Age-Friendly Community Benefits & Successes
The communities in Manitoba that embraced the Age-Friendly Initiative invited the Age-Friendly Resource Team to assist in a consultation process that allowed an opportunity to view their communities and the eight domains of becoming an Age-Friendly community through an age-friendly lens. It’s an opportunity to envision a stronger community, form partnerships within the community and to look forward to identifying actions and accomplishing outcomes that would benefit all community members. The Age-Friendly Resource Team encouraged networking to bring people together to begin the process of becoming more age-friendly.
One of the main benefits was the connections and sharing of information through networking. The collaborating and participating in the Age-Friendly discussions encouraged viewing the community with an age-friendly lens, so that going forward, the local government, organizations and businesses would be beneficiaries of the age-friendly approach.
Age-Friendly communities support people to age safely, enjoy good health and to continue to participate fully in their community.
Recognizes diversity among people
Encourages healthy, active aging
Supports the contributions of older citizens
Promotes everyone’s participation in all aspects of community
Engages stakeholders in age-friendly initiatives
Creates accessible, safe environments
Treats people of all ages with respect
Everyone Benefits From Age-Friendly Communities
Community Benefits
- Improved Quality of Life — Encouraging social participation and opportunities for those of all ages to be active. The lives of older adults are enhanced enabling them to stay active and to age-in-place by offering an accessible built environment.
- Economic — Being an Age-Friendly community leads to increased energy, success and growth. It gives citizens reason to stay, draws new residents and evokes a sense of community pride. Local businesses grow because of community support and through a willingness to support the local economy.
- Health — Living in safer homes and having supports and access to health professionals nearby.
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Independence to Age in Place — Enjoying living as independently as possible and having access to needed supports, such as transportation and accessible housing choices.
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Security for All — Increasing safety and security in communities with people looking out for one another.
Community Successes
Communities across Manitoba are proud of their age-friendly accomplishments and share ideas among one another. Some highlights include:
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Community Connections — Strengthening the fabric of the community and supporting one another.
- Walking the Age-Friendly Talk — Sharing ideas, viewing the built environment, programs and services and social inclusion through an Age-Friendly Lens.
- Champions of Age-Friendly are Stepping Forward — Champions see the vision for their community and encourage others to help accomplish actions that are of benefit to all.
- Partnerships are Formed — Local government, businesses and community organizations are coming together to carry-out age-friendly activities, events, programs, services and support.
- Leadership — Stepping up to encourage the sharing of resources and ideas, to support volunteering, discourage ‘ageism’, and to search and apply for appropriate funding to further age-friendly endeavours.
- Local Governments — Are adopting an Age-Friendly Municipal Resolution and sharing in the leadership to encourage age-friendly initiatives.
- Strong Local Support — The strength of the community is built through networking with representation from community non-profit organizations, community services, businesses, economic and business organizations, schools, sports, arts, senior organizations, and the local government.
- Volunteering — Is shared by all generations, is encouraged, mentored, appreciated and celebrated.
- Age-Friendly Vision — Is becoming a reality due to sharing the vision, supporting the actions to strengthen the Age-Friendliness of communities for the benefit of all residents.
Improving and Enhancing Public Spaces
Increasing Noticeable and Readable Signage
Adding Housing Options
AF is about an environment that enables people of all ages, particularly older people to live the life they would like. It helps communities become alive.
I certainly would recommend the AF program to other communities; first, the brand itself suggests you are a community that is open to making improvements to support people of all ages.
To be Age Friendly, is to be socially inclusive and physically accessible for people of all ages and all abilities.
Great Thinking Inspires Ideas
Ideas Inspire Change !
- Volunteer Driving Programs
- Free Delivery Days
- Outdoor Exercise Equipment
- Accessible Outdoor Public Washrooms
- Adding Benches so people can rest and socialize
- Increasing Safety and Security – improved lighting and signage, levelling curbs, improving sidewalks and trails
- Age Friendly Business Checklist
- Planning Intergenerational Activities and Inviting Newcomers
- Adopting programs like “Let No One Be Alone”
- Arranging Roundtable Community Networking to share information and upcoming activities that involves the community by including local government councillors and representatives, relevant non-profit organization representation, e.g. Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Senior and Youth and community centre organizations, , day-care, library, schools, emergency services (volunteer firefighters) and community supporter