New report on findings from co-production of research on age-friendly initiatives
23 January 2017
MICRA academics Patty Doran and Dr Tine Buffel have launched a report detailing findings after involving older people in co-producing knowledge about age-friendly neighbourhood interventions.
Based on the research in partnership with a group of older people trained as co-researchers from the Whalley Range, Chorlton and Chorlton Park areas of Manchester, the report proposes three types of interventions to develop age-friendly policies and practices, which are good communication and information, improved accessibility and the availability of a range of meeting opportunities, such as regular social activities.
Co-author Patty Doran argued that “co-production helps develop our understanding of what influences the age-friendliness of neighbourhoods, as older people are the ones who have first-hand experience of the opportunities and challenges of the areas they live in”.
Funded through MICRA’s seedcorn initiative with support from Age UK, the Translating Research into Action project worked with an existing group of older co-researchers to examine the age-friendliness of their neighbourhood, and to translate research findings into practice and policy recommendations that can help improve the quality of life of older people in urban neighbourhoods. The focus was on examining how older residents, especially those in disadvantaged positions, perceived their neighbourhood and how the neighbourhood influences active ageing.