Committed To Becoming More Age-Friendly
Veurne Belgium
The city of Veurne has conducted several studies in the past to detect the vulnerability and needs of its older adult population. These show that Veurne’s older adults are highly satisfied with their housing facilities. When moving, the historic city center is the most popular destination for older adults (from outside and within the city), because of its proximity to amenities. Older adults most often travel on foot (72%) or by private car (73%). The presence of sufficient parking spaces for people with disabilities and comfortable pavements are then the greatest needs. This calls for a multi annual accessibility program to improve the public domain, based on the bottlenecks as inventoried by the parents associations. Urban services for older adults are concentrated in a service center. It is a challenge to coordinate the supply in such a way that maximum participation of older adults can be guaranteed. The main communication channel between the city and the elderly is the monthly city magazine. Others forms of communication (via associations, guides, advisory body or residents platforms) are less efficient, as they are less familiar to older adults. However, investing in a wider range of communication forms is an added value tot detect and support vulnerable people. The said research shows that less than one in 10 older adult is vulnerable. This vulnerability manifests itself, among other things in loneliness, low confidence in the environment, inadequate comfort of the hope and health problems. identifying and supporting vulnerable people is a crucial task of the city.
