State of Science The idea that environmental factors influence on ageing is not new and it has been considered by environmental gerontologists since 1970s (Lawton & Nahemow, 1973). However, the idea is drawn attention a decade ago under the name of age-friendly environment. A key driver of this movements toward age-friendly environment is the Global Age-Friendly Cities project by WHO. This initiative has been focused on urban areas (WHO, 2007) and there is another trend of age-friendly environment for rural areas. In this section, practices and research on age-friendly environment will be explored in these two different directions of urban and rural.
The major effort into research and practices on urban age-friendly environment is the Global …show more content…
First, according to the model, environment is defined three levels, fundamental (macro level), intermediate (meso level), and proximate level (micro level). It helps to understand age-friendly environment as multiple levels. Furthermore, the model show the flow how environmental factors influence on individuals’ health. It visualizes the process how age-friendly environment impacts on health outcomes by applying the model to the concept of age-friendly environment. The components of age-friendly environment in each level and the flow how environment interacts with people will be described in the rest of this …show more content…
Physical environment means accessible outdoor and public spaces (e.g. safe crosswalks and sidewalks, automatic doors, level entry, diverse housing options, and parks) and transportation (e.g. a range of options, regular services, and bus stops with seating) (Jackisch, Zamaro, Green, & Huber, 2015). Social environment refers to the opportunities of employment, volunteer, recreation and education for elders. Engaging paid employment in the case the seniors want, indicates economic security and elder’s social inclusion (WHO, 2007). Elders participating in volunteer work feel that their life is meaningful because they help others (Keating et al., 2013). Recreation and education which are specifically designed for older adults such as physical activities and a computer learning program are also positive indicators of age-friendly environment (Orpana, Chawla, Gallagher, & Escaravage, 2016). Municipal services are health services and health related information. Access to health care and a range of health services options such as emergency care, primary care, home care, and long-term facilities are critical for elders because of their co-morbid conditions (Menec et al., 2011). Available health related information and materials are essential for elders to engage in self-management and decision making in health care settings (Orpana et al.,
The major effort into research and practices on urban age-friendly environment is the Global …show more content…
First, according to the model, environment is defined three levels, fundamental (macro level), intermediate (meso level), and proximate level (micro level). It helps to understand age-friendly environment as multiple levels. Furthermore, the model show the flow how environmental factors influence on individuals’ health. It visualizes the process how age-friendly environment impacts on health outcomes by applying the model to the concept of age-friendly environment. The components of age-friendly environment in each level and the flow how environment interacts with people will be described in the rest of this …show more content…
Physical environment means accessible outdoor and public spaces (e.g. safe crosswalks and sidewalks, automatic doors, level entry, diverse housing options, and parks) and transportation (e.g. a range of options, regular services, and bus stops with seating) (Jackisch, Zamaro, Green, & Huber, 2015). Social environment refers to the opportunities of employment, volunteer, recreation and education for elders. Engaging paid employment in the case the seniors want, indicates economic security and elder’s social inclusion (WHO, 2007). Elders participating in volunteer work feel that their life is meaningful because they help others (Keating et al., 2013). Recreation and education which are specifically designed for older adults such as physical activities and a computer learning program are also positive indicators of age-friendly environment (Orpana, Chawla, Gallagher, & Escaravage, 2016). Municipal services are health services and health related information. Access to health care and a range of health services options such as emergency care, primary care, home care, and long-term facilities are critical for elders because of their co-morbid conditions (Menec et al., 2011). Available health related information and materials are essential for elders to engage in self-management and decision making in health care settings (Orpana et al.,