Improving Quality of Life of Older People in the Community through an Age-friendly Facilities Management (Urban Park) Model

Description

Increasing life expectancy and reduced mortality are leading to significant growth of the aging population in Hong Kong (HK). The proportion of older people, defined as those aged over 65 years, is projected to rise from 18% in 2019 to 35% in 2035 (Census and Statistics Dept. (CSD) 2023). More than 95% of older people are living in domestic households (CSD 2023). With various physical issues (e.g., poor balance, vision impairment, hearing disability, etc.), it is not easy for older people to go far from their homes. Unfortunately, most of them are living in accommodations with limited space (<41m2 for whole household). This ultimately further detracts from their holistic quality of life (QoL), including physical health, social relationships, and psychological health. Urban parks located close to residential buildings provide convenient spaces for the older people to enjoy leisure activities, which support their QoL particularly in a high-density environment such as HK. The government re-enacted its ‘aging in place’ policy in 2022 (Gov.HK 2022) and has provided additional subsidies to non-governmental organizations for the special needs of older people, but these were mainly used to increase manpower rather than improve the physical environment. The existing policy in HK still lacks detailed guidance on designing parks for older people, and unsuitable park environments reduce their QoL and lead safety issues. There is extensive literature on landscaping, facilities management, caring environmental design, post-occupancy evaluation, physical/psychological health, and QoL for adults and older people in general, but little research integrates all these aspects into urban parks for older people in particular. The purpose of this study is to improve the QoL of older people in the community through an age-friendly facility management in urban parks (FM(UP)). This study aims to develop an integrated FM(UP)–QoL model for older people in the community. Its objectives are: 1) to identify the urban park FM components (space management, supporting facilities, building services) and the overall QoL of older people in the community; 2) to establish relationships between FM(UP) components and QoL of older people as identified; 3) to develop an integrated FM(UP)- QoL model for older people; 4) to verify the FM(UP)-QoL model with case studies; and 5) to propose urban park FM guidelines for older people. The findings will promote the development of a proactive holistic assessment of FM in urban parks and, finally, enhance the QoL of older people in the community.