“Creating environments that are truly age-friendly requires action in many sectors: health, long-term care, transport, housing, labor, social protection, information and communication, and by many actors – government, service providers, civil society, older people and their organizations, families and friends. It also requires action at multiple levels of government.”
The WHO model also stresses that communities must work to address discrimination toward people based on age, also known as ageism, to foster independence among older adults, and to develop policies that support healthy aging.
Making communities age-friendly in rural areas requires additional considerations. In Canada, there was a program addressing this issue called the Age-Friendly Rural/Remote Communities Initiative (AFRRCI). Its goals were to:
- Increase awareness of how seniors can stay active, be healthy, and live productive lives within their communities
- Produce a guide that rural communities can use to identify barriers to the development of age-friendly communities
The project produced a guide that contains eight themes so communities can evaluate the age-friendliness of their community:
1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
2. Transportation
3. Housing
4. Respect and social inclusion
5. Social participation
6. Civic participation and employment opportunities
7. Communication and information
8. Community support and health services”
ANALYSIS:
While the spaces being explored for this project are centered around transportation and social isolation, I found this article to be interesting because I think it takes a holistic approach into consideration that need to be explored when designing for an older generation. The last 8 things listed within the article and synopsis are great key takeaways and things to be mindful of.
“Designing Age-Friendly Communities – Rhihub Aging in Place Toolkit.” Designing Age-Friendly Communities – RHIhub Aging in Place Toolkit, https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/2/age-friendly-communities.
