Age-friendly Bandon: the impact of transport on social participation in Bandon and the surrounding area

In supportive and enabling living environments, older people are a valuable resource to their families, communities and economies (WHO, 2007). In accordance with the World Health Organisation, an age-friendly community encourages opportunities for health, social participation and security in order to enhance the quality of life of people as they age. On a practical level, a community that is age-friendly adapts its structures and services to be inclusive and accessible to older people with varying capacities and needs. To understand what adaptations are required to make a community age-friendly it is necessary to consult and collaborate with older members of the community. Using a bottom-up participatory approach, this study looks at the impact of transport on social participation for older people living in Bandon and the surrounding area. A qualitative survey was used to ascertain the views and opinions of thirty-seven members of the seven social groups, who together form the Network of Social Groups for Older Adults. The results of this study are combined to form a number of recommendations, which may assist in ensuring that Bandon and the surrounding area are age-friendly in terms of transport facilities for older people