Research on Age-Friendly Community Initiatives: Taking Stock and Moving Forward

ABSTRACT Age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) are a promising approach to supporting physical, cognitive, mental, and social health in later life, but to date, there are gaps in our understanding of these initiatives' development, implementation, sustainability, and effectiveness. In this article we describe existing scholarship on age-friendly community initiatives, focusing attention on conceptual and empirical knowledge development regarding what age-friendliness and AFCIs are, as well as AFCIs' inputs (i.e., the process of age-friendly community change), outputs (i.e., organizational and community changes), and outcomes (i.e., changes in individual older adults). We then discuss some of the barriers to integrating research and practice in this field, including AFCIs' multifaceted approach and limited funding for evaluation and research. We conclude with steps to advance knowledge that can help to promote more evidence-informed age-friendly policies and practices. Additional scholarship regarding what change processes work under what conditions, in what ways, and for whom is essential to supporting the systematic development of community-wide approaches to promote the health and well-being of older adults.