Addressing social and gender inequalities in health among seniors in Canada.

Although canadian seniors enjoy economic security and good health and have made substantial gains in recent decades, this well-being is not equally shared among socioeconomic groups and between men and women. As for younger age groups, income predicts health status in later life, but less powerfully. Potential alternative explanations include an overriding influence of the aging process, the subjective effects of income loss at retirement and the attenuation of the poverty gap owing to public retirement income. Older women are more likely to age in poverty than men, to live alone and to depend on inadequately resourced chronic health care and social services. These differences will hold as well for the next cohort of seniors in Canada. Addressing these disparities in health requires a comprehensive, multisectoral approach to health that is embodied in Canada's population health model. Application of this model to reduce these disparities is described, drawing upon the key strategies of the population health approach, recent federal government initiatives and actions recommended to the government by federal commissions.

Making communities age friendly: state and municipal initiatives in Canada and other countries.

To promote healthy, active aging, the age-friendly community initiative has evolved in Canada, Spain, Brazil and Australia, among other countries. An age-friendly community provides accessible and inclusive built and social environments where older adults can enjoy good health, participate actively and live in security. The rapid expansion of the initiative in all states can largely be explained by common key activities undertaken by the state, municipal and -in the case of Canada- also federal, governments. These initiatives include strategic engagements and policy action in all states, and knowledge development and exchange in Canada in particular. Strategic engagements involve creating or strengthening collaborative intersectoral relationships to access multiple arenas of decision-making, and addressing all areas that constitute an age-friendly community. With variations across states, policy actions have included the following: declaring the initiative as an official policy direction; establishing model cities to be emulated by other cities; funding community projects; implementing consistent methodology; evaluating implementation, enhancing public visibility, and aligning age-friendly community policy with other state-level policy directions. To stimulate knowledge development and exchange, Canadian efforts have included the creation of a community of practice and of a research and policy network to encourage the development and translation of scientific evidence on aging-supportive communities. These activities are expected to result in a strong and durable integration of older persons' views, aspirations, rights and needs in municipal, as well as state, planning and policy.

Making communities age friendly: state and municipal initiatives in Canada and other countries / Iniciativas estatales y municipales en Canadá y en otros países dirigidas a crear comunidades amigables con las personas mayores

To promote healthy, active aging, the age-friendly community initiative has evolved in Canada, Spain, Brazil and Australia, among other countries. An age-friendly community provides accessible and inclusive built and social environments where older adults can enjoy good health, participate actively and live in security. The rapid expansion of the initiative in all states can largely be explained by common key activities undertaken by the state, municipal and –in the case of Canada– also federal, governments. These initiatives include strategic engagements and policy action in all states, and knowledge development and exchange in Canada in particular. Strategic engagements involve creating or strengthening collaborative intersectoral relationships to access multiple arenas of decision-making, and addressing all areas that constitute an age-friendly community. With variations across states, policy actions have included the following: declaring the initiative as an official policy direction; establishing model cities to be emulated by other cities; funding community projects; implementing consistent methodology; evaluating implementation, enhancing public visibility, and aligning age-friendly community policy with other state-level policy directions. To stimulate knowledge development and exchange, Canadian efforts have included the creation of a community of practice and of a research and policy network to encourage the development and translation of scientific evidence on aging-supportive communities. These activities are expected to result in a strong and durable integration of older persons’ views, aspirations, rights and needs in municipal, as well as state, planning and policy (AU)

Para promover una vida saludable y activa en las personas de edad avanzada, la iniciativa de comunidades amigables con las personas mayores ha evolucionado tanto en Canadá, España, Brasil y Australia como en otros países. Una comunidad amigable con las personas mayores proporciona entornos sociales accesibles e inclusivos, donde los adultos de mayor edad pueden disfrutar de buena salud, participar activamente y vivir en seguridad. La rápida expansión de la iniciativa en todos los países se explica en gran parte por las actividades fundamentales comunes que han emprendido las autoridades estatales y municipales, y en el caso de Canadá también el gobierno federal. Dichas iniciativas incluyen participaciones estratégicas, adopción de políticas y desarrollo e intercambio de conocimientos, en Canadá en particular. Los partenariados estratégicos implican crear o fortalecer vínculos de colaboración entre los sectores a fin de tener acceso a varias esferas de la toma de decisiones y solucionar todos los aspectos que permiten crear una comunidad donde los ancianos pueden integrarse. Con diferencias entre países, la elaboración de políticas ha incluido la declaración de dichas iniciativas como una orientación política oficial, el establecimiento de ciudades que sirvan de modelo para otras, la financiación de proyectos comunitarios, la implementación de metodología coherente, la evaluación de la aplicación, la visibilidad pública y la alineación de la política comunitaria con otras políticas de ámbito estatal. Para estimular el desarrollo y el intercambio de conocimientos, los trabajos en Canadá han incluido prácticas en comunidades para alentar el intercambio de experiencias exitosas, y una red de investigación y políticas para fomentar el desarrollo y la traducción de la evidencia científica en materia de comunidades favorables para la tercera edad. Se prevé que estas actividades logren que se integre un enfoque favorable hacia los ancianos, con consideración a sus aspiraciones, perspectivas, derechos y necesidades a la hora de planificar comunidades e influir en las políticas gubernamentales en materia de envejecimiento (AU)

Addressing social and gender inequalities in health among seniors in Canada

Although canadian seniors enjoy economic security and good health and have made substantial gains in recent decades, this well-being is not equally shared among socioeconomic groups and between men and women. As for younger age groups, income predicts health status in later life, but less powerfully. Potential alternative explanations include an overriding influence of the aging process, the subjective effects of income loss at retirement and the attenuation of the poverty gap owing to public retirement income. Older women are more likely to age in poverty than men, to live alone and to depend on inadequately resourced chronic health care and social services. These differences will hold as well for the next cohort of seniors in Canada. Addressing these disparities in health requires a comprehensive, multisectoral approach to health that is embodied in Canada's population health model. Application of this model to reduce these disparities is described, drawing upon the key strategies of the population health approach, recent federal government initiatives and actions recommended to the government by federal commissions