Based on the project partners’ country reports covering good practices in Poland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Portugal and The Netherlands, we highlight five age-friendly and three eco-friendly practices.
On the age-friendly side, we found examples of counselling services to help with housing conversions and adaptations, and housing adaptations provided by local authorities and other local stakeholders. The latter fosters the capacity of recipients to remain autonomously in their respective homes, reducing functional risks and adapting spaces in terms of comfort, safety and accessibility.
We also identified cases of adaptations of public spaces, e.g. pavements, pedestrian crossings, and bus stops for the needs of those aged 65+. There are also open university-type courses specifically designed for older adults to provide them with greater autonomy and help to keep up with the world’s changes. In addition, we found an example of a comprehensive policy framework at the municipal level specifically focusing on the Third Age.
As for the eco-friendly solutions, the reported good practices included solar power generation (and investing in more sustainable buildings more generally), community gardening, and greening initiatives (e.g. removing tiles in private gardens and public spaces).
This inspiring inventory of good practices will support the development of the AFECO e-learning curriculum.
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