Building an Integrated Research/Policy Planning Age-Friendly Agenda

Abstract

This article describes an innovative model for integrating research into a policy and planning agenda aimed to help neighborhoods become more supportive of older adults. Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) established Age-Friendly Philadelphia (AFP) to catalyze efforts to improve the physical and social environments for seniors. The Research Program at PCA became an important part of this effort by providing multiple types of supports to PCA staff and other stakeholders. Most notably, the research program worked with planners to adopt the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative model for Philadelphia. That model focuses on (1) staying active, connected, and engaged; (2) development and housing; (3) transportation and mobility; and (4) staying healthy. Examples of practice efforts actualized using this research are also presented. By developing a new approach to the way research can support practice initiatives, AFP has been able to increase its effectiveness, and researchers have found better ways to work collaboratively with professionals in policy, planning, and practice. The PCA model should be considered as a framework for similar efforts aimed at creating age-friendly communities.

A Global Pilot Study of Age-Friendly City Indicators

“…This notion is supported by research findings that professionally facilitated community development with and by older adults in the neighbourhood can result in more hospitable and supportive community environments for older people by increasing civic engagement and social capital (Austin et al 2005;Buffel et al 2012a). Several recent case studies of age-friendly communities (Buffel et al 2014;Glicksman et al 2013;, as well as an evaluation of European Healthy Cities (Green et al 2015), have also elucidated policy and governance factors that are conducive to age-friendly communities.…”

Correlates and predictors of loneliness in older-adults: a review of quantitative results informed by qualitative insights

“…An examination of some of the literature emanating from the Aging Friendly environments movement raises similar issues (e.g. Glicksman et al, 2014), including neighborhood crime or the need for civic and social engagement. However, to truly estimate the impact of those factors, new quantitative studies need to examine the relative contribution of these variables to loneliness within different communities.…”

An integrative review of the factors related to building age‐friendly rural communities

“…These four studies highlighted the contribution that effective partnerships can make to implementing agefriendly initiatives. In support of this, Glickman et al (2014) suggested research can be successfully integrated into policy and planning for age-friendly communities. The perceptions, participation and contributions of older people in implementing age-friendly initiatives have been widely asserted and were evident in the studies reviewed (Lui et al 2009, Plouffe & Kalache 2011, Buffel et al 2012, Novek & Menec 2014.…”