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What makes a good place for healthy ageing? Developing a tool to assess ageing in place.

By 2045, the percentage of individuals over 75 is projected to increase by 60% from current levels. This demographic shift is a global issue, prompting the growth of care models that support older adults to live independently for as long as possible, a concept known as Ageing in Place (AiP). However, ageing well ‘in-place’ requires resources like a suitable home, access to outdoor environments, social engagement opportunities and services that enable older people to flourish.

Evidence and policy suggest that co-produced ‘age friendly’ placemaking is necessary to create environments that enhance health, accommodate the opportunities and challenges that come with ageing, and contribute to the inclusion of older voices in local decision-making. To support the development of age-friendly places, we felt there was a need for a co-production tool or resource and would be welcomed by designers, communities and other stakeholders. Other age-friendly tools and frameworks do exist. However, they pay insufficient attention to the effects of digital technologies, and work on the effects of climate change on healthy ageing requires re-appraisal and inclusion.

We also feel that a suitable tool which combines metrics with associated qualitative evidence is presently not available.

Funded by an internal seed-fund grant from the University of Edinburgh we have assembled an academic team, consisting of researchers from Edinburgh College of Art (ECA-OpenSpace (opens new window)) & the Advanced Care Research Centre (opens new window) (ACRC), partnering with Heriot-Watt & Newcastle Universities to assess the need and potential for an [Ageing in] Place Standard tool.

We carried out an initial knowledge gathering exercise, followed by workshops with older participants in both urban and rural settings, assessing the use and age-appropriateness of the Scottish Government’s existing Place Standard Tool: an established and effective framework for structuring conversations around the physical and social aspects of places. We also conducted interviews with key individuals from different place-making sectors.

Our findings demonstrate that any proposed [Ageing in} Place Tool needs to address –

Accessibility of health services (e.g primary care, pharmacy, opticians etc).
Affordability & agency around home adaptations.
Assessing the strength and security of informal socio-spatial support networks.
Concern over online safety & digital service provision, citizenship & inclusion.
Home protections and accessing key services in extreme weather.
A perceived lack of interventions to prepare older adults for impacts of climate change.

Further funding will allow us to deliver an [Ageing in] Place Standard tool through co-production and consultation with communities, project partners and key stakeholders, which we hope to get up and running in late 2025-early 2026.

What makes a good place for healthy ageing? Developing a tool to assess ageing in place.

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