Alan Kenneth DeLaTorre

Age-Friendly Portland: A University-City-Community Partnership

This article addresses the question of how creating an age-friendly city has come to be an important policy and planning issue in Portland, Oregon. In 2006, researchers from Portland State Universitys Institute on Aging examined the meanings of age friendliness among a broad range of participants in Portland, Oregon. The research was conducted in conjunction with the World Health Organizations (WHO) Age-Friendly Cities project and followed the completion of two earlier non–WHO-related projects. The city of Portland, through the Institute on Aging, was one of nine original members to apply for and be accepted into the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. An Age-Friendly Portland Advisory Council was formed to guide the development of an action plan, monitor progress over time, and suggest additional research. To understand how Portlands age-friendly policy effort has developed over time, we use Kingdons (1984) agenda-setting framework to explain how the policy problem was formulated, how solutions were developed, and the influence of local politics. The policy actors, including individuals and organizations working within and outside of government, are described. The Portland experience provides a case study that other cities, especially those with a strong commitment to community-engaged urban planning, may find useful as they develop age-friendly initiatives.

Ecological Approaches to an Age-Friendly Portland and Multnomah County

ABSTRACT Researchers at Portland State Universitys Institute on Aging (IOA) conducted Portlands age-friendly baseline assessment as part of the original 2006–2007 World Health Organizations (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities Project. This article describes the ongoing Portland and Multnomah County age-friendly initiatives, using Menec et al.s (2011) ecological framework to highlight the interplay between people and environments (i.e., physical, social, and service environments). An overview is provided of Portlands age-friendly community-based research, the evolution and role of the Advisory Council, as well as recent housing policies that have been developed through university-community partnerships.

Addressing the needs of Nicaraguan older adults living on the edge: A university–community partnership in international service-learning

ABSTRACT Nicaragua is a very low-income country entering a period of rapid aging with limited geriatric training for health care professionals. To help build capacity and to enhance student learning, a short-term international service-learning program was implemented in 2004 in partnership with the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation and Nicaraguan community stakeholders. Graduate and undergraduate students at Portland State University complete coursework for one term in the United States then travel to Nicaragua for about two weeks to participate in educational, research, and service activities, primarily in group homes for older Nicaraguans. Students learn about global aging, gerontology, community development, service learning, and Nicaraguan history and culture, then apply their gerontology-related knowledge by training direct care staff, older adults and their family members, and students. The authors describe the impetus for and evolution of the program, students’ evaluation of the program, faculty observations on program benefits and challenges, lessons learned, and future plans.