What is an Age-friendly Community?

In 2010, the World Health Organization established the Global Network of Age-friendly Communities (GNAFC, or “the Network”) after identifying actions that cities and communities can take to encourage active aging, and therefore be “age-friendly.” They created a set of age-friendly city checklists, and established the Network in order to inspire and support communities to become more age-friendly.   

In 2012, the AARP Network of Age-friendly States and Communities was established as an independent affiliate of the WHO Network. Both WHO and AARP use a framework of livable communities. According to AARP, “A livable community is one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing and transportation options, and offers supportive community features and services. Once in place, those resources:

• enhance personal independence; 
• allow residents to remain in their homes and communities as they age; and 
• foster residents' engagement in the community's civic, economic, and social life.” 

There are other organizations that have played lead roles in the field of age-friendly work. For instance, the AdvantAge Initiative helps communities “learn about older adults’ perceptions of and experiences in their communities; identify barriers to “aging in place;” and plan for action to make their communities better places to live for older adults and their families. And, the Milken Institute produces “Best Cities for Successful Aging,” in which they evaluate small and large U.S. metropolitan areas to determine how well they serve older adults’ ability to remain productive, secure and healthy.   

In 2016-17, when Buncombe County was developing its current Aging Plan, we selected the WHO/AARP framework, in part because it contains eight “domains of livability” to help communities organize and prioritize the work of becoming more livable for both older residents and people of all ages.  

These 8 Domains include: Housing, Transportation, Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Respect and Social Inclusion, Social Participation, Health Services and Community Supports, Communication and Information, and Civic Participation and Employment. 

To date, there are over 500 communities enrolled nationwide, including Buncombe County. Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enrolled as state or territory members.  

Communities such as ours, that join the Network, commit to embarking on a continuous process of improvement. This begins with an assessment and the development of an action plan. The action plan is implemented, evaluated and updated.   

For reasons we won’t get into here, Buncombe County’s Action Plan associated with our membership in the Network, is specifically focused on Housing Options for Aging in Place. To learn more about how and why that is, please read our Action Plan Report. This plan is embedded into our larger Aging Plan, which is currently being updated for 2021-22.   

For an excellent example of Age-friendly work in our community, check out this Asheville Citizen-Times article about Age-friendly Buncombe partner Dementia Friendly WNC working with Asheville Rides Transit (ART) to educate their bus drivers on how to understand, interact with, and assist people living with dementia who use city bus services.   

Want to know more about the age-friendly work going on in Buncombe County? Follow us by email to receive regular blog updates and continue learning about Age-friendly Buncombe and all we are doing!

What is Age-friendly Buncombe County?

Age-friendly Buncombe County is a big tent that brings together many community collaborations, committees, and working groups, all committed to the vision that older adults in Buncombe county are safe, well and engaged in community.

Age-friendly Buncombe was established in 2017 when the County joined the World Health Organization and AARP’s Network of Age-friendly States and Communities (“the Network”). This global network enables communities striving to better meet the needs of their older residents to exchange ideas and experiences, and to engage in mutual learning. Unlike, for example, the Milken Institute’s “Best Cities for Successful Aging,” joining the Network is not a designation; it is a commitment to a process of continual improvement toward a more age-friendly community. 

Currently, there are fourteen committees and working groups affiliated with Age-friendly Buncombe. Together they represent over sixty nonprofit organizations, businesses, governmental departments and other partners, as well as many older adult volunteers. Each functions relatively independent of the others, but through their affiliation with Age-friendly Buncombe, and with the help of a new Advisory Group, they form a collective with a shared vision. This blog serves as a hub for information about Age-friendly Buncombe. If you have not already, please "Follow Age-friendly Buncombe by Email" and each blog post will automatically show up in your inbox!

Below is a brief description of our current committees and working groups. Click on each to learn more. 

• Active Aging Center Steering Committee is planning a one-stop, accessible, convenient location with a consumer-focused, welcoming environment for older adults, their families, and caregivers. 

• Buncombe Aging Services Alliance (BASA) provides networking, collaboration, advocacy, and education for aging service providers.

• Blue Ridge Pride Generations Plus seeks to enrich the lives of LGBTQIA+ and allied community adults in Western North Carolina who are fifty and over.

• Communities for Older Adult Health focuses on identifying opportunities for Asheville-Buncombe County to facilitate healthy aging and encourage communication among its citizens and leaders in order to determine how to best use these opportunities to improve the health of the entire community.

• Community Transportation Advisory Board assists in the implementation of the Community Transportation Program and the Age-friendly goal of improving older adults’ access to transportation options. 

• Dementia Friendly WNC is a group of community members and organizations committed to the well-being of people living with dementia and their families.

• Elder Justice Coalition (EJC) is a community-wide collaboration that includes older adult volunteers and professionals from various disciplines whose mission is to strengthen our community’s capacity to prevent and address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation quickly, effectively, and with respect. 

• Experienced Workforce Initiative (EWI) supports and promotes the engagement of adults 50 and over in the volunteer and workforce continuum. 

• Family Caregiver Advisory Committee works on a regional level to establish partnerships with caregiver service providers, caregivers, and those who interact with caregivers to leverage resources and improve and expand the available resources/services for caregivers.

• Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) Advisory Committee makes grant recommendations to the Board of Commissioners regarding allocations of Home and Community Care Block Grant funding and County Aging Services funding.

• Housing Options for Aging in Place (HOAP) is a group of diverse stakeholders across multiple domains working toward a community where older adults have the ability and choice to age in place. 

• Social Bridging Project pairs older adults who feel isolated at home with trained student volunteers who can provide a friendly check-in. They also provide training on technology use, and referral to additional resources if needed and desired. 

• WNC Broadband Project aims to support communities interested in ensuring access to reliable, truly high-speed internet service, including for older adults.

• WNC Fall Prevention Coalition provides communities with descriptions of collaborative resources--including meetings, events, and a resource list of local providers with the common goal of decreasing fall-related injuries in WNC.

We'll close with a major Thank You to all of our collaborators and committee members! We appreciate all of the important work you are doing.