Active ageing in vital villages Frans Thissen Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies

Outline My contribution: Opinions about active ageing and vital villages Concepts about:  Ageing  Villages Diversity of older people Relevant characteristics of villages Possible contributions of older inhabitants Your contribution: Your personal opinion Diversity of older people in your country Relevant characteristics of villages in your country Possible contributions of older inhabitants in your country Active ageing in Vital villages2

3 Introduction Human Geographer  Relation Man - Environment  Main topics  Villages  Older people  Research projects about older people The experience of being old myself Young Adults have not ‘been there’. ‘Being old’ creates the potential of empathy, recognition, sharing and understanding..

Active ageing in Vital villages4 Active ageing Growing Old: Loss  Loss of health (biological)  Loss of social roles (social-cultural)  Loss of social capital (functional social resources) Active ageing  The ability to cope with loss  Older people as active agents

Vital villages Wulvergem Loil 55Active ageing in Vital villages

What are your personal opinions about: Active ageing?.. Vital villages?.. Active ageing in Vital villages6

Concepts Vulnerability Environment (village)  Demanding (environmental stress)  Supporting (community care) Person-environment fit of older people Social vitality of villages Active ageing in Vital villages7

Vulnerability (1) Definition: “aggregate of all factors that negatively affect independent functioning in daily life” Balance between burden vs. bearing capacity Multidimensional concept with cumulative effects Active ageing in Vital villages8

Vulnerability (2) Three dimensions: Individual: personal functional dependency  Personal health status  Behavioural consequences  (Instrumental) activities of daily living: (I)ADL, measures of independent functioning Household: resources  Presence of other people  Adequacy of household income Environment  Demanding vs. supportive character of the environment  Older people are active agents Active ageing in Vital villages9

Village as a demanding environment: environmental stress Environmental stress: process in which people experience emotional distress in relationship to environmental exposures Measuring environmental stress 1. Dissatisfaction with the neighbourhood 2. Feelings of safety Dependent older adults with few household resources experience high levels of environmental stress in demanding villages, while feeling satisfied and safe in less demanding villages Active ageing in Vital villages10

Village as a supportive environment Vulnerable older people in demanding villages receiving informal care experience less environmental stress than older people receiving formal care (community care) Older people contribute also to the local quality of life (social support networks, reciprocity) Meaning of ‘community’ is changed Active ageing in Vital villages11

Receiving care and/or giving care 12Active ageing in Vital villages

Person-environment fit Dimensions of person-environment fit for older people  Housing and care: quality dwellings, public domain and access to services: Self reliance  Wellbeing : Feelings of belonging and identity Opinions about person-environment fit and the own contribution:  Opinions about housing, care and well being  Own contribution with respect to housing, care and wellbeing Active ageing in Vital villages13

Social vitality of villages (1) definition and images A social vital village is a village where residents put themselves out for each other and their environment, where new residents feel they belong and where people know how to find their way so that new initiatives can get off the ground Stereotypical and contradictory images about (older) people in rural areas  Positive: active as volunteers, in clubs, vivid cultural traditions  Negative: closed conservative attitude Active ageing in Vital villages14

Social vitality of villages (2) What is needed ? 1. Sufficient quality of the residential function (dwellings and residential environment) 2. Meeting places ‘open’ to all residents (‘third places’) 3. Social capital (to bond and to bridge): characteristics of social relations (inhabitants with large networks) that result in valuable things for the village 4. Active orientation of inhabitants on a changing identity: ‘storytelling’ Active ageing in Vital villages15

Active ageing in Vital villages16

Older people: a growing diversity Age / Cohort or date of birth  Young old and old old  Older people born till 1945, born after 1945 Migration history Social support network Geographical differences  National (culture and institutional)  Rural / urban  Regional (wealth and culture) Active ageing in Vital villages17

Age Active ageing in Vital villages18

Cohort Active ageing in Vital villages19

Diversity in villages in your country? Active ageing in Vital villages20 Young old, born before WW II Old old, born before WW II Young old, born after WW II Old old, born after WW II

National differences (OPERA, 1989) Active ageing in Vital villages21

Social-support networks Active ageing in Vital villages22

Important characteristics of villages for the person-environment fit of older people? Active ageing in Vital villages23 Young old, born before WW II Old old, born before WW II Young old, born after WW II Old old, born after WW II

What is important for person-environment fit of older people in villages? Active ageing in Vital villages24

Eastern Gelderland 25Active ageing in Vital villages

Possible contributions of older inhabitants to the person-environment fit of older people in villages? Active ageing in Vital villages26 Young old, born before WW II Old old, born before WW II Young old, born after WW II Old old, born after WW II

Four situations of person- environment fit vulnerablesuccessful traditional21 modern34 27Active ageing in Vital villages

Traditional successful: Nel 75 years Lives 50 years in small village M. Married with farmer Active in community life (choir, noaberschap, dialect) Feels perfectly at home Feels safe “I leave the keys in my car and everybody could take the car and I let all the doors open and there is always coffee for anybody who drops in” 28Active ageing in Vital villages

Traditional vulnerable: Corrie 86 years Wheelchair 45 years in industrial village B. Low involvement in community life Knows less and less people Feels unsafe “The tight community is still there but has gone underground” 29Active ageing in Vital villages

Modern vulnerable: Anna 68 years 34 years in small village L. Active in social activities outside village (tennis, classical music) Few contacts in village Feels not at home Feels unsafe “L. does not feel as ‘my’ village” 30Active ageing in Vital villages

Modern successful: Marjan 68 years Born in large village K., but lived longtime outside village Active in aqua fitness, badminton and voluntary work (Third World shop, Red Cross, local crafts) in village Helps people, knows many people in village Feels at home Feels safe Actively anticipates on later life in village “I have spotted my future house in the village” 31Active ageing in Vital villages

32 Conceptualization and measurement of person-environment fit of older people in small villages Self reliance General opinion about self-relianceOwn contribution: Housing  Opinion about dwelling  Opinion about residential environment  Opinion about characteristics of the residential environment (facilities, safety, inhabitants, attractiveness) Recent activities aimed at better person-environment fit: Moving, changes to dwelling, activities aimed at better fit with respect to residential environment Care  Opinion about formal care  Opinion about informal care of family  Opinion about informal care of neighbours  Opinion about informal care of friends Recent activities with respect to self-care, informal care, volunteering, helping family, friends and neighbours Feeling at home General opinion about feeling at homeOwn contribution: Well- being  Loneliness  Place attachment: o Social (social integration) o Physical (esthetical and emotional) o Historical (relation developed in time)  Identification: relation between own lifestyle and place identity Recent activities with respect to social integration, the physical quality of the village, historical consciousness, attuning lifestyle and place

Active ageing in vital villages Frans Thissen Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies