![]() Key findings from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2020), however, show there are disparities across some population groups in the status of health for older Australians and their health outcomes.Īcross the nation, it is estimated that 20% of Australians had a mental or behavioural condition, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this number rises to 24% of the population (AIHW, 2020). ,Overview of mental health - Australia-wideĪt a national level, Australians are living longer and have more years in good health. Portrait of the state of mental health in Sydney’s older residents It is acknowledged that further depth of analysis could have been gathered from interviews with people living with dementia and their carers, however, due to the time limitations of this study were not able to be completed. They were also asked to identify where there is an intent to prioritise ageing and the mental health of older persons in urban planning and design, any known guidelines and policies currently in place. Interviewees were asked about age-friendly urban design with a specific focus on designing cities for people with dementia, and other mental disorders. ![]() Semi-structured interviews were conducted using the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health interview protocol. Ten Sydney-based academics, public health specialists, urban and transport planners, architects and urban designers were identified using snowball sampling. This information was analysed and assessed for relevance to Sydney. The literature review extends upon previous research undertaken by the authors in developing an age friendly cities index in 2015. ![]() MethodsĪ search was conducted in 2021 to identify age-friendly urban design policies, programmes and developments, with a specific focus on designing cities for people with dementia, and other mental health conditions from the perspective of older people. Greater emphasis on the local environment has also been amplified by the COVID-19 lockdowns in showing the value of proximity and the importance of the neighbourhood scale (Juvillà & Rofin, 2021). There is clearly a strong need to design our neighbourhoods to support our ageing population and those with dementia. The desire to remain in one's community corresponds with a study undertaken by the Committee for Sydney (2019) which found that 71% of survey respondents expect to remain living in their area in Sydney during retirement. Therefore, the degree of inclusivity and accessibility of the urban environment, both within the remit of planners and designers, is fundamental to supporting older adults and those with dementia as well as their carers. There are however important aspects of urban design that can impact older persons as they experience changes in mental, physical and social functioning, particularly as across Australia it is estimated that overall, 95.3% of older people live in households and 70% of people with dementia are living at home in their community, rather than in residential aged care facilities (AIHW, 2013). It is supplemented with the perspectives of urban and health professionals, in order to highlight priorities for Sydney and draw out lessons for other cities.Ĭreating age and dementia-friendly communities is a multi-dimensional task and there are many aspects that are beyond the role of urban designers and planners (PIA, 2018). ![]() This case study follows the format and interview protocols established by the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health to explore Sydney’s current policy imperatives for age friendly cities, the mental health of older adults and those with dementia. The purpose of this case study is to describe how metropolitan Sydney, the capital city of the State of New South Wales (NSW), addresses age-friendly urban design including designing cities for people with dementia.
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