New article describes the innovative co-created approach adopted by Portugal’s most innovative age-friendly initiative: The Cascais Protocol
Cascais, a town near Lisbon, is going through big changes in its population. This is a challenge for the local government. To address this, researchers worked with the community to create a plan for older people. They used a special approach that combined academic thinking and real-world solutions.
The researchers studied how people in Cascais think about aging and how the town could become more “age-friendly.” They used a variety of methods, including interviews, surveys, and group discussions. A key part of the research was a series of workshops where people from different groups in the community shared their ideas.
The workshops helped to identify common beliefs about ageing, including negative stereotypes. The researchers hope that by understanding these beliefs, they can help to create policies that better support older people.