Utilise all the information you have gathered from your baseline checklists, stakeholders, and partners to create your action plan. Effective age-friendly plans rely on several guiding principles, including:
- Local community-based approaches that use existing resources.
- Utilise engagement form the community, policy makers, researchers, and politicians.
- Building local capacity, including building the ability to map community services and infrastructure.
- Action approaches that reflect the diversity of older people.
- Changing attitudes towards ageing to a positive view.
Use the sample action plan template below and start co-designing actions with your stakeholders (QLD Government, 2020, p.16).
Sample Action Plan Template:
| Actions | Responsible | Due date | Resources and support | Needed resources | Potential barriers | Communication tactics | Indicators |
| What needs to be done with these tasks? | Who will be responsible for the task completion? | By what date will the action be done? | Available resources | Needed resources | What individuals and organisations might resist? How? | What individuals and organisations should be informed about/involved with these tasks? | What indicators have been identified to measure progress? |
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The aim is to agree on at least 3-5 action items for you plan. Make sure the plan is simple with clear tasks, outcomes, timeframes, and responsibilities and that each task is linked to the appropriate stakeholder/s. When agreeing on your actions, make sure to ask these 3 questions:
- Can the proposed actions be done within the timeframe?
- Can we measure what is done, can we utilise qualitative and quantitative tests to judge the level of success?
- Do we have the resources do to this or can we bring them in?
If the answer to any of these questions is “NO”, then put the idea into a “wish list” and move on to the next action idea; don’t get stuck.
Examples of existing age-friendly community support and health services initiatives (QLD Gov, 2017):
- Promoting/advertising the existing community and health care services available to elderly.
- Better training on how community and health staff can meet the needs of the elderly.
- Promoting the value of older people through community education programs (e.g. addressing ageism, respect, and acceptance).
- Affordable and accessible transport available for elderly to use to and from medical appointments.
References:
– QLD Government. (2020). Queensland: An age-friendly community toolkit. https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/resources/dcdss/seniors/age-friendly-community/qld-age-friendly-toolkit.pdf
– QLD Government. (2017). Queensland: an age-friendly community. https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/resources/dcdss/seniors/age-friendly-community/qafc-age-friendly-domains.pdf