PUBLIC GERONTOLOGY IN ACTION: CO-DEFINING GOALS OF AGE-FRIENDLY EFFORTS WITH OLDER CO-RESEARCHERS

摘要

Age-friendly community initiatives have the potential to empower older people to advocate on their own behalf, yet there has been relatively little scholarly discourse on translating this principle into practice. This paper aims to address this gap by exploring older people as co-researchers in developing age-friendly communities in Manchester, UK. Through the application of a participatory methodology, older people were involved not only as the research target group, but also as experts and actors in the various stages of the research, including the planning, design, and realization of the project. The presentation will reflect on both challenges and opportunities concerning the involvement of older people as co-researchers, and will discuss the research approach as a tool for creating community networks on the one hand and empowerment of older people on the other. The presentation will also consider the implications of the findings for developing age-friendly communities in complex urban environments.