AGE FRIENDLY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN ONTARIO JOHN PUXTY MARCH 2018 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

AGE FRIENDLY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN ONTARIO

JOHN PUXTY MARCH 2018

Impact of the 2015-17 AFC Strategy

• In 2013 there were 36 active AFC communities in

Ontario (10 small urban-rural)

• In 2015 there were only 15 active AFC communities

in Ontario (only 1/15 small urban-rural)

• In July 2017 there were a total of 88 active AFC

communities including:

• 56 funded by MSA in 2015 of whom 40 have reached Step 3

(Action Plan) and 16 Step 4 (Implementation)

• 32 who were not funded by MSA in 2015
• 10 were re-established AFC from 2013 cohort
• 7/11 who did not re-establish were small urban-rural

communities

AFC Planning Grant Community Priorities

Housing (68%) Transportation (66%) Communication & Information (45%) Community Support & Health Services (38%)

• More Accessible Communities (58%)
• Culture Shift within Municipalities (44%)
• More Exchange and Collaboration Between Community

Partners (42%)

• Increased Awareness About Age-Friendly Communities

(32%)

• Engaged and Empowered Local Older Adults (30%)
• Communication Channels within the Community are

Strengthened (21%)

Benefits Reported

Subsequent Research Questions

• 1. What are factors and characteristics of communities

that contribute to a successful and sustainable AFC activity?

• 2. Are there specific issues or challenges for small urban-

rural communities linked to AFC?

• 3. How can age-friendly community strategies and

frameworks be tailored to address the cultural needs of new Canadians?

• 4. How can age-friendly community strategies be tailored

to address the unique needs of Ontario's Indigenous people?

Methods for Q1 and Q2

• Exploratory multiple-case study design
• Qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with 14/15

established AFCs in 2016, and 53/56 OSS-funded AFCs in 2017

• The themes identified in the interim analyses of the 2016 and

2017 interviews were consolidated, and classified as context, mechanism, or outcome factors

• The 2016 and 2017 interview transcripts were then

reanalyzed to examine each type of factor, and to compare and contrast patterns between established and new AFC’s, geography and effects of community size.

• Compiled community stories into database once validated by

communities (147)

Validate Findings at Regional Workshops

• 5 Regional workshops held in May 2017
• Validate and contribute to results and interpretation of the

information gathered from interviews with 53 funded AFC communities

• Opportunity for networking and sharing of successes
• Participate in ongoing conversations related to emerging

topics of interest

• Successes and sustainability factors
• Issues and needs of small urban/rural communities
• Special needs of francophone, socially isolated, indigenous and

immigrant groups

Regional Age-Friendly Communities Engagement Workshops

• Participants



214 Participants invited; 120 (56%) Attended

• Community



86 Communities were invited; 65 (76%) Attended

• 56 Funded AFC Communities invited; 43 (76%) Funded AFC

Communities attended

• 30 Non-Funded Communities invited; 22 (73%) Non-Funded

Communities Attended

Factors that Contribute to and Enable Sustainable AFCs

• Demonstrable Provincial leadership through funding,

recognition, policy and access to other information and support resources

• Regional and local leadership, governance and

infrastructure

• Representative engagement
• Funding
• Communication
• Strategic Alignment
• Evaluation– Academic Involvement.
• Long-term planning
• Inclusiveness

Factors that Impact Small Urban-Rural Age-Friendly Communities

• Geography
• Limited Resources/Opportunities
• Limited Services and supports
• Communication
• Infrastructure may not be supportive to “aging in place”
• Strong Sense of Community
• Culture

Building and maintaining momentum in AFC planning and implementation is often more challenging in small urban-rural communities! They often have more early successes but without additional supports they have higher rates of attrition and difficulty in re- establishing

Survey of Existing Non-MSA Funded AFCs in Fall 2017

• Identified presence of additional 27 communities with AFC

activities that had not been supported within 2015-17 AFC grant program

• Distributed an online survey that built on findings from

2016-2017 interview process

• Gathered survey responses from 25/27 non-funded

AFCs– 7 established + 18 new

• In addition to survey questions that aligned with topics

covered during the 2016-2017 interviews, we specifically asked about their use of AFC Outreach resources and usefulness of components

Usefulness of Information Resources by New and Established Non-Funded AFCs

4 1 1 3 7 9 13 6 6 6 3 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 The Ontario AFC website Finding the Right Fit AFC resources (e.g. How-to planning guides, PHAC indicators etc.) Profiles of other age-friendly communities Not useful Somewhat useful Useful Very Useful Haven't Used No answer 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 The Ontario AFC website Finding the Right Fit AFC resources (e.g. How-to planning guides, PHAC indicators etc.) Profiles of other age-friendly communities Not useful Somewhat useful Useful Very Useful Haven't Used No answer

New Communities Established Communities

Usefulness of KE Opportunities by New and Established Non-Funded AFCs

New Communities Established Communities

1 1 1 3 2 1 1 4 3 5 7 6 10 3 6 3 3 3 6 2 4 6 1 3 2 2 2 4 6 8 10 12 The AFC knowledge broker (Sarah Webster) AFC webinar (live or recording) The monthly AFC e- newsletter Regional AFC network meetings (i.e. Southern, Northern, Central or Eastern Age-Friendly Networks) Local, regional or provincial conferences

• r other in-person AFC

events Not useful Somewhat useful Useful Very Useful Haven't Used No answer 2 2 2 1 5 3 1 4 2 1 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 The AFC knowledge broker (Sarah Webster) AFC webinar (live or recording) The monthly AFC e- newsletter Regional AFC network meetings (i.e. Southern, Northern, Central or Eastern Age- Friendly Networks) Local, regional or provincial conferences

• r other in-person AFC

events Not useful Somewhat useful Useful Very Useful Haven't Used No answer

Next Steps

• To validate and explore further the issues and

mechanisms to build capacity and sustainability of AFC activities in Ontario

• Identify and respond to unique needs of small urban/rural

communities and special populations in Ontario.

Thank you

• Dr. John Puxty

puxtyj@providencecare.ca Sarah Webster (Knowledge Broker) swebster@seniorshealthknowledgenetwork.com