Age-Friendly Durham

What is Age-Friendly?

Age-friendly is a concept developed by the World Health Organization, which created a framework to measure how effectively a community supports quality of life as people age. The goal of age-friendly planning is to build communities that encourage good health and allow people to participate fully throughout their lives.

The World Health Organization framework covers the following eight areas:

Outdoor spaces and buildings
Housing
Transportation
Social participation
Respect and social inclusion
Civic participation and employment
Communication and information
Community and health services

View our Age-Friendly Durham Map Viewer for age-friendly services, seniors' services and programs, and community assets in Durham Region.

Community Resource Guide for Seniors and Older Adults

A Community Resource Guide for Seniors and Older Adults was produced by the Region of Durham with support from the Government of Ontario. It aims to increase social connection and community engagement among older adults by increasing awareness of programs and services.

The content in the guide is for information purposes only and is not an exhaustive list of resources. The guide offers links to websites operated by external providers that are not maintained or monitored by the Region of Durham and are accessed solely at your own discretion.

Community Guide

Age-Friendly Durham Strategy and Action Plan

According to statistics, approximately 28 per cent of Durham Region residents are age 55 and older. It is expected that this percentage will rise to 34 per cent by 2031.

Funding obtained through Ontario's Age-Friendly Community Planning Grant supported the development of the Age-Friendly Durham Strategy and Action Plan. Following a process outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Seniors Affairs in the Ontario Age-Friendly Community Planning Guide, the Region gathered input from older adults, caregivers, community organizations, and Durham's eight local area municipalities.

Through focus groups, interviews, a survey, a municipal roundtable discussion and a community forum, we learned what we were doing well and what could be improved to better support the well-being of Durham residents as they grow older.

The Age-Friendly Durham Strategy and Action Plan was launched in 2017. The plan included 67 action items to be implemented over five years across the eight domains of community life. The recommendations contained in the plan built upon existing local initiatives and provided a roadmap to guide us and our community partners in planning for future programs and services. A full set of the community recommendations is available in the companion document: Age-Friendly Durham Summary of Community Feedback and Recommendations

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

Implementation of the Age-Friendly Durham Strategy and Action Plan concluded at the end of 2021. Work completed on the 67 action items supported the creation of a strong and vibrant community where older adults remain active, enjoy better health, and are more engaged and informed. Actions achieved relate to all eight domains of age-friendly communities, demonstrating the Region’s commitment to age-friendly planning.

For more information, see Report #2022-INFO-35.

Achieving an age-friendly community is an ongoing process and age-friendly work will continue to be a priority through implementation of various Regional strategies, including the Council-endorsed Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan (see Report #2021-COW-29).

The CSWB Plan creates a framework for the shared responsibility of community safety and well-being. The CSWB Plan identifies key priority risk factors, many that are supported by data and information related to the senior population in Durham, particularly Social Isolation.

Visit the online Community Safety and Well-Being Information Hub to access the CSWB Plan, additional resources and subscribe to project updates.

Challenging Ageism in the Community

The World Health Organization defines ageism as the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) directed towards others or oneself based on age. Ageism is more accepted and challenged less than other forms of discrimination and has negative impacts one’s self-confidence and well-being. Ageism takes many forms across the lifespan and is experienced as early as childhood and continues as we get older (World Health Organization, 2021).

Aligned with the Region’s Age-Friendly Strategy and in partnership with the Durham Council on Aging, the Region of Durham is launching a campaign designed to spark awareness of ageism that exists across the lifespan. This is an extension of the Beauty of Experience campaign from December 2020, which challenged myths and stereotypes of older adults (those aged 55 and older). Initiatives like this help us realize the importance of understanding experiences from people of all ages and supports a collective sense of understanding to challenge ageism in our community.

This campaign is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program and supports an age-friendly community where residents—regardless of age, ethnicity, race, gender or ability—feel respected and enjoy a high quality of life.

Check out the video below to see how ageism impacts people in our community.

Beauty of Experience Campaign

The Beauty of Experience Campaign, led by the Durham Council on Aging, challenged the myths and stereotypes of older adults. Through this campaign, older adults from Durham Region were empowered to share their stories, proving there is no age limit to living an active, happy, and fulfilled life.

This campaign aligns with the Age-Friendly Durham Strategy and Action Plan and will bring us one step closer to realizing our vision of Durham Region as an Age-Friendly community.

Check out the video below to see how older adults in your community are challenging ageism.