Health Daily News

File under: what a smart idea.

Oldest in action, a non-profit advocacy group in Portland, Oregon, a comprehensive directory of local companies published certified, unannounced visits by undercover volunteers in their 60s up 80's elder friendly be.

Courtesy of the oldest in ActionThe seal awarded to "Elder Friendly" business in Portland, Oregon

Take a look.The elder friendly business certification program has been a literal seal to nearly 300 Portland area locations car dealership, medical practices, moving companies, food markets, travel agents, insurance companies, government agencies.

It works this way: a local company might notice the increase in the elderly population and how much did financial clout oldest calls for certification. Small companies pay $200, larger $400.(A short digression: what causes come so many innovative approaches in the aging, including assisted living in Oregon?) (And we do bottle?)

In the next two weeks four trained visit voluntary oldest in action separately where assessment such qualities as physical accessibility, memory or in the office layout and customer service. "They're kind of like secret shopper," said Vicki Hersen, group executive Director.

"We start with the phone book."Is a business easy to find? "" And we evaluate sites for font size and color combinations that are read"declared Mrs Hersen."We call to see if a real person answers the phone. "Say: ' I not car fahren.Wie I get there by bus?'"

The older spies - 60 gone through the four hours of training - check out whether characters and menus readable want sind.Sie at least a unisex bathroom to see that a customer may be assisted by an opposite sex helper or spouse.You want to see front chairs where older patrons can wait for a taxi or the transit van, and you want to have these chairs for the poor.

A sticker for your Windows Gets a company that makes the grade and can use the insignia in its marketing and advertising.Oldest in action adds the newcomer of his paper and online directory that is growing by about 25 reductions per year.

A business want has six months to make improvements found before again voluntary.Among those who have learned the hard way, the oldest in action means business were the Oregon Zoo (his characters were hard to read as) and the Portland Center for the performing arts (the low benches outside its auditorium were hard to get off) .Beide changes and earned certification.

Began as the program grew, oldest in action licensing its education, certification and logo to other non-profit groups around the Land.sechzehn area agencies on Aging, most of you have suit gefolgt.Jetzt Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Boston; Montgomery, Alabama; and Binghamton, n.y, among others, have older friendly Zertifizierungsprogramme.Sie questions, why is there no longer.

An earlier version of this post incorrectly Hersen's wife Familienname.Es corrected.

Paula span is the author of "when the time comes: families with aging parents share your struggles and solutions."

View the original article here