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Age Forward Strategy

Last updated on September 18, 2024

In 2024, the Ministry of Health released Age Forward: BC’s 50+ Health Strategy and 3-year Action Plan (PDF, 6.1MB), a targeted and proactive approach to aging, focusing on enhancing health, autonomy, and dignity for older adults in B.C.

Age Forward Cover

In 2022/23, there were more than 2.1 million people living in B.C. who were 50 years or older, making up 39% of the population.  Age Forward: BC’s 50+ Health Strategy (PDF, 6.1MB) is a prevention-focused strategy and action plan positioned to increase the number of years people live in good health.

Supporting the 50+ population allows for earlier interventions to prevent or manage health issues that increase the risk of frailty and falls. Through lifestyle changes like increased physical activity and nutrition, early risk identification, and targeted health interventions, both frailty and falls can be prevented or mitigated.

Age Forward’s 3-Year Action Plan provides a framework to ensure current funding supports the needs of older adults, setting the stage for future investments and enhancing the Province's commitment to supporting all British Columbians throughout their life course.

Find out more about Healthy Aging and Preventing Falls on HealthLinkBC.

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Goals

  • Promote an increase in health span
    • Support lifestyle factors that reduce the onset of chronic diseases and disabilities, thereby increasing the number of years lived in good health.
  • Support adults to age with dignity
    • Ensure that older adults receive the necessary supports and resources to live in their homes and communities with autonomy, comfort and respect.
  • Reduce preventable emergency care, hospitalizations and admissions to long-term care
    • Develop and implement strategies to enhance home-based and community supports and improve responsiveness of health services.

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Guiding Principles

  • Health Equity
    • Create an inclusive health-care system that removes obstacles to accessing high-quality care for all adults, particularly those from marginalized and underserved communities.
  • Community Partnerships and Engagement
    • Collaborate with health authorities, local organizations, charities and non-profits, health-care providers and individuals to co-develop programs that are rooted in community needs. ​
  • Evidence-based, person-centered care
    • Provide responsive care grounded in policies, programs and services informed by the best available research to serve the unique needs and preferences of individuals.
 

Approaches

  • Systems Approach
    • Ensure a coordinated response to the complexities of aging by creating a seamless continuum of care that supports older adults through collaborating with partners in various settings, sectors and disciplines.
  • Life-Course Approach
    • Acknowledge that conditions and experiences throughout life have an impact on health and that structural factors can play a role in the onset of biological aging earlier in life than chronological aging.
  • Gender-Based Analysis Plus
    • Understand how diverse groups of people may experience, benefit from, or be excluded from policies, programs and services.  GBA+ considers age, sex, gender, ability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, religion and other identity factors.
  • Cultural Safety & Humility
    • Recognize reconciliation, cultural safety and humility and ensure these are at the forefront of planning for health care services, to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.
 

Focus Areas

  • Prevention and Health Promotion
    • Empower older adults to lead active, healthy lives through increased physical activity, nutrition, social engagement, and preventive health care.
  • Screening, Early Identification and Risk Reduction
    • Establish a system for early detection and management of frailty risk factors.
  • Supporting Health at Home
    • Support older adults to live independently and comfortably in their preferred environment for as long as possible.
  • Restoring and Preserving Health
    • Provide access to integrated preventive, acute and community care services across the continuum of care.
  • Collaboration and Accountability
    • Monitor and continuously improve Age Forward to ensure it remains effective, relevant and responsive to the needs of older adults in BC.