City of Brantford Age-friendly Community Needs Assessment

MKA, in partnership with LSI Inc., conducted this study to assess the progress of municipal initiatives in creating an age-friendly community against: 1) the World Health Organization’s (WHO) eight dimensions, of community life that overlap and interact to directly affect older adults: Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings; Transportation; Housing; Social Participation; Respect and Social Inclusion; Civic Participation and Employment; Communication and Information; Community Support and Health Services (WHO, Global Age- Friendly Cities: A Guide. 2007) 2) the Grand River Council on Aging’s (GRCOA) Master Aging Plan. The study also developed a framework for ongoing age-friendly planning and evaluation that can be immediately accessed and functional for all relevant city services.

The information base for the project comprised a comprehensive review of all City plans and policies to identify past, current and planned age-friendly initiatives, and interviews with municipal staff, the GRCOA and other agencies directly involved in serving older adults to determine progress to date, challenges and potential opportunities to improve Brantford’s age-friendly position.