Center of Excellence for Developing Age-Friendly Communities

Adding life to years

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Summary

The Center of Excellence for Developing Age-friendly Communities (CEDAC), a wing of MAGICS NGO in Kochi, India, has been at the forefront of creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for older persons. Their work embodies the spirit of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by promoting well-being and fostering independence.

There are many organisations and institutions and individuals who are working for the care of older persons and providing services that may benefit older persons. But these activities are happening in isolation and hence there was a felt need for a common ground or a platform where various stakeholders can collaborate and contribute. Recognizing that isolated efforts weren’t enough, CEDAC was established to bridge the gap. They function as a collaborative platform, bringing together various stakeholders to design and implement age-friendly initiatives.

CEDAC collaborate with colleges, academic institutions, NGOs and key individuals. Consultation with civil society ensures that programs address the actual needs of Kochi’s older population. Such a platform for collaboration resulted in initiatives like:
Senior Taxi Service that provides safe and accessible transportation options; University of the Third Age (U3A) that provides continued learning for older persons; Age-Friendly Colleges to create inclusive spaces for intergenerational interaction and learning, for example are programs to demonstrate a positive impact, even if specific data isn’t readily available. Imagine an older person using the Senior Taxi service to reach a doctor’s appointment or attend a U3A lecture. This newfound independence and social connection contribute significantly to their well-being. CEDAC’s success highlights the power of collaboration, ongoing evaluation, and evidence-based planning.

Website: https://www.agefriendlykochi.com/cedac

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Sector(s): Education, Health, Information and communication, Labor, Social protection, Transportation

Desired outcome for older people:
Learn, grow and make decisions

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:

Ageism
Accessibility
Dementia
Disasters and emergencies
Elder abuse
Healthy behaviours (e.g. physical activity)
Intergenerational activities
Inclusion
Participation

Contact details

Name: Praveen G Pai

Email address: praveengpai@gmail.com

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Civil Society Organisation

Others involved in the project:

Local authorities
Civil Society Organisation
Older People’s Association
Social or health care provider
Volunteers
Private sector
Research institution

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: No

Do you plan to evaluate your age-friendly practice? Yes

Expansion plans:
Partnership with government departments is the key to further expansion.

Looking back

Reflections:
Organizations and institutions, though they intend to serve older persons, the mode of operations and policies may not be the same. Hence, finding a common ground is very important for collaboration. NGOs that are independent may not wish to collaborate for fear of losing independence or that they may feel the power difference and differences in being acknowledged.

Challenges:
Many organisations and institutions work in isolation with less intersectoral coordination when it comes to programs for older persons. There is less opportunity for these stakeholders to be facilitated by government departments and hence lack authenticity. CEDAC was authorised by the City Corporation through a letter to develop age-friendly programs and practices and implement it. Such a political will and facilitation enabled CEDAC to go ahead.