Care home challenges older people stereotypes by ditching 'stooping pensioners' road signs

A Surrey care home has invested in stereotype-busting new traffic signs along its driveway, depicting dancing couples full of energy and vigour, in a bid to change perceptions of older people as being “frail, slow-moving and often simply weary of life.”

The Huntington & Langham Estate in Hindhead has replaced its previous signage of 'stooping pensioners' to emphasise there is no such thing as “over the hill” and there should not be an age barrier to a joyful life.

With the estate accessed by a long driveway, the team wanted to create an early impression that would be seen on the visitor's first arrival, which saw the signs commissioned to replace more traditional ‘elderly people’ signs.

Charlie Hoare, director of the Huntington & Langham Estate said: “Older people are all too easily pigeonholed as being frail, slow-moving and often simply weary of life. The truth is though that’s far from the case.

"In fact, if you had driven down our drive last week, you would have had to be mindful of dozens of people dancing in our car park during a lively outdoor concert. There’s no such thing as being over the hill when you have so much life left to live and we wanted to emphasise that.”

The sign designs were inspired by the winning entry of a competition hosted by Centre for Ageing Better, which saw SwaG Design recreate the crossing sign with energy enthused older people. The Huntington & Langham Estate opted for people dancing together to emphasise the energetic, jubilant lives enjoyed by many of those living on the estate.

“We loved the sign examples that won the Centre for Ageing Better’s competition and wanted to pay tribute with our own versions here on our private road,” said Mr Hoare.

“They’re amongst the first things people see when travelling up our drive and we like to think it sets the tone for the rest of their visit, or indeed their residency, should they choose to live with us.”

The care home team has also created more resident-friendly signs. For instance, when it comes to the clinical hand washing signs, the team have changed them to look like a picture in a frame, with handwashing instructions bordering a black and white image from an old movie. This helps to take the clinical edge off the signs, whilst still bearing the necessary instructions.

Mr Hoare added: “When you take a step back and reflect on your approach to care it helps to open up your mind to ways of adapting all sorts of things. It would be easy to simply take health and safety signs, print them out and put them up, thereby ticking the necessary boxes. The truth is though, whilst necessary in a care setting, people don’t have health and safety signs scattered around their homes under normal circumstances.

“By doing this, we look to ensure we deliver safe care but in a way that enhances a space rather than detracts from it, helping to create a truly homely environment.”

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