Ready for Living: Pioneering Age-Friendly Community Initiatives in Gore, Southland

Ready for Living in Gore, Southland is redefining the way communities support their ageing population. This initiative is an example of community-led development, addressing the multifaceted needs of an ageing population through empowerment, engagement and collaboration of services.

A Universal Topic for Consideration

The success and impact of Ready for Living underline a critical message: the ageing population is a topic that all organisations, businesses and communities need to be thinking about and considering. As demographics shift within our local community the necessity of creating inclusive, supportive environments for our ageing population cannot be overstated. Ready for Living is an initiative based in Gore which is something businesses and organisations can all learn something from. Throughout the last 10 years in Gore the growth rate has been slow, at 0.4% pa which is about half the growth rate seen in other council areas. Gore District has the third-highest population over 65's when compared to surrounding towns and cities, as well as New Zealand overall meaning it is crucial for the community to start to look at what this might mean for the town now, and in the coming years.

Strategic Focus on Six Essential Areas

Central to the success of Ready for Living is its strategic focus on six key areas: Employment (Mahi), Volunteerism (Tūao), Health and Well-being (Hauora), Communication and Information (Kia Whai Mōhiohio te Kaumātua i ngā), Recreation (Ngā Mahi A-rēhia), Mobility and Accessibility (Ngā Ara me Āheitanga), Safety (Haumarutanga).This comprehensive approach ensures that every aspect of senior living is addressed, from the freedom to move safely in the community to the opportunity for continued employment.

We spoke with Kylie Aitken from Ready for Living who was able to talk us through a few of the initiatives the Ready for Living initiative has implemented as a result of what the ageing population in the Gore area wants/needs.

Initiatives included providing multiple workshops on how people in the community could be more aware of scam behaviour, opening the public gardens for people who were physically unable to walk around the area, as well as providing many opportunities for people to attend a first aid course that taught the group first aid techniques appropriate to their physical ability.

Kylie shared that combatting loneliness with social inclusion was something that they had heard from the ageing population in Gore quite strongly so Ready for Living continued to address this through providing directories and information as to where people can go to connect with others within their community. Rather than reinventing the wheel Ready for Living can connect people to community groups and opportunities that are already within the community.

How can others start to think about the ageing population in their communities, and what can be learnt from the Ready for Living programme? Kylie shared that lots of the initiatives that businesses and organisations can start taking are not big time or financial investments, they can be small things like making sure that there are chairs with arms in waiting rooms to ensure people can sit down and then easily stand back up. Ready for Living has a programme that businesses can undertake to ensure they are thinking about ways they can empower and include an ageing population in their communities which can be found here.

Ready for Living has done a lot of the groundwork when it comes to figuring out what their ageing population needs within the Gore region, but they also collaborate with other organisations and councils across New Zealand to understand what they are doing. You can find a full breakdown of their action plan, and actions they have already achieved here, which may provide inspiration for initiatives that you may like to implement within your organisation or business.

Ready for Living exemplifies how focused, community-led initiatives can profoundly impact the lives of seniors, making Gore a leading example of an age-friendly community. By addressing mobility, health, housing, accessibility, social inclusion and employment, Ready for Living empowers Gore's ageing population, ensuring they remain active, valued members of the community. The initiative serves as a vital reminder that supporting the ageing population is a critical issue that demands attention from all sectors of society, driving home the message that creating inclusive, supportive environments for our ageing citizens is not just beneficial but essential for the wellbeing of the community at large.