Making Communities Age-Friendly: Lessons From Implemented Programs

Abstract

A growing number of programs promoted by planners and others have aimed to foster communities that support older people. Do such programs make a substantial difference? Through a scoping review of research evaluating WHO-style age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs), we investigate what kind of outcomes such initiatives have achieved and factors facilitating or hindering them. Elements affecting implementation varied by geographies. They included external resources (e.g., government support, funding, consultants), local resources (e.g., community size, demographics, staff, infrastructure), engaged local participants (e.g., partnerships, champions, older people), and effective strategies to build support (e.g., quick wins, awareness building, cultural sensitivity).