Developing rural insights for building age-friendly communities. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCrillis, Elizabeth; Skinner, Mark W.; Colibaba, Amber
• Is Part Of: Journal of rural studies. Volume 81(2021)
• Page Start: 336
• Page End: 344
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Rural ageing -- Rural communities -- Age-friendly communities -- Sustainability -- Community -- Fragmentation; Sociology, Rural -- Periodicals; Country life -- Periodicals; Rural development -- Periodicals; Land use, Rural -- Planning -- Periodicals; Rural conditions -- Periodicals; Sociologie rurale -- Périodiques; Vie rurale -- Périodiques; Développement rural -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation agricole du -- Planification -- Périodiques; Conditions rurales -- Périodiques; Country life; Land use, Rural -- Planning; Rural conditions; Rural development; Sociology, Rural; Periodicals; 307.72
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.10.053
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0743-0167

Abstract

Abstract: Notwithstanding a few exceptions, the global age-friendly literature remains mostly silent on the problem of the longer-term, sustainable implementation of age-friendly initiatives. This paper seeks to address this gap by presenting rural insights from a multi-site case study in Ontario, Canada, that considers the influence of unique, rural community contexts that may differentially impact parameters of success and longer-term sustainability among rural age-friendly programs. Findings from interviews with 46 age-friendly leaders across five rural communities demonstrate that contextual community factors directly affected rural age-friendly sustainability. Specifically, the presence of social connectivity (sense of community) created an opportunity for age-friendly sustainability, whereas a lack of geographic connectivity (jurisdictional fragmentation) presented a challenge. These contextual insights demonstrate an additional pathway to rural age-friendly sustainability – considering the social and jurisdictional level of age-friendly implementation prior to initial development, a pathway which reinforces the need for a specifically rural age-friendly agenda that supports rural older adults. Highlights: Rural communities' social and geographic connectivity influences age-friendly sustainability. Opportunities to rural age-friendly implementation and sustainability is associated with sense of community. Jurisdictional fragmentation within rural communities can challenge age-friendly implementation and sustainability. Rural insights indicate the need to articulate a specifically rural age-friendly agenda.