For Immediate Release

For Further Information Please Contact:
Peter Roveto
Brookline Bank
617-730-3500

(Left to right: Members of the West Roxbury Banking Office – Hakima Ait El Hadj, Mary Creed, Caitriona Kane, Andy Beepath, Branch Manager Lisa Mariotti holding certificate from City of Boston Age Strong Commission, Erica Watkins, Simon Erickson, and Andrea Burns, Director of Age-Friendly Boston)

BOSTON, MA, October 28, 2021 – Brookline Bank announced today it has completed training for all of its branch office team members on how to better serve older adult customers.  The bank, in conjunction with the City of Boston’s Age Strong Commission, provided guidance on working with older adults who may be affected by age-related issues such as hearing and vision loss, dementia, mobility challenges and other age-related illnesses to help them with their financial security. The Age Strong Commission estimates that by 2030, there will be 140,000 residents over the age of 60 living in Boston.

According to the Boston Age Strong Commission, the goal of age-friendly banking is to protect older adults from financial abuse, customize financial products and services to address older adults’ needs, expand affordable financial management, guarantee access to critical income supports, facilitate aging in the community, improve the accessibility of banking for those with restricted mobility.

“Brookline Bank’s older adult customers are deserving of the highest level of customer service to help them make the appropriate financial decisions for themselves,” said Darryl Fess, Brookline Bank President and CEO. “We decided to provide the Boston Age Strong Commission’s training to all of our branch office customer-facing team members at our 30 locations who already have deep relationships with their older adult customers, so that they can better serve them.”

“We applaud Brookline Bank’s effort to train their team and make all their branches Age-Friendly certified,” shares Emily Shea, Age Strong Commissioner for the City of Boston.   “When more of the community is Age Friendly, it makes life more inclusive for older adults. Being Age Friendly also ensures that more banking staff have the knowledge and tools to help prevent elder fraud and financial abuse.”

Director of Age-Friendly Boston, Andrea Burns, recently visited Brookline Bank’s West Roxbury banking office to present them with a certificate from Boston’s Age Strong Commission recognizing that branch employees have been through its Age and Dementia Friendly Certification program.

Brookline Bank has also taken steps to provide age-friendly banking services in addition to training its team members. The bank provides access to technology for low-vision and blind customers so that they can do their banking independently.

 

 

About Brookline Bank

Brookline Bank is a subsidiary of Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKL), and is headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts. A full-service financial institution, Brookline Bank provides individuals and businesses with deposit and lending services, residential mortgages and home equity lending, commercial and CRE banking, cash management, merchant services, and access to investment services. Brookline Bank operates 30 offices in Greater Boston and the North Shore. For more information go to brooklinebank.com. Brookline Bank is an Equal Opportunity and Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC.

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