Age-Friendly Ecosystems: Expert Voices from the Field.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Community Development

Background:

• The growing age-friendly movement highlights the need for age-friendly ecosystems (AFE).
• Successful AFE development depends on multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• A lack of a common understanding of AFE components hinders progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a working definition and framework for age-friendly ecosystems (AFE).
• To unite cross-sector age-friendly initiatives through shared understanding.
• To address the need for a unified approach in the age-friendly movement.

Main Methods:

• Convenings of international experts were hosted by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Age-Friendly Institute.
• Discussions focused on identifying the essential characteristics of an AFE.
• A framework for AFE development was synthesized from expert consensus.

Main Results:

• A consensus definition of age-friendly ecosystem (AFE) characteristics was developed.
• A foundational framework for future age-friendly work was established.
• The findings provide a basis for unifying diverse age-friendly efforts.

Conclusions:

• The paper proposes a conceptual shift in understanding age-friendly ecosystems (AFE).
• The established framework is crucial for advancing the age-friendly movement.
• A unified approach is essential for creating truly age-friendly communities.