CHAPTER 4 - AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Demographic change has the potential to create opportunities and challenges for communities of the future. To realise the vision of a better Ireland for older people, we need to plan for communities in which older people are enabled to live healthy, active and engaged lives, where they value and, in turn, are valued, for being important contributors to the life of that community. Through the adoption of an age-friendly approach to planning and decision-making in all areas of public life, we are actively creating an environment that facilitates citizens’ social engagement regardless of their age.

Where we live, the physical, social and cultural environment, impacts hugely upon how we live and the significance of 'place' in all our lives cannot be overestimated. Place is inseparable from our sense of identity and this is true for people of all ages. Research has shown that a number of critical factors have a very significant impact on the quality of life of older people and the extent to which they will be out and about and participating in the life of their own communities and that those factors also positively impact on the lives of many others- those with disabilities, mothers with young children. 

AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Physical environments that are age-friendly can make the difference between independence and dependence for all people, but especially for those growing older. Older people who live in an unsafe environment or areas with multiple physical barriers are less likely to go out, and therefore are more prone to isolation, depression, reduced fitness and increased mobility problems. In an age-friendly community, policies, programmes, services and infrastructure are designed to enable older people to live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate in society in a meaningful way.

The concept of an age-friendly community is linked to an initiative started by the WHO in 2007 called the WHO Global Age-friendly Cities project. This project took place with participation from 33 countries, including Ireland (where Dundalk was the participating city). It highlighted the need to maximise the health and well-being of the older population in urban environments and involved extensive consultation with older people. The definition of an age-friendly community according to the WHO is one in which “service providers, public officials, community leaders, faith leaders, business people and citizens recognize the great diversity among older persons, promote their inclusion and contribution in all areas of community life, respect their decisions and lifestyle choices, and anticipate and respond flexibly to ageing-related needs and preferences” (WHO 2007).

Based on the consultations with older people, The Global Age Friendly Cities (2007) argued that simple and cost-effective changes can be enormously beneficial in determining whether older people feel confident in being ‘out and about’. The issues raised by older people in their consultations include:

• Level pavements can reduce the number of falls and increase older people’s sense of security in walking the streets;
• Good local transport taking older people where they want to go, at times they want to go, and in vehicles they feel secure in, will influence decisions to stay at home or go out;
• Adequate provision of public lighting, access to well-maintained public toilets, and sufficient seating in public places, all help determine how long people will stay out and where they will go;
• The range of housing options and supports for independent living has a significant impact on decisions about moving out of home into a nursing home;
• Opportunities to volunteer time and life-skills to address social and other community problems can make a difference to whether older people enjoy high levels of self-esteem and feelings of usefulness, or feel themselves a burden on others;
• Opportunities to socialise and maintain good networks of friends, family and neighbours contribute to physical and mental well-being;
• Ease of access to information, on matters including entitlements to services and support options, affects service uptake levels and hence general well-being; (WHO 2007)

The eight areas covered by the Age-Friendly cities project are; respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, housing, community support and health services, communication and information, outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation and social participation. Many of these areas are dealt with in greater detail in other chapters. One important outcome from the project was the document, Global Age-Friendly Cities: a Guide, alongside a shorter Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities, designed to be used by service providers in partnership with older people’s groups.

Following from participation in this project the Louth County Manager, representing the City and County Managers Association, agreed with the Ageing Well Network, to take the initial lead role in making Louth Ireland’s first Age Friendly County and adopt an Age Friendly Strategy.  AWN has identified three other counties to act as lead counties in the other three regions under an initiative that is being overseen by a National Integration and Implementation Group established by the network, comprising seven AWN members. While the Age Friendly Cities project, as envisaged by the WHO, is primarily focussed on urban life. The principles also apply in rural areas.