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Conceptualizing age-friendly communities.
Verena H Menec1, Robin Means, Norah Keating
1Department of community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. menec@cc.umanitoba.ca
Summary
Creating age-friendly communities requires understanding the interplay between older adults and their environment. An ecological perspective highlights the need for a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to research and policy for successful aging in place.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Community Health
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Growing global interest in "age-friendly" communities, spurred by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Age-Friendly Cities project.
- Existing frameworks often lack explicit consideration of the person-environment interaction crucial for community design.
- Policy and research require a clearer conceptualization of age-friendly community principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conceptualize age-friendly communities using an ecological perspective.
- To elucidate the interplay between older adults and their environmental conditions.
- To inform future research and policy decisions for creating supportive community settings.
Main Methods:
- Building upon the WHO framework for age-friendly cities.
- Applying an ecological perspective to understand person-environment fit.
- Identifying key domains and intrapersonal factors influencing community inclusivity.
Main Results:
- Age-friendly communities necessitate a holistic approach, integrating multiple domains (physical, social, health, transport, etc.).
- The fit between older adults' needs and environmental conditions is a core ecological premise.
- Intrapersonal factors (age, gender, income, functional status) and policy levels significantly influence community environments.
Conclusions:
- An ecological perspective is essential for a comprehensive understanding of age-friendly communities.
- Interdisciplinary research is vital to address the complexity of creating supportive environments for older adults.
- Effective age-friendly community strategies must consider the dynamic interaction between individuals and their surroundings.
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