Live the good life – all your life

Many of Sweden’s municipalities are working to become age-friendly cities and communities, and this is a work that involves the whole of society at all levels. According to Emma Mattson, development manager for age-friendly Gothenburg, a national approach is needed on age-related issues. Municipalities and organizations can do and achieve a lot, but issues need to reach the Riksdag and government departments, a national strategy like the one in Norway is needed. By taking the step and also working together at the national level, we can create great conditions and free up resources for all that needs to happen locally and regionally where we live, play, grow, develop and age.

The WHO Global Network of Green Cities and Communities currently includes nearly 1,500 cities and communities in 51 countries in its network, the majority of which are in the European region. In addition to networks, knowledge base and guidance, WHO also provides specific support to countries that wish to work on issues at the national level. According to the World Health Organization, it is cities and countries that, in addition to local strategies, adopt a national issue strategy that achieves the greatest impact. Examples of such countries are Norway, Ireland, New Zealand and Great Britain.

Emma Mattson, Development Director at Age-Friendly Gothenburg.

Left: Lars Lindbergh, Senior Advisor, Center for Nordic Wellbeing. The Nordic Social Welfare Center coordinates the northern part of the WHO network. In the center: Per-Arne Håkansson, Member of Parliament (S) and on the right Babbs Edberg, Director of the Department of Aged Care and Social Welfare in Gothenburg.

Older friendly Norway

Norway has had a national center for age-friendly issues since 2016. Anne Berrett-Ravos, project manager at the center, says the strategy is about activating and involving older people, not about caring policy. All ministries are involved in the work because age issues affect all issues and sectors of society. The goals are to create municipalities, communities, organizations and companies that are friendly to the elderly at a public level. For individuals, the goals are that they can contribute and participate in society according to their own desires and circumstances. By 2040, it is estimated that 40% of the population in many Norwegian municipalities will be over the age of 70. For society to function, it is essential that we actively plan and work with issues.

Seniors issues in Uppsala Municipality

Uppsala Municipality has an action plan and program for working with elderly issues, which means improving opportunities for elderly people to lead healthy, independent lives and increasing participation in society. The ability to live a long and healthy life not only has value in itself, but also means a profit for society, which can benefit from the resources, experience and skills of older people. At the same time, it is a challenge when the number of elderly people in the population is increasing and the number of working people is not increasing at the same rate. In order to satisfy the elderly population in the best way, the municipality develops its work with other municipalities, the district, the trade union life and the population.

– We must learn to become society again. It sums up the big change that needs to happen. It is not the public sector, the business sector, civil society, nor citizens who can “solve” the problem. Elderly-friendly commune coordinator Kenny Jansson and Senior Citizens’ Complaint Commissioner Helen Stenlund says seniority compatibility needs to be carried everywhere – regardless of capacity and roles.

Uppsala Municipal Coordinator for the Elderly Friendly Municipality Kenny Jansson; Elderly Uppsala Municipal Ombudsman, Helen Stenlund; Anna Karen Joelson, Housing Authority and Peter Olin, MP (M).

Lunch meeting in Riksdag, Sweden

As a basis and support for proposals to promote the development of an age-friendly Sweden, two letters addressed to committees and inviting politicians were presented. Some important issues raised:

• The Swedish Parliament, government and ministries take the elderly perspective seriously and include it in all decision-making processes.
• That Parliament, government and ministries investigate whether it would also be beneficial for Sweden, like Norway and Ireland for example, to adopt a national plan based on the WHO model for developing an age-friendly Sweden and how it could be implemented thereafter.
• That Parliament, government and ministries review the possibility of providing more broad and general government grants that enable long-term investments based on needs in the framework of work with age-friendly cities.
• That Parliament, government and ministries assign, for example, Swedish municipalities and regions the task of coordinating a national conference on the theme “age-friendly cities and communities”

In the Swedish Riksdag, the average age is less than 50, which means that weight is less about age issues and the elderly, but more on families with children and smaller groups. It is therefore important that age-related issues now end up on the tables and agendas of politicians.

We all deserve to live the good life throughout our lives. Let’s band together and create an elderly-friendly and therefore sustainable Sweden!

Meeting participants at a seminar lunch in Riksdag, Sweden.