Exploring Age-Friendly Environments in Rural Settings:Case Study from Finnish Lapland

• Main Author: Begum, Shahnaj
• Other Authors: Naskali, Päivi, Harbison, Joan R.
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2019
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/person/fieldofscience2010/5/19; Social and economic geography; /dk/atira/pure/person/fieldofscience2010/1/17/2; Environmental sciences; Enontekiö; Northern Finland; Lapland
• Online Access: https://research.ulapland.fi/fi/publications/83e67455-cca1-4536-900a-eb1a4027790d; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20603-1

The environment plays a vital role in ensuring quality of life for older people in the rural north. In this chapter, I examine how older people identify the characteristics of age-friendly environments in rural settings. “Age-friendly environment” can be understood in different ways: as a natural , human-built or social environment. Analysing interviews conducted in the Enontekiö region of northern Finland, I ascertain older people’s perceptions and understanding of what constitutes an age-friendly environment. In addition, I investigate the changes and challenges which older persons encounter in their daily lives that affect the potential of their environment to be age-friendly. The analysis reveals that the key elements of such an environment are good forest, land, fresh water, good connections with family, neighbours, and the community, and an accommodating built environment.