Age-friendly communities

The Department of Communities encourages and supports the development of age-friendly communities in Western Australia.
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Age-friendly communities are those that are inclusive and accessible for people of all ages. This encompasses spaces and places, programs and initiatives that make a community better for all residents including children, young people, parents and seniors. 

An age-friendly community is one that:

  • recognises the great diversity among older people,
  • promotes their inclusion and contribution in all areas of community life,
  • respects their decisions and lifestyle choices, and
  • anticipates and responds to age-related needs and preferences.

When developing an age-friendly community, older adults have the opportunity to have their opinions heard on services, supports, and activities that would enhance their lives and their community. 

Communities has launched Creating Age-Friendly Communities in Western Australia, 2021 (also known as the Age-friendly Communities Toolkit)—a revised version of the original toolkit published in 2006.

Based on the World Health Organisation’s Global age-friendly cities: a guide (The Guide), the Toolkit establishes a best-practice benchmark for creating age-friendly communities, irrespective of population size or geographical location.

Age-friendly Community Grants Program

For grants and funding opportunities, visit the grants and funding page.

In September 2023 the following organisations were announced as recipients of Age-friendly Community Grants Program funding:

Organisation

Region

Project Name

Befriend

Perth metropolitan wide

The Gifts of our Elders

Bremer Bay Community Resource Centre

Great Southern region

Information and Social Sessions

Broome CIRCLE (Broome Community Information Resource Centre and Learning Exchange Inc)

Kimberley region

Community Connections, Local Legends, and Women’s Business

City of Belmont

South East metro

Stories that Unite Us – Lets Connect

City of Fremantle

South West metro

Sing, swing and mingle

Dongara Community Resource Centre

Mid West region

SOS – Save our Stories, Save our Skills

Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services Inc.

North East and South East metro

Connecting Communities

Men’s Talk

North West metro

Gen Connect Program

Multicultural Lions Club of WA

South West Metro

Wellness Café

Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation

Broome, Kimberley region

Elder Abuse Working Group

Shire of Carnarvon

Gascoyne region

Adapted Sports Program

Shire of Cranbrook

Great Southern region

Strength for Life Program

Shire of Cuballing

Wheatbelt region

Community Social Program

Shire of Dardanup

South West region

Senior Digital Connection Program

Shire of York

Wheatbelt region

Seniors Digital Information

South West Aboriginal Medical Service

South West region

Aboriginal Men’s Program

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

Marionettes and Memories

Warnpurru Aboriginal Corporation

Goldfields region

Connecting Elders with Country

Local Government Professionals Age-friendly Community Network

Local governments are perfectly placed to support and implement age-friendly communities due to the connection and knowledge of their local community.

Community Development officers that focus on enhancing the lives of older adults in their community are welcome to join the Local Government (LG) Professionals Age-friendly Network. The Network aims to increase awareness and understanding of age-friendly communities in Western Australia.

Find out more about LG Professionals Age-Friendly Network.

Age-friendly Home Maintenance Toolkit

To get the most out of your home, it is important to take a good look around and attend to any maintenance issues early. By doing so, your home will continue to be an enjoyable place in which to live for many years.

The Age-friendly Home Maintenance Toolkit has been developed to present ideas on how to identify and address common maintenance issues. The suggestions in this toolkit are flexible; you can choose whatever tips suit you best. Please note that any major modifications to your home may require council approval.

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