Ageing populations and urbanisation are expanding rapidly around the world, so more cities and communities are committing to becoming better places in which to grow older. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has determined that making our communities more age-friendly is an essential ingredient in programmes to maximise opportunities offered by longer lives.
The Organisation recently issued a new guide, National programmes for age-friendly cities and communities, which provides a clear description and framework for how such programmes can be established and sustained in every country to accelerate the creation of age-friendly environments: better places to grow, live, work, play, and age.
Age-friendly cities and communities are designed to account for the wide diversity of older people, promote their autonomy, inclusion and contributions in all areas of community life, respect their decisions and lifestyle choices, and anticipate and respond flexibly to ageing-related needs and preferences.
The new publication represents another advance towards creating an age-friendly world, a world that fosters health and well-being in older age, which will be built street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, city by city and country by country.
The full 65 page Guide and a Toolkit for developing age-friendly communities can be found HERE