What Makes a Community Age-Friendly? Some Research Findings Verena Menec, PhD Director, Centre on Aging Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging University of Manitoba

Age-Friendly Cities/Communities Projects: Research Methods Discussion groups with: Older adults (60-74 versus 75+ years old, ensuring mix of: gender, income, and disabilities) Caregivers of older adults Service providers

Age-Friendly Cities/Communities Projects: Research Methods Focus on: Age-friendly features Barriers Suggestions  Outdoor spaces and buildings  Transportation  Housing  Respect and Social Inclusion  Social Participation  Communication and Information  Civic Participation and Employment  Community Support and Health Services

Examples of Questions  What is it like to live in [Winnipeg] as an older person?  What is it like to step outside of your home to go for a walk to get fresh air, run errands or visit?  What is the public transportation system like in your community?

Findings: Outdoor Spaces Barriers:  Lack of access to green space  Lack of, broken, or brick sidewalks  Snow and ice on sidewalks  Safety concerns

Findings: Outdoor Spaces “We’ve got great new paths all around the lake, which they’ve just completed. The lights aren’t hooked up yet, but it’s a marvelous place to walk.” (Senior Focus Group) “That walkway is very well. But with a scooter, to get onto it, you can get on at 8th and then you have to go down to, I don’t know how far that way.” (Senior Focus Group)

Findings: Buildings Barriers:  Steps and stairs into buildings  Inaccessible or poorly designed washrooms (e.g., small stalls)  Heavy (not “senior-friendly”) doors  Lack of automatic doors

Findings: Buildings “ The mall at the west end, the doors there... you’ve got to be mighty, mighty careful to get through the door in time or else it will whack you. I have a big bruise on my arm from a door whack because this door closed before I had time to get through it.” (Seniors Focus Group)

Findings: Transportation Barriers:  Lack of flexibility in Handi-van services (limited evening services and increased cost)  Poorly designed loading zones  Use of handicapped parking spots by non- handicapped

Findings: Transportation “My only complaint that I can put towards the transportation here in Portage, is for somebody like myself in a wheelchair, life stops at five o’clock in the afternoon.” (Seniors focus group)

Findings: Housing Barriers:  Limited housing options available to meet the diverse needs of seniors  Shortage of housing for low-income seniors  Problems with subsidized housing (e.g., small size of units, lack of caretaker, lack of involvement in decision making)

Findings: Housing “I’m very lucky, I live in a strictly senior type home, it’s an individual home. It was designed especially for seniors. There is no basement, there are no stairs. All the hallways are wide, all of the doorways are wide” (Seniors Focus Group)

Next Steps An Example of Universal Design

Next Steps Age-Friendly Communities Community-University Research Alliance  $1 million, 5-year grant by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada  17 Partner Organizations; 9 university researchers

What Will We Do?  Develop “age-friendliness” indicators  Assess how age-friendly communities are  Function as a resource  Find out how communities go about becoming age-friendly  Measure success

Age-friendly communities support people to age safely, enjoy good health and to continue to participate fully in their community.