Exploring rural older adult perspectives on the scope, reach and sustainability of age-friendly programs

Abstract

Research into the sustainability of age-friendly initiatives is important and timely, particularly from the rather neglected perspective of older adults living in non-metropolitan (rural) environments. This paper addresses this gap by reporting on a Canadian rural community case study to understand the perspectives of older adults on the implementation and sustainability of their local age-friendly program. Findings from exploratory interviews with 10 older adults suggest that rural age-friendly initiatives may be limited in their ability to achieve larger-scale outcomes aimed at addressing broad aging issues facing rural communities. Further, our findings demonstrate that those ‘aging in place’ may continue to do so with the support of age-friendly programing, while those ‘stuck in place’ are largely unaffected by age-friendly programs. We advocate for additional in-depth examinations of rural age-friendly sustainability, including a greater emphasis on the diversity of older adult perspectives.