What is an age-friendly community? In its broadest definition, such as that provided by COTA Queensland, these are “where people of all ages have what they need for their health and wellbeing, [and] are included, connected, and can actively participate.” And that is certainly the ideal, especially since inter-generational harmony and equity are values that would benefit all communities.
At the same time, however, with the increasing concern about the plight of older people in the community, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided a more focused definition of the age-friendly community, as “one in which older people are valued, respected and actively supported to participate in their community.” In 2006, it identified the following 8 key factors needed to create such communities.
In 2007 the WHO produced its Global age-friendly cities: a guide, in response to the growing number of older people in the population, as a global trend, and this guide aimed provide the resources for cities to become “more age-friendly so as to tap the potential that older people represent for humanity.”
And in its next step, in 2023 came its National programmes for age-friendly cities and communities: a guide. Both of these publications are available online, and are well worth reading.
Back at the micro, individual level, and since publication of my book, Engaging with Ageing, in late 2021, it has been very exciting for me to learn more, first-hand, about the increasing numbers of age-friendly communities here in Australia. This is because the way in which I’ve written about older people has resulted in invitations to become involved in several age-friendly communities, at their festivals and expos, in a number of states. And I’ve been able to observe some of the results of their labours – via dedicated community committees and/or active ageing officers – on the eight key areas identified by the WHO. As a part of this, it’s realistic to note that with women living longer than men, they are major beneficiaries of such communities.
And for those of us who do not live in age-friendly communities, it’s time to take action about that!
Dr Anne Ring is a health sociologist, freelance writer, and author of “Engaging with Ageing: What matters as we grow older”
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