Age-Friendly Communities
– By Mary-Beth Horvath, Suzanne Soto-Davies — with special thanks to Joan Gallagher-Bell
"Older people play a crucial role in communities — in paid or volunteering work, transmitting
experiences, knowledge, or helping their families with caring responsibilities. These contributions can only be
ensured if persons enjoy good health and if societies address their needs."
— World Health Organization
Exactly what is an ‘Age-Friendly Community’?
An Age-friendly community is an inclusive and accessible urban environment that promotes active ageing. The Age-Friendly Program originated with the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO) as an international effort to address the environment and social factors that contribute to active and healthy ageing societies.
Rationale:
- The proportion of the global population aged 60 will double from 11% in 2006 to 22% in 2050.
- In 2008, for the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population lived in cities, and by 2030 approximately 3 out of every 5 people will live in an urban area.
- Since cities have the economic and social resources to undertake the necessary changes to become more age-friendly and are in the position to lead the way for smaller communities, most of WHO’s work has focused on the urban environment.
In 2006, World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada, and with the Government of Canada as a key partner, aligned forces with other federal, provincial, territorial and other non-government parties and introduced the Age-Friendly Community Guidelines. The Age-Friendly initiative’s objective is to engage maturing Canadians and their communities to better prepare and serve the ageing population. 33 cities from 22 countries around the world participated in the project. The research included four Canadian sites of varying populations – Nova Scotia, Manitoba, British Columbia and Québec.
Between 2006 and 2007, 158 focus groups, involving 1485 older persons, were organized. Consultations with 250 caregivers and 515 service providers were also held. Values were established based on what seniors around the world deemed important. Seniors also expressed what they found as advantages and disadvantages in living in their respective communities.
The project phase was completed in 2007 and resulted in the "Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide" which outlines a framework for assessing the "age-friendliness" of a city. Eight key features were identified by WHO in this guide and include: Outdoor Spaces, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Communication and Information, Community and Health service.
As a result of this work, today there are vast networks of Age-Friendly initiatives formed as forums, roundtable discussion groups and projects underway nation-wide. These discussions involve various sectors of the community including non-profit service agencies, faith groups, members of the business community, caregivers, and seniors (active seniors, as well as those who require supportive services, and those who require supported living services).
Who benefits?
The focus of working toward an age-friendly city is ‘enablement’ rather than ‘disablement’. This means a safe, engaging place for children and families, as well as an inclusive place for people of all abilities. In an Age-Friendly city all members of the community potentially benefit from social inclusion – regardless of race, financial status, sex, ability, or age.
By initiating proactive discussions focusing on the eight key issues identified by WHO, key action outcomes are defined affecting each particular city, and steps are taken to recommend action outcomes to move along a path toward an Age-Friendly city.
In Ontario for example, many cities have engaged in Age-Friendly initiatives including Guelph (United Way), Haliburton (Haliburton-Kawartha Pine Ride District Health Unit), Halton Region (Elder Seniors Advisory Committee), Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council (United Way), Hamilton (Hamilton Council on Aging), Ottawa (Ottawa Council on Aging), Thunder Bay (Centre for Education and Research on Aging ‘CERAH’ / Council) and Toronto (Toronto Seniors’ Forum).
Throughout Canada, initiatives have been introduced toward Age-Friendly communities, a movement which is imminent taking to account the issues facing global demographic growth. These initiatives are supported by a membership to WHO, by linking with experts, facilitating collaboration, promoting learning of topics at hand, strengthening partnerships and sharing approaches. A city that becomes a member of the network is also able to use the designation “Member of the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities.”
Snapshot: What's being done across Canada:
ALBERTA:
Initiatives for an Age-Friendly Alberta were introduced in 2010. Focus groups were also held in collaboration with the Age-Friendly Rural/Remote Communities Initiative. High Prairie was chosen for it is vibrant and ethnically diverse seniors’ population, active seniors’ organizations representing Métis and Aboriginal interests, and strong family and community support services presence. As a result, the province will be providing $500,000 over two years to support a new ‘Neighbors helping Neighbors’ initiative. Currently one in ten Albertans is 65 years of age or older. It is projected that by 2031, one in five Albertans will be a senior.
www.seniors.alberta.ca/seniors/agefriendly
BRITISH COLUMBIA:
In 2006, the Province of British Columbia selected Saanich as one of the four Canadian partner cities to collaborate in the WHO’s Global Age-Friendly Cities Project. As a result, Saanich developed over 60 recommendations to ensure the future of Saanich is Age-Friendly (census figures indicate that individuals aged 60 and older made up nearly 22% of Saanich population in 2001 and 23% in 2006). Currently, the Seniors’ Healthy Living Secretariat, B.C. Ministry of Health, has developed the “Creating an Age-friendly Business in B.C.” handbook (www.seniorsbc.ca/documents/pdf/agefriendly_business_guide.pdf), and in June of 2011 the B.C. Ministry of Health presented the 2011 Active Aging Symposium in conjunction with Seniors’ Week. The symposium was attended by more than 120 older adults, caregivers, and professionals and offered the opportunity to network, share ideas, learn more about resources and services for seniors.
www.seniorsbc.ca/documents/pdf/Active_Aging_Symposium_2011_report.pdf
www.seniorsbc.ca/agefriendly
MANITOBA:
Led by the Seniors & Healthy Aging Secretariat, in February 2008 the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative was announced, and in 2011 the new Age-Friendly Website was introduced (www.agefriendlymanitoba.ca). This website is an online resource centre that provides Age-Friendly Manitoba communities with information, discussion opportunities, resources, and identifies key persons to assist communities in becoming more Age-Friendly. As of December 2011, 13 communities were officially welcomed to the Age-Friendly Manitoba initiative. This informative website provides user-friendly access to each region’s news, events, contacts and updated information on their specific AF progress.
NEW BRUNSWICK:
Recognizing the Province’s senior population’s expectancy to double over the next 20 years, New Brunswick’s officials announced in 2009 that it was on-board with a national movement to promote healthy ageing and age-friendly communities. As a result of research conducted, the “Being There for Seniors” and “Be Independent Longer” guides were created, and the Senior and Healthy Aging Secretariat was established. In September 2011, Social Development Minister Sue Stultz, who is also the minister responsible for seniors, housing and community non-profit organizations, has vowed to create age-friendly initiatives to serve NB communities to meet the needs of the older generation. AF projects are currently underway.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR:
Introduced in 2010, the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador (AFNL) Grants Program, was introduced by the Provincial Government. The program was designed to provide funding to incorporated municipalities, Inuit community governments and reserves, and seniors’ organizations throughout the entire province to support them in planning for an ageing population. Over $200,000 was awarded to 10 municipalities and 13 seniors’ organizations.
NOVA SCOTIA:
Municipal units in Nova Scotia were invited to apply for the Age-Friendly Communities Program Grant (www.gov.ns.ca/seniors/age_friendly_program.asp) in 2011, funded by the Department of Seniors. As a result, 11 municipalities received funding toward the AFC Strategic Planning Projects, and 12 municipalities and towns were awarded funding toward the AFC Built Environment Projects for the 2011-2012 term. In addition, the Positive Aging Grant Program (www.gov.ns.ca/seniors/positive_aging_fund.asp) was formed to fund non-profit community organizations that are registered as joint-stocks entities, with 33 programs receiving funding of up to $10,000 for the 2011-2012 term. The fund assists in creating projects that advance the goals and actions outlined in Nova Scotia’s Strategy for Positive Aging, with a focus on health, well-being and community participation of Nova Scotia seniors.
ONTARIO:
The Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat is working collaboratively with ministries, governments, with seniors and community organizations on policy and public education and awareness initiatives.
Hamilton became the first Ontario city to formally begin the process of evaluating how Age-Friendly it is. The project is being led by the Hamilton Council on Aging (www.coahamilton.ca), with Professor Margaret Denton of McMaster University, who is a member of the board of council. She learned of the Age-Friendly initiative at a conference in St. Petersburg, Russia and brought it back to Hamilton in 2007. In July 2008, the Ontario Trillium Foundation announced that it had awarded the Hamilton Council two years of funding to begin this project.
In addition, for the past three years, Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council (formerly ‘Task Force’) held workshops and roundtable discussions, created the ‘Community’s Path to an Age-Friendly City’ (www.cdhalton.ca/pdf/Seniors-Roundtable-Discussions-Final-Report.pdf), and is currently focused on communications, housing and transportation issues as phase one of the project toward establishing the City of Burlington as an Age-Friendly community. Halton Region’s Elder Services Advisory Committee (ESAC, www.halton.ca/cms/one.aspx?objectId=10074) held focus groups in 2010-2011, within the various communities comprising of the region, to obtain community input. The ‘Age-Friendly Communities Forum: A Seniors' Perspective’ was held in June of 2011 and was hosted by ESAC, and served as a forum to share the information collected from the focus groups and thus gain feedback from community residents and stakeholders.
Niagara Age-Friendly Community Initiative is an ongoing program. Local action committees will be formed to identify and start Age-Friendly activities specific to their local community's needs (niagara.cioc.ca/record/NIA2463?Number=0). London embarked on their Age-Friendly City project with focus groups held at locations throughout the city. The “Report to the Community” was developed by the Age-Friendly City Working Group (www.london.ca/Seniors/pdf/afl-report.pdf) in June 2010.
In Waterloo, the Age-Friendly project was initiated after a community forum was held in November 2009. Over 175 individuals from the community attended the forum that introduced the Age-Friendly communities concept to the city. Since then, an Age-Friendly Waterloo Mayor's Advisory Committee (AFWMAC) has been formed, and the ‘Age-Friendly Communities’ website has been created, to serve as a resource to help other communities interested in pursuing the Age-Friendly initiative (afc.uwaterloo.ca).
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:
Since 2005, the PEI Seniors’ Secretariat has worked diligently to establish Age-Friendly communities.
In 2009, the PEI Forum on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities was presented (http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/cssl_peiforum.pdf). Statistical reviews were presented with important findings, such as the current proportion of Islander seniors (14.5%) being higher than the overall Canadian average (13.7%), with the population segment aged 50-64 representing an even larger group that is projected to increase the proportion of Islanders aged 65 and older in the coming years. PEI continues with collaborative efforts to support healthy aging and Age-Friendly communities.
QUEBEC:
One of the four Canadian jurisdictions that participated in the onset of WHO’s Age-Friendly initiative, Sherbrooke, Quebec, continues its concerted efforts for Age-Friendly communities throughout the province.
In 2009 the ‘Welcome to Fireside Chats Age-Friendly Communities PHAC - Division of Aging and Seniors’ was presented and in 2010 Age-Friendly Community Series - Part 2 Hosted by Division of Aging and Seniors, Public Health Agency of Canada “Age-Friendly Communities in Québec: The Importance of Research” took place.
www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/aines/strategie-action/ville-amie_des_aines.asp
Quebec has launched a series of pilot projects and is investing in evaluation at the University of Sherbrooke Centre for Aging.
SASKATCHEWAN:
In January 2011, led by the Saskatoon Council on Aging, the Age-Friendly Saskatoon initiative was announced.
This initiative compliments the City of Saskatoon’s strategic planning process: ‘Saskatoon Speaks.’ An Age-Friendly Saskatoon Steering Community has been formed to determine current and future issues, as it is estimated that in 15 years, the city’s residents over the age of 65 will comprise approximately 25% of its population. www.scoa.ca
Age-Friendly initiatives throughout Canada continue to forge ahead with great passion and dedication. Information is abundant. Take the time to review the information and see how you can become involved in making a difference in this critical and rewarding initiative within your community.
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