October 1 is International Day of Older Persons
This gives us a moment to reflect on what it means to age well.

At Hey Neighbour, we think a lot about the social connectedness of folks living in multi-unit homes, and how to improve their wellbeing. Some of us at Hey Neighbour are residents of these types of buildings ourselves, so we are intimately aware of the value of things like sociable design, accessibility, and the power of a useful amenity space.
We want to ensure these spaces support all age ranges and abilities– after all, we’re all aging. We all deserve to live, and age, with dignity.
International Day of Older Persons
That’s why we’re excited to be honouring the International Day of Older Persons, on October 1st. First designated in December 1990 by the UN, this day calls on all of us to reflect on what it means to age (and perhaps change the way we think about aging).
“In societies with aging populations, it becomes imperative to adjust to the increasing number of elderly individuals who possess a diverse range of functional capacities. The capability to carry out essential functions and partake in everyday activities is influenced not solely by an individual’s inherent capacity but also by the social and physical environments in which they reside. Supportive environments play a pivotal role in assisting older individuals to maintain their activity levels and independence as they progress in age.”
From the UN’s International Day of Older Persons website
This year’s theme is Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.
Aging in the right place
We’re grateful to have collaborated on a project tackling this exact issue with our colleagues Happy Cities and Simon Fraser University’s Department of Gerontology. Working in partnership with Concert Properties and Brightside Community Homes Foundation, we audited 20 of their multi-unit rental buildings across Vancouver and Victoria, BC, to expand our understanding of multi-unit housing design, programming, and policy that encourages aging in the right place and social wellbeing.
Through this research, we identified several design ideas and strategies that support our belief that thoughtfully designed housing can – and should – support aging in the right place. Age-friendly sociable design, in turn, nurtures social wellbeing and social connectedness in our communities.
In addition to our “Aging Friendly, Socially Connected Multi-Unit Housing” report we also have many resources that work to forward age-friendly building design. Take a look at our practice guides, where we profile the work of WESN, Brightside, Concert Properties, and Seniors Services Society, to name a few. These practice guides summarize Hey Neighbour Collective’s key learnings and identify ways to foster neighbour-to-neighbour connectedness and social resilience in multi-unit housing.
There is so much more amazing work happening in this space! We are constantly inspired by the work of our partners, collaborators, and colleagues; take a look at some active projects below.
- Growing older, staying at home (CBC interactive feature)
- It’s time to unleash the power of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in Canada (NORC Innovation Centre, PDF)
- Oasis Evaluation and Expansion Project (Oasis Senior Supportive Living)
- Aging in the Right Place (SFU)
Thinking about ageism
This occasion has also given us a moment to consider the words we use when referring to our older community members and reflect on the ways we may unintentionally participate in perpetuating ageism. Elder, older adult, older person, senior: there are many words we use to express aging.
This is interestingly demonstrated in the holiday itself: according to the UN, it is International “Day of Older Persons,” but here in Canada, the day is acknowledged as National Seniors Day. In our research, we’ve moved away from using ‘seniors’ in favour of ‘older adults.’
The Women’s Age Lab, based out of the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, offers several helpful resources for addressing gendered ageism in society and fostering more inclusive communities.