Last year I wrote about some interesting research from Penn State, which argued that older people are often unsung heroes of their local communities.  At the heart of their hypothesis is the notion that older adults have a variety of passions, and that these passions can feed into new ideas and innovations.  What’s more, these innovations are often with the interests of the community at heart rather than any personal or commercial gain.

“A good example was the knitting group that met in the library and made a lot of scarves,” the researchers explain. “After they were done, they would put the scarves on the statues in front of the library for people to take in the winter. If people are cold, they can pick up a scarf, which I thought was pretty interesting and creative.”

New research from the University of Exeter very much taps into this line of thinking.  The Healthy Ageing through Innovation in Rural Europe (HAIRE) project aims to work across eight rural communities in Belgium, France, the UK and the Netherlands to explore the role older people can play in revitalizing the communities.

“In Europe, the US and many other countries, populations are ageing, leading to a host of issues ranging from pressure on health services to increased isolation and loneliness,” the researchers say.  “This situation is especially acute in rural communities, many of which are at risk of dying out.  The challenge for many societies is to manage the needs of the ageing population while encouraging healthy ageing and realising the potential of older people, which has been overlooked.”

Volunteers in the project will be given support to help identify any underused community assets, while also being helped to undergo ‘guided conversations’ to explore how they feel about the places they live.  They aim to help to develop a tool kit that can help to identify both problems and solutions within these communities.

“Working together, we are more likely to break out of the box and create activities and systems that meet the needs of people in a way that will make a real difference now and in the future,” the team say.

Healthy aging

As with the Penn research, the team believe that by involving older people in this community work, they not only tap into vital skills and expertise, but help those individuals age in a healthier way.

In many ways, it borrows from the concept of ‘social prescribing’, whereby doctors advocate patients improve their mental and physical wellbeing by engaging in a social activity, such as a walking group.  The researchers hope that by involving the community in the process, it will make the formation of such groups easier.

The researchers also believe older people can play a key role in the strategic design and delivery of the project.  For instance, they might help to train local volunteers and set the ball rolling on a range of social innovation projects throughout these communities.

It’s clear that rural communities need tailored and individual approaches to help them remain vibrant.  Engaging the older population in doing this seems like a logical way forward.