AGES2002 Enabling Environments for Older People

Enabling environments are important for healthy ageing across the life course. There has been increasing attention on how the physical and built environment, as well as the social environment, can promote a healthy lifestyle for ageing adults. How the person manages the opportunities and constraints of their environmental conditions is of interest in urban planning through to care environments. This topic examines the principles underpinning the creation of age friendly communities and enabling environments in the home and health care settings, as well as the contribution of the person-environment fit to well-being, autonomy and preservation of self and identity. A focus of the topic will be to explore the environments in which older people live their lives and experience the world. Students will examine ways to assess different types of environments.

This topic aims to examine the evidence-base and current consensus in relation to enabling environments for older people to flourish so that students can identify and facilitate environmental support for healthy ageing and well-being.

1. Differentiate between the built, the physical and the social environment
2. Examine the ways in which older people manage the opportunities and constraints of their environmental conditions
3. Critically analyse the research literature relevant to enabling environments for people with dementia in community and care settings
4. Apply the principles of liveable, age-friendly communities to sustain independent living and promote healthy ageing
5. Assess different types of environments for their ability to provide a safe, familiar place to engage in activities of everyday life
6. Integrate environmental assessment information and research evidence to develop options for improving care environments