Healthy ageing in the senior city – An explorative study of co-production activities and their influence on the health and well-being of the elderly
Background
In 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) together with the United Nations member states presented a global strategi and action plan towards creating age friendly environments. In 2018 the municipality of Esbjerg was accepted in the global network of age-friendly cities as the first municipality in Denmark.
As a member of the global network the municipality is obligated to be age-friendly in its visions and strategies. Based on the vision to stay long as possible in your own home and community, the municipality establish an age-friendly neighborhood for its citizens. In the age-friendly neighborhood the elderly can get the assistance they need and get a sense of community with other elderly. In the neighborhood the municipality wants to bring focus to co-production activities to help the citizens take responsibility for their own health and well-being. The knowledge about the effect of co-production activities is however not well established and should be further studied.
Aim
The overall aim of the study is to find out how to ensure active ageing and promote the health and well-being of the elderly through co-production activities in an environment of nursing home, senior housing, and shared facilities.
Research questions
Is it possible to promote the health and well-being of citizens +65 years by participation in co-production activities?
What influence does the participation in co-production activities have on the health and well-being of the citizens?
How are the different phases of co-production affected by the organizational and physical surroundings in the age-friendly neighborhood?
Methods
The ph.d.-project is an explorative study in three parts. The first part of the study is a systematic review of the literature regarding co-production activities for the promotion of health and well-being of citizens +65 years of age. The second part of the study is a survey among the elderly with the objective to explore what influence participation in the co-production activities have to their health and well-being. In the third part of the study an evaluation of the organizational and physical surroundings effect on the possibilities for co-production takes place.
Results
The results will be presented on a regularly basis to the municipality of Esbjerg, to participants in the project and in scientific settings. Communication within the framework of the university include oral presentation of the project at the university and at national and international conferences as well as preparation of three scientific papers.
Time frame
Juni 2021- maj 2024
Supervisors
Main supervisor: Professor Pernille Tanggaard Andersen, Unit for health promotion Research, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
Co-supervisor: Professor Emeritus Jørgen Jespersen, Unit for health promotion Research, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
Co-supervisor: Associate professor Gabriel Gulis, Unit for health promotion Research, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark