Abstract
Due to the rapid transition of growing ageing populations around the world, there is an urgency to change in attitudes, policies and practices at all levels of governance to fulfil the potential of ageing in the 21st century. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed an age-friendly checklist as a guideline for urban cities. However, the WHO’s age-friendly indicators are generalized and overarching, and need modification by considering local needs. Therefore, localizing age-friendly indicators based on local priority is the first step in implementing a global age-friendly city agenda. This study aims to identify the priority indicators for age-friendly development at local government level in South Australia. The study considers the City of Unley, a local government organization in South Australia, as a case study. The study conducts a community perception survey to identify the important indicators, followed by a focus group consultation to identify the priority indicators based on local settings. The study identifies 25 indicators as priority indicators for the City of Unley that need to be considered for the development of age-friendly Unley. In addition, the study proposes several demonstration project ideas for local government to initiate participatory age-friendly projects for the local community. The findings of the study are important in assisting local government to develop age-friendly strategies by considering their local priority and achieving the global sustainability agenda.
Highlights
We are witnessing an unprecedented global demographic transition of a rapidly growing ageing population around the world
Participation and Employment, 6 for Communication and Information, and 10 for Community and Health Services. It is not clear from the World Health Organization (WHO) checklist how one should determine whether the standards it presents as essential features of an age-friendly city are being met
This study used the WHO’s checklist to analyze the current state of age-friendliness of the City of Unley in South Australia
Summary
We are witnessing an unprecedented global demographic transition of a rapidly growing ageing population around the world. By 2050, older people (defined as aged 60 or over) will make up more than one-fifth of the global population [1]. Australia ranks second highest among the countries of the world whose population is likely to live for another 25 years after they turn 60 [2]. The life expectancy on average across OECD (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries has increased 10 years since 1970 from 70 years to over 80 years in 2011 [3]. Demographers identify older people in our population in two categories: the “young-old” (65–74 years) and the “old-old” (75 years and over). The number of “old-old” people in OECD countries is significantly high.
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