The Rowan County Council on Aging is pleased to announce that Smart Choice Senior Transitions has recently earned certification as a “Senior-Friendly Business” in Rowan County.  
Smart Choice Senior Transitions, LLC, is a Salisbury company specializing in assisting older adults when they need to downsize and relocate, or to right-size their current home for retirement safety and comfort.  Smart Choice Senior Transitions is owned by Jo Kearns, a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist® (CRTS), and a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM).  “The Senior-Friendly Business Certification is an important acknowledgement by the Council on Aging, and I am proud that my business was able to earn this recognition,” commented Kearns.
An industry is developing to support our increasing older population’s needs for advice, planning and assistance surrounding decisions to downsize and move to a retirement community, or to make the adjustments to their current homes that will make it possible for them to age-in-place.  Kearns explained, “Not everyone has family close by to help.  In some cases, when there are family members nearby, they are working and cannot take a lot of time off to assist their elders.  This is where Senior Move Managers can make the difference in an older person’s ability to successfully transition to a new residence.  We can reduce the stress for the people who are relocating, as well as reducing it for their family members.  If the elder has decided to remain in their home, we help de-clutter and organize the home to make it elder-friendly.”
The Council on Aging has offered the business certification program to local businesses since 2009. The program seeks to recognize businesses that have not only met the legal compliances of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but have also demonstrated a clear and conscious effort to be “senior-friendly.”  To date, nine businesses have received the local designation.
Today, more and more businesses are recognizing that older adults are valued employees and customers.  The Senior-Friendly Business Certification Program was created to acknowledge those businesses which have instituted and promoted best practices toward employment, independence, and service to older adults.  Companies agree to abide by certain “senior friendly” standards, and to educate their employees on the truths, rather than the myths, about aging.
Smart Choice Senior Transitions agreed to undergo evaluations of their offices and business practices conducted by older adult volunteers associated with the Council on Aging.  Using objective assessment tools, these volunteers reviewed how the business deals with the older adult customers they serve.
For more information about Smart Choice Senior Transitions, view the website at www.SmartChoiceSeniorTransitions.com  or contact Jo Kearns at 704-633-2792 or Jo@SmartChoiceSeniorTransitions.com .
The Rowan County Council on Aging was re-organized in January 2007 for the purpose of educating and informing individuals and the community about public issues effecting older adults; to develop strategies for improving conditions for older adults in Rowan County; to advocate for older adult needs and public policies to address them; and to promote a “senior friendly community.”
To learn more about the Senior Friendly Business Certification Program or the Rowan County Council on Aging, contact Rufty-Holmes Senior Center in Salisbury.