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Dear <<First Name>>,

Welcome to the third issue of the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities Outreach Program's special newsletter series: Populations in Focus. This series brings relevant research, guides, and tools straight to your inbox.

While we focus on each population individually, we recognize the complexities of intersectionality and encourage individuals and communities to consider how each aspect of a person’s identity contributes to their unique experience of aging. In this issue, we spotlight older adults living in rural and remote communities.

Kind regards,
__________________
Emily Mullins
Age-Friendly Communities Knowledge Broker
mullinse@providencecare.ca

1: Diverse Populations Addendum

The Diverse Populations Addendum is a Government of Ontario document that was produced by the Age-Friendly Communities Outreach Program Team. The addendum is one of two companion documents to the Creating a More Inclusive Ontario: Age-Friendly Community Planning Guide for Municipalities and Community Organizations. This resource highlights factors to consider in age-friendly planning and implementation for three populations of older adults. For information on older adults living in small urban and rural communities, visit pages 5-15.

Publication Year: 2021

Read the Addendum Here

2: Rural Ontario Foresight Papers: Services for an Aging Rural Population & Northern Perspective

This Rural Ontario Institute foresight paper provides insight into rural services that are relevant to an aging population. The report highlights key challenges in the delivery of services for older people living in rural communities in four areas including:

Healthcare and Community Support Services
Housing
Transportation
Recreation

Publication Year: 2019

Read the Report Here

3: Age-Friendly Rural and Remote Communities: A Guide

The Public Health Agency of Canada developed a practical guide that rural and remote communities across Canada can use to identify common barriers and to foster dialogue and action that supports the development of age-friendly communities. Focus groups were held across Canada and themes are discussed across the 8 age-friendly domains. Age-friendly communities may be particularly interested in the checklist of age-friendly features located on page 40.

Publication Year: 2007

Read the Guide Here

4: Healthy Rural Communities Tool Kit: A Guide for Rural Municipalities

This resource is a locally driven collaborative project funded by Public Health Ontario. The tool kit is intended for those interested in how the built environment and local development impacts health. Age-Friendly Communities may be particularly interested in Action 7: Planning for Special Age Groups on page 34 which includes recommendations and case studies on planning for an aging population.

Publication Year: 2015

Read the Report Here

5: An Overview of Healthy Aging Strategies in Rural and Urban Canada

This environmental scan by the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit documents healthy aging frameworks and interventions across Canada. The report provides an overview of issues identified by rural older adults and provides examples of interventions. For information on Ontario see pages 20 and 38.

Publication Year: 2018

Read the Report Here

In Practice: Rural Aging Research Program

Based at Trent Universit y, the Rural Aging Research Program engages in community-based research projects on topics such as the role of rural volunteers in supporting aging-in-place and the sustainability of rural age-friendly communities.

Watch the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities Outreach Program's webinar: Rural age-friendly communities in the 2020s: Insights from Trent University here.

Learn More Here

About the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) Outreach Program

The Ontario AFC Outreach Program is managed by the Centre for Studies in Aging & Health at Providence Care in partnership with Queen’s University, and funded by the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility.

The AFC Outreach Program builds on and complements Ontario's AFC Planning Guide and the AFC Planning Grant Program, with the aim to raise awareness about age-friendly planning principles, facilitate knowledge sharing within and between communities, and increase the capacity for local planning, implementation and evaluation of age-friendly community initiatives.

Stay Connected!

Visit our website in French or English.
Contact Emily Mullins, the Ontario AFC Knowledge Broker.
Join our distribution list.
Follow us on Twitter.

Do you have news, resources or an event that you would like shared in our next newsletter? Email Emily Mullins with your content.