Age-Friendly Community Plan

Thank you for your participation! 
View the approved Age-Friendly Community Plan (PDF)

The County of Brant is developing an Age-Friendly Community Plan for those who are 55 and older.

Funding support from the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, through the Seniors Community Grant Program, has allowed the County’s Community & Protective Services Department to gain insights from the community regarding how the County might best support the priority needs of our community. The recommendations generated through the consultation process will be presented to County of Brant Council and considered in the future by decision-makers for potential support.

Like many communities across Ontario, the proportion of older adults in the County of Brant has been increasing significantly over the last decade and is expected to continue at a rapid pace over the next decade. Through this engagement process we want to ensure that older adults in the County of Brant are appropriately supported in their community.

We are looking for your input to establish key priorities for the County of Brant to improve its age-friendliness. On March 28, 2018 the County of Brant was formally recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the global Age-Friendly Community Network. This means Brant is committed to sharing and promoting the values and principles central to the WHO Age-friendly approach which includes:

• Listening to the needs of the aging population
• Assessing and monitoring the community’s age-friendliness
• Working collaboratively with older residents and across sectors to create age-friendly physical and social environments.

This consultation opportunity addresses the first of these commitments.

Background:

Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) is an international movement initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to global aging and urbanization. An age-friendly community provides a physical, social and service environment that enables seniors and all ages, to live in security, enjoy good health and participate in society. It promotes inclusion and values the contribution of seniors in all areas of community life, respects seniors decisions and lifestyle choices, and anticipates and responds flexibly to aging and its related needs and preferences.

An age-friendly community is one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing, transportation options and offers supportive community features and services. Once in place, those resources enhance personal independence; allow residents to age in place; and foster residents' engagement in the community's civic, economic and social life. In a livable community, people of all ages can go for a walk, safely cross the street, ride a bike, get around without a car as much as possible, live comfortably, work or volunteer, enjoy public places, socialize, spend time outdoors, be entertained, go shopping, buy healthy food, find the services they need and make their city, town, or neighbourhood a lifelong home.

The WHO has identified eight key dimensions of community life, which includes the following:

• Transportation: examines community transit options including availability, affordability, accessibility, reliability and assesses transit infrastructure such as sidewalks, roadways and intersections.
• Housing: examines access, affordability and information about various housing options, housing design, as well as assesses in-home maintenance and support services available.
• Outdoor Spaces & Buildings: examines neighbourhood design, age-friendliness of parks, pathways and trails, and accessibility of buildings.
• Social Participation, Respect & Inclusion: examines recreation and social participation opportunities within the community, as well as opportunities to foster positive images of older adults and seniors, promoting multi-generational interactions.
• Communication and Information: examines how and in what format information is circulated to the community and assesses the availability and accessibility of communication technology.
• Civic Participation and Employment: examines opportunities for older adults and seniors to be involved in aspects of community life beyond day-to-day activities, such as employment, volunteering, becoming politically active, voting, working on committees, etc.
• Community Support and Health Services: examines access to services that support physical and mental well-being and the availability of health promotion or awareness services that support healthy behaviours and life choices.

To learn more check out the World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities Framework

Engage with us!

Questions? Please reach out to staff who are listed in the "Who's Listening" section, on the right hand side of this page.