Beginning on an age-friendly journey: Barriers to implementing age-friendly initiatives

OBJECTIVE: To explore the barriers to communities in New Zealand developing age-friendly initiatives. METHODS: A qualitative participatory approach underpinned this study. Semi-structured digitally recorded individual interviews were undertaken with 24 government officials, local government steering group members and community representatives from an urban city, provincial city and a rural district. A general inductive data analytic process was undertaken. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines were followed to ensure rigour in this study. RESULTS: (a) Being at the beginning, (b) Minimal diversity and (c) Problems getting started were three key issues identified. CONCLUSIONS: New Zealand is in the early stages of becoming age-friendly. Findings from this study provide a place-based New Zealand perspective and have influenced central government social policy and practice development, culminating in resources supporting local government and communities to successfully implement age-friendly initiatives.

Keywords

community, gerontology, healthy aging, policy, social environment

Citation

AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, 2021, 40 (4), pp. E287 - E293

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/10179/17256

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