An Age-Friendly Project on Social Isolation and Loneliness: Lessons From Toronto’s Chinese Community

Imagining Age-Friendly “Communities Within Communities”: Uncovering Social and Physical Barriers to Age-Friendly Transportation

“…The AFC framework influences transportation policy in Ottawa. However, although the WHO has suggested that the AFC framework be modified to fit the needs of the community and/or city in which it will be implemented (WHO, 2007), there is an increasing need for AFC initiatives to fit the needs of diverse older adults (Menec, Means, Keating, Parkhurst & Eales, 2011;Moulaert & Garon, 2016;Syed et al, 2017).…”

“…Thus, "communities within communities" of older adults often exist, comprising smaller groups of people from different cultures and backgrounds with various physical, psychological, and social needs. While AFCs should acknowledge and accommodate these differences, they often take a "one-size-fits-all" approach (Menec et al, 2011;Syed et al, 2017).…”

“…By addressing the eight AFC dimensions, the goal is for communities to adapt to meet the physical and social needs of older adults (WHO, 2007). However, as some researchers note (see Lui et al, 2009;Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017), the eight AFC dimensions are often divided into separate physical and social features without acknowledging the interactions between physical and social domains. When the AFC dimensions are divided, transportation is often considered to be a physical component of the framework (along with outdoor spaces and buildings, and housing, for example; Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017).…”

“…However, as some researchers note (see Lui et al, 2009;Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017), the eight AFC dimensions are often divided into separate physical and social features without acknowledging the interactions between physical and social domains. When the AFC dimensions are divided, transportation is often considered to be a physical component of the framework (along with outdoor spaces and buildings, and housing, for example; Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017). In contrast, AFC domains such as respect and inclusion as well as social participation are considered to be social components of the framework (Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017).…”

“…When the AFC dimensions are divided, transportation is often considered to be a physical component of the framework (along with outdoor spaces and buildings, and housing, for example; Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017). In contrast, AFC domains such as respect and inclusion as well as social participation are considered to be social components of the framework (Scharlach, 2012;Syed et al, 2017). Accordingly, the conceptualization of transportation as a physical domain might influence the initiatives that are put into place to address this dimension.…”