City of Portage -

Portage la Prairie has been selected as one of three Canadian communities for the Global Age-Friendly Cities project sponsored by the World Health Organization.

The World Health Organization was created in 1948 as the United Nations’ agency for addressing international health issues. The Global Age-Friendly Cities Project is an exploration of the challenges facing seniors as they age, such as continuing to participate in all aspects of the community, access to activities, programs, services and information that promotes health, social and spiritual wellness and various supports, services, resources and practices that enable seniors to maintain their lifestyle, security and independence.

Portage la Prairie was chosen along with Saanich, B.C. and Montreal, Quebec as one of three Canadian cities to participate in the international pilot. Other countries involved in the project include Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Germany, India, Mexico, Lebanon, United States, Costa Rica and United Kingdom.

In Portage la Prairie, WHO and its international partners will consult with seniors, community leaders and experts to identify the major physical and social barriers to active ageing. This information will be used by each partner to develop, implement and evaluate local action plans designed to make the environment more age-friendly. From this process, WHO will create age-friendly city guidelines for use around the world.

The World Health Organization is defining an age-friendly community in terms of the participation, health and security and independence available to seniors.

· Inclusive opportunities for civic, cultural, educational and voluntary engagement

· Activities, programs, and information to promote health, social and spiritual well-being

According to United Nations estimates, the number of older persons (60+) will double from the current 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025, and again, to 2 billion by 2050. The vast majority of older people live in their homes and communities, but in environments that have not been designed with their needs and capacities in mind.

To support Governments in developing and strengthening health and social policies in an ageing world, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a Policy Framework on Active Ageing in 2002.

Active ageing policy is defined as “optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.” The active ageing approach is grounded in the UN-recognized principles of independence, participation, dignity, care and self-fulfilment. It acknowledges the importance of gender, earlier life experiences, and culture on how individuals age. It takes into account the biological, psychological, behavioural, economic, social and environmental factors that operate over the course of a person’s life to determine health and well-being in later years.

Since the release of the Active Ageing Framework, it has been used by WHO as a basis for developing guidelines to make front-line primary health care services more “age-friendly” – that is, more accessible and responsive to the specific needs of older persons. WHO is now turning its attention to the environmental and social factors that contribute to active ageing in urban settings. The aim of the WHO Global Age-Friendly Cities project is to engage cities in several countries to make their communities more age-friendly.

Making cities age-friendly is one of the most effective policy approaches for responding to demographic ageing. One of the reasons for focusing on cities is that major urban centres have the economic and social resources to make changes to become more age-friendly and can thus lead the way for other communities within their countries. In the developed world, three-quarters of older persons live in cities. Although proportionately more older persons live in rural areas in the developing world, rapid urbanization is gradually reversing the picture: large cities already count substantial numbers of older adult residents.

Older people face increasing challenges due to the sensory and other changes that age brings. In an age-friendly community, policies, services and structures related to the physical and social environment are designed to support and enable older people to “age actively” – that is, to live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate fully in society. Public and commercial settings and services are made accessible to accommodate levels of ability. Age-friendly service providers, public officials, community leaders, faith leaders and business people:

Many aspects of urban settings and services can contribute to the participation, health, independence and security of older persons in an age-friendly city. A list of these features is shown in the following table.

AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

Participation

Positive images of older persons
Accessible and useful information
Accessible public and private transportation
Inclusive opportunities for civic, cultural, educational and voluntary engagement
Barrier-free and enabling interior and exterior spaces

Health

Places and programs for active leisure and socialization
Activities, programs and information to promote health, social and spiritual well-being
Social support and outreach
Accessible and appropriate health services
Good air/water quality

Security and Independence

Appropriate, accessible, affordable housing
Accessible home-safety designs and products
Hazard-free streets and buildings
Safe roadways and signage for drivers and pedestrians
Safe, accessible and affordable public transportation
Services to assist with household chores and home maintenance
Supports for caregivers
Accessible stores, banks and professional services Supportive neighbourhoods
Safety from abuse and criminal victimization Public information and appropriate training
Emergency plans and disaster recovery
Appropriate and accessible employment opportunities
Flexible work practices

An age-friendly community benefits people of all ages. Improving air and water quality protects growing children and older persons with environmental sensitivities. Secure neighbourhoods are safe for children, youth, women and older adults.

Families experience less worry and stress when their older relations have the services and supports they need. Barrier-free buildings and streets enhance the mobility and independence of both younger and older persons with disabilities. The whole community benefits from the participation of older persons in volunteer or paid work and civic activities. Finally, the local economy benefits from the patronage of older adult consumers.

The project focuses on the “lived” experience of older people – that is, what seniors experience as age-friendly in their daily lives in the community – and involves them as full partners from start to finish.

The WHO and partners from many countries will first consult with older persons, and then with community leaders and experts, to identify the major physical and social barriers to active ageing. Each partner will use this knowledge to develop, implement and evaluate local action plans to make the environment more age-friendly. To share the learnings, the WHO will compile the results into practical “Age-Friendly City” guidelines that could be used by cities around the world.

This information was reproduced from the brochure developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ministry of Health of British Columbia and 2010 Legacies Now. Many other governments and civil society organizations are partners in the Global Age-Friendly Cities project.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For additional project information please contact:

Mrs. Jennifer Sarna

Manager of Community Development

City of Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0L8

Ph: (204) 239 - 8323

Fax: (204) 239 - 1582

City website: www.city.portage-la-prairie.mb.ca

GLOBAL AGE-FRIENDLY CITIES PROJECT