different age groups that may be discriminated against based solely on their age? Teenagers and older people are the age groups, most often linked to negative images and subjected to various forms of discrimination. Although any form of ageism hurts our society, this course will look exclusively at ageism as it relates to older people.” Not only does ageism negatively affect the lives of seniors, but it can also negatively impact entire communities as it marginalizes people who have a lot to offer younger generations. - World Health Organization C O NT I NU E ITEM 9 of 13 If Instead... “ If instead, aging was seen by our society as a celebration of people's life transitions, expertise, and wisdom, how differently would people who are aging be understood and served better?”  “ In her recent book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live, she took aim at more than a dozen beliefs about getting older. “In every case, I found information that not only cont radict ed t he negat ive st ereot ype but also highlight ed a st rengt h that comes with aging,” she said. Take the stereotype that people become less creative as they get older. Researching her book, Levy found a host of examples of artists and musicians who became more creat ive and more generat ive lat er in lif e. ” - Becca Levy, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health and of psychology at Yale University C O NT I NU E ITEM 10 of 13 50+ Influencers “ This expanding group of people over the age of 50 are beginning to significantly influence business and service industries, all around the world. Being equipped to understand what they need is not only t he right t hing t o do, it also demonst rat es good business pract ice, creates an out st anding cust omer experience, and ultimately result s in increased loyalt y.” Seniors are a valuable customer group that can promote customer loyalty for businesses that cater to their needs and preferences. Some of the ways that seniors can promote customer loyalty are: They are more likely to share their positive experiences with their friends and family, generating word-of-mouth referrals. They tend to be more loyal and less price-sensitive than younger customers, as long as they receive good value and service. They appreciate discounts, rewards, and coupons that recognize their senior status and offer them savings. They are more responsive to personalized and respectful communication, such as phone calls, emails, and handwritten notes. Therefore, businesses that want to attract and retain senior customers should focus on providing excellent customer service, offering tailored promotions, and communicating effectively with this group of customers. Surf the Age-Wave! Transform your Business with Age-Smart Strategies. C O NT I NU E ITEM 11 of 13 Corporate Value Alignment “ As you will see, offering an outstanding age appropriate and respectful customer experience aligns with your own corporate values!” Offering an Age-Friendly customer experience demonstrates your social responsibility and ethical business practices. This can improve the company’s reputation and trustworthiness and reflects values of integrity, honesty and making a difference. C O NT I NU E ITEM 12 of 13 Age Wave Learning Vignette INTRODUCTION “ I would like to introduce some customers who range in age from their mid-50's all the way into their 90's. Meet Renu, Martin, Pearl, Mary, Richard and Albert. Although they don't know each other yet, they all have one thing in common they are all going on a luxury Mediterranean cruise setting sail within the next week. They will become fast friends when they are seated together at the same dinner table. We will be seeing them in various business environments, as they ITEM 12 of 13 Age Wave Learning Vignette INTRODUCTION “ I would like to introduce some customers who range in age from their mid-50's all the way into their 90's. Meet Renu, Martin, Pearl, Mary, Richard and Albert. Although they don't know each other yet, they all have one thing in common they are all going on a luxury Mediterranean cruise setting sail within the next week. They will become fast friends when they are seated together at the same dinner table. We will be seeing them in various business environments, as they each prepare for this dream vacation. I hope you will recognize some of these customers as similar to people you are already serving, or perhaps even as your own family members and friends. Let's see how each customer prepares for this special trip.” C O NT I NU E ITEM 13 of 13 End of Introduction You improve customer service and satisfaction when you provide a comfortable, safe, and respectful experience for all E ND