Within the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance catchment area, three of our thirteen cities and towns -- Quincy, Scituate, and Cohasset -- are currently enrolled in the AARP Age-Friendly Communities network. Their enrollment in the program signals a desire to create communities that will support the needs of an aging population, but what does creating an Age-Friendly Community actually involve? And why are Age-Friendly Communities important to the work of the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance?
“The Age-Friendly community movement has emerged in recent years in an effort to describe ways in which communities and cities may create environments that support their aging populations and promote quality of life, independence, wellness, and active participation throughout the life course. Eight domains are used to identify features of communities that promote active, involved aging and quality of life.” -- UMASS Boston
On a global scale, the World Health Organization has been leading the charge to create communities that are more in tune with the needs of aging adults.To date, over 830 communities in 41 countries have pledged to create environments that are responsive to the needs of people of all ages. In the United States, the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities operates as the American extension of the WHO’s efforts, and the State of Massachusetts is one of only a few that have signed on for the program. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative is the leading organization advancing Age-Friendly efforts across the state.
“Age-friendly communities are inclusive and considerate of the perspectives of all residents, of all ages, and all persuasions.” -- AARP
Enrollment in the program is only one of many steps toward creating a truly inclusive environment for healthy aging. To ensure that communities are compliant with the core features of the movement, all those who enroll must demonstrate their commitment to improvement within five years through a series of comprehensive steps:
Conducting a survey and listening sessions to engage older adults in all phases of improvement, from concept through planning and implementation;
Development of an action and evaluation plan;
Implementation of planned improvements;
Evaluation and reporting on the success of the improvement plans
Only after successfully completing these phases can communities be honored with the designation of “Age-Friendly Communities.” We know that our community partners in Scituate, Cohasset and Quincy are working diligently to achieve this honor and to become fully inclusive communities for residents of all ages, and the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance has been coordinating many joint efforts to support their work.
Chief among our Age-Friendly Communities efforts is the establishment of the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council. Our ongoing pilot program, which launched in 2019, is focused on Quincy and the metro Quincy area as a critical location for improvements to the transportation system in support of healthy aging. Through collaboration with municipal officials and the Quincy Department of Planning, we have facilitated learning and dialogue about the Age-Friendly Communities program, and we look forward to participating in an upcoming city Walk Audit in Quincy through WalkBoston. We are also helping to develop a sustainable partnership between Quincy and the UMass Boston Center for Demographic and Social Research on Aging, in order to ensure that the developing efforts within the region go beyond transportation to create truly inclusive healthy aging environments.
In the future, our goal is to assist the six remaining Metro Quincy communities in our catchment area in enrolling as potential Age-Friendly Communities, so that we can spearhead a campaign to make the entire Metro Quincy region -- and eventually, the entire Blue Hills -- fully responsive to the needs of our aging population. As an attendee at one of our recent BHRCC Community Conversations noted, “What’s good for older adults is good for everyone.” Our vision of creating lasting, sustainable change in the public health of all residents begins with changing health disparities -- and that means creating a more equitable, supportive and accessible environment for all.
To join one of our upcoming Age-Friendly Communities events, such as our April Walk Audit, check out our Events page.
To learn more about the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council and its efforts to improve the transportation landscape in the Metro Quincy region, visit the BHRCC website.
To inquire about Age-Friendly Communities, the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance or any of our initiatives, contact us.