Project Summary
High populations of older people in rural communities across Canada make it increasingly important to implement programs and services to support aging in place. However, our research shows that age-friendly programs are challenged in rural communities to sustain themselves beyond initial funding packages and beginning plans (e.g. needs assessment).
To understand the rural-specific barriers that may prevent, and factors that may support, sustainable age-friendly programs, Trent University’s Rural Aging Research Program interviewed 87 age-friendly program coordinators, committee members, volunteers, and older program participants from 11 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario at various stages of age-friendly planning (e.g., completed their needs assessment, began programming). The 11 communities of interest represented a range of rural typologies: regional, recreational, rural-resource, small town, agriculture.
Our research shows that many rural communities were challenged to sustain their age-friendly programs due to:
- Jurisdictional fragmentation (lack of geographic connectivity)
- Financial challenges
- Limited capacity (overreliance on volunteers)
However, many communities who were successful at sustaining their age-friendly work provided some best practices for rural communities undergoing challenges:
- Importance of social connectivity
- Community champions
- Cross-sector collaborations
- Crucial: Municipal involvement
In all, our multi-province, multi-site research program showed serious barriers to sustaining rural age-friendly programs, however by emphasizing and drawing upon the resources provided by social connectivity, community champions, intersectoral collaboration, and municipal involvement, we saw rural age-friendly committees overcoming the initial hurdles and building sustainable programs that to this day support older people aging in rural communities.
Publications
A review of public sector engagement in age-friendly community initiatives
Authors: Natalie Pope, Emily Greenfield, Laura Keyes & Elizabeth Russell (2024)
Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 1-29
Emergent challenges and opportunities to sustaining age-friendly initiatives: Qualitative findings from a Canadian age-friendly funding program
Did we expect too much of rural age-friendly initiatives? Studying the sustainability and scope of a rural Canadian age-friendly program
Authors: Elizabeth Russell, Mark W. Skinner, & Amber Zapletal (2021).
The Journal of Rural and Community Development, 16(2), 208–231
Developing rural insights for building age-friendly communities
Authors: Elizabeth Russell, Mark W. Skinner, & Amber Zapletal (2021)
Journal of Rural Studies, 81, 336–344
Exploring rural older adult perspectives on the scope, reach and sustainability of age-friendly programs
Authors: Amber Zapletal, Elizabeth Russell, & Mark W. Skinner (2020)
Journal of Aging Studies, 55
Developing rural insights for building sustainable age-friendly communities initiatives
Authors: Elizabeth Russell, Mark W. Skinner, & Amber Zapletal (2019)
Innovation in Aging, 3(1)
