History of Age Friendly Communities
- The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Age-Friendly Cities Project in 2006, in hopes to promote the development of accessible and inclusive communities that support active aging.
- This international project was formed by older citizens of 33 cities and 22 countries across the globe. Seniors representing four Canadian cities, in the province of British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia, participated through the work of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- PHAC is promoting the implementation of the Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) model throughout Canada by working with provinces and territories, engaging partners, sharing experiences and resources with individuals, community agencies, and other groups interested in becoming more age-friendly.
New Brunswick Communities Recognized As Age Friendly
The age friendly community map shows which communities in New Brunswick have been
recognized to-date as being age friendly and those that have started the journey. This should
help connections between communities working toward becoming age friendly and those that
have been recognized already as being age friendly.
The main goal of the age friendly active community movement is to eliminate physical and social barriers for older adults.
Benefits of an age friendly community include:
- Reduced rates of chronic diseases and better treatment/control when they occur.
- Reduced social isolation and improved community cohesion.
- Increased rates of physical activity, especially walking, improves overall health
- Better access to healthcare and social services
