And that's when we realised how some malls can be so user-unfriendly for senior citizens.
It makes good sense - both social and business - to cater to what these folks need.
You have to wonder why MALLS OF THE PHILIPPINES cannot provide seats benches with backs for the elderly.
You wonder if MALLS OF THE PHILIPPINES only wants a
sterile environment unclutted with the elderly or a photo perfect mall with their boxes for seats that their designers wanted or they don't
want people in their malls waiting...with no benches with backs for the
elderly. It shows a bad trend of
having a sterile mall that looks beautiful but is not people friendly
for resting except if go to a restaurant. I think it is a bad trend and
shows a lack of needs of people sadly.
For now, my mum has decided to curtail her visits to bigger malls and
opt for outings within the neighbourhood. Older people are largely
overlooked in what remains a youth-obsessed consumer marketplace.
In a study on older adults, over two thirds indicated that some malls do not have enough public seating. Reference:
http://www.open.ac.uk/hsc/__assets/dh4bwtxdy7tqjqvhe2.pdf
Many older adults in the study found unfriendly spaces encourage older
people to get what they need to do as quickly as possible and then get
home with no lingering at the mall.
They ask why isn't the mall interested in their money?
Most restaurants have seats with backs but the mall mostly has stools as
if it is doesn't want the older clients who probably have the most
money?
And few stools even. There are lots
of empty spaces where formerly benches used to be provided in the main
hall public space on all floors . Picture perfect
but no comfort for seniors.
MALLS OF THE PHILIPPINES fails to recognize that many older people have real needs just like
the young and seem to be interested in design not comfort and meeting
the needs of the elderly in seating in public places.
The resulting sense of alienation leads people to withdraw from the marketplace as they grown older.
I was even amazed at Ayala Makati that they had installed a bunch of
old fashioned rocking chairs reserved for the elderly wow so thoughtful.
But the rest of the mall has the box seats and my back always ache in
pain when sitting on those boxes with no backs.
Why has MALLS OF THE PHILIPPINES become elderly unfriendly by removing all the benches
and no sitting spaces in the main hall for people that wait but must
stand at the railings while friends finish their shopping?
Parking area: Why not
provide comfortable benches inside the air conditioned areas for
customers or drivers to wait like other malls do? It alienates the
richest consumers who idle by standing at the doorway in the air
conditioning until everyone is ready. Such inconsideration of MALLS OF THE PHILIPPINES
designers.
Ayala Cebu has lots of benches in the air conditioned part of their mall
in the parking area in the lower levels. Convenient for those in cars
waiting the rest of their family and meeting place.
keywords: benches for the elderly in malls, unfriendly malls
philippines, seniors rights, malls for people, PHILIPPINE malls and seniors
