Many of us will reach an age where we need to ask for help, whether that’s receiving care or making other practical lifestyle adjustments.
However, negative stereotypes surrounding ageing can make accepting this difficult – as can the often unappealing design of support aids like grab rails and walking sticks. The result is that people may go without the help they need or become frustrated by what’s available.
With this in mind, lifelong friends Miranda Thomas and Sophie Dowling (both 60) launched Granny Gets a Grip in 2021. It’s a one-stop online shop for stylish, high-quality products designed to help people stay comfortable and active in later life.
We sat down with Miranda and Sophie to learn more about Granny Gets a Grip and their mission.
“The stigma around ageing means that there’s been no investment into the fact that we’re all living longer”
Miranda and Sophie first came up with the idea for Granny Gets a Grip when they were caring for their mothers, who both had long-term illnesses.
“[They] needed lots of equipment in their homes to help them,” Sophie says, “But they were both houseproud and determined people who were keen on having things that didn’t make their houses look like care homes or hospitals – which was difficult to find.”
Whether it was specific assistive technology or everyday appliances adapted for elderly and disabled people, Miranda and Sophie weren’t satisfied with the items on the market – in terms of quality and aesthetics.
As Sophie explains, “It seemed to us that the stigma around ageing means that there’s been no investment into the fact that we’re all living longer and need aids to help us as we get older. There are lots of supportive products out there, but they’re typically bad quality, poorly designed, and overpriced.”
So, to fill this gap in the market, Miranda and Sophie launched their own business. Though they’ve both had varied careers (Miranda is a former physics teacher turned magistrate, while Sophie spent a lot of her career in publishing and TV production), neither had entrepreneurial experience, so it was a step into the unknown.
Miranda says, “We were totally unpracticed and untested, but we just thought, well, it can’t be that difficult – let’s just do it. So we began by researching, finding items we wanted to sell, and getting samples.”
“Why should handrails be made of white plastic or shiny metal?”
During their research phase, Miranda and Sophie immediately noticed that a few large websites dominated the industry. According to Sophie, these websites primarily supply the NHS and care homes, so they aren’t designed for individuals looking to find quality products to give themselves or loved ones independence.
With this in mind, the two women wanted to curate an easy-to-navigate website, which Sophie built using web design skills she went back to college to learn. “We’ve organised it like rooms in the house,” Miranda says.
Going against what they call the ‘pile it high’ approach of other websites, some of which offer thousands of products, one of Granny Gets a Grip’s main missions is to only stock the best items. So Miranda and Sophie spent plenty of time researching and testing products.
“We started with the idea that we would find the best items we could, and give our customers the confidence that we’ve seen them, held them, used them, and have faith in them,” Sophie explains.
“For example,” Miranda says. “There are 50 million walking stick sites and 50 million different types of walking sticks. So we found the ones we particularly liked. It might be just because of the aesthetics or because they’ve got a particularly good ferrule – which is that bit on the end.”
However, as the two women tell us, it’s not always easy to find the right products. So, when they can’t find something they feel confident in, Miranda and Sophie take matters into their own hands and develop their own. One example is the Granny Gets a Grip oak grab rails, which are designed to blend into people’s homes.
“Why should handrails be made of white plastic or shiny metal?” their website says. “They should compliment where people live as well as perform a function,” Sophie adds.
“No matter how old we are, we still like to have choices as to the products we use and how they look”
Miranda on booster cushions, which you can find in their living room section
When asked about the importance of aesthetics when it comes to assistive products, Sophie says…
“That’s like saying, ‘Why does it matter what sort of trousers you wear?’ People’s individuality is incredibly important to them, and it doesn’t dissipate or disappear with age. No matter how old we are, we still like to have choices as to the products we use and how they look. You don’t lose your sense of style just because you get older or have a disability. So, if you need a mobility aid, why does it have to look like something out of a care home?”
But the benefits of visually appealing supportive aids might go beyond just how they look in our homes. In fact, Sophie and Miranda also believe they can make it easier for people to accept help when they need it.
“50% of our customers are buying for themselves, and 50% are buying for their parents,” Sophie says. “But it’s difficult to give people things like this when they’re struggling with the fact that they might need them. Although, if they’re presented in the right way, it’s much easier.”
“A lot of our stuff is very attractive and appealing,” Miranda adds. “Therefore, it doesn’t look like an insult to be given it.”
“Ageing is a natural process, and we’ll need things to help us at some stage”
Combating the negative stereotypes and stigmas surrounding ageing is at the heart of Miranda and Sophie’s mission. While plenty of companies are investing in anti-ageing strategies like face creams, they believe the solution is to accept the challenges of ageing and develop products that people are happy to use and have in their homes.
Part of this has been expanding the advice section of their website. Here, you’ll find articles about products, such as Why we love Rollators and What is the correct height for a walking stick? The section also covers topics related to their industry, like Not on the high street – but why?, which discusses how lingering stigmas are preventing investment in helpful products for older adults.
“We’ve seen quite a lot of companies come up with excellent and beautiful products. But these never get beyond the design stage because there’s still a negative view around ageing – no one wants to admit they’re getting older,” Miranda says.
“Ageing is a natural process, and we’ll need things to help us at some stage,” Sophie adds. “We’ve also realised that people can need equipment like this earlier than they think, so we’re trying to make that acceptance easier.”
Miranda says, “Even if you think, ‘I’m absolutely fine, I don’t need anything special’ – you might do. And even if you don’t need something, it could just be very helpful. So we want to help people understand that.”
That’s why Granny Gets a Grip champions an ethos of age-inclusive design; selling products that are suited to any age group but not necessarily limited to a specific demographic.
“We think this will help the younger generation become much more accustomed to the idea of this stuff, so they’re [open to it] when their time comes,” Miranda says.
To illustrate, the two founders explain that there are plenty of products on their website that they use themselves, despite not being the target audience – for example, their electric blankets.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are; if you haven’t got heating in your house, it keeps you warm. There are lots of things like this on our website that aren’t age-specific. They’re good whatever age you are.”
Final thoughts…
Speaking about the high points of their entrepreneurial experience so far, Miranda says…
“We’ve had lots of lovely feedback from customers saying that this has made an enormous difference, or, ‘My mother loves this,’ or, ‘My father loves that.’ And we want to spread it much wider. We want more people to know us and build Granny Gets a Grip into a recognised brand. I just hope it takes off.”
To check out their range of helpful products, head over to the Granny Gets a Grip website using the button below.
Have you struggled to find helpful products that are good quality and visually appealing? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.