Beginning on an age-friendly journey: Barriers to implementing age-friendly initiatives

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Community Development
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Globally, communities are increasingly focused on creating age-friendly environments.
• New Zealand's progress in developing age-friendly initiatives is under-explored.
• Understanding local barriers is essential for effective policy and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and explore the barriers encountered by New Zealand communities in establishing age-friendly initiatives.
• To provide insights into the specific challenges faced in diverse geographical settings within New Zealand.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative participatory research approach was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants including government officials and community representatives across urban, provincial, and rural locations.
• Data analysis followed a general inductive process, adhering to COREQ guidelines for rigor.

Main Results:

• Three primary barriers were identified: communities being in the initial stages of development, experiencing minimal diversity in participation or approaches, and encountering difficulties in the initiation phase.
• These findings highlight the nascent stage of age-friendly development in New Zealand.

Conclusions:

• New Zealand is in the early phases of implementing age-friendly strategies.
• The study's place-based findings have informed central government social policy and resource development for local implementation.
• These insights support local governments and communities in successfully establishing age-friendly initiatives.