Explore Level of Capacity
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Individual Capacities
- Adversity & Risk Perceptions (IC1)
- Faith & Spirituality (IC2)
- Optimism / Hope (IC3)
- Sense of Control (IC4)
- Perceptions of Ageing (IC5)
- Self-reliance (IC6)
- Generativity (IC7)
- Problem-solving Skills (IC8)
- Information Literacy (IC9)
- Functional Independence (IC10)
- Mental Health (IC11)
- Financial Security (IC12)
- Non-familial Support (IC13)
- Family Support (IC14)
- Family Roles and Responsibilities (IC15)
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Community Capacities
- Collective Risk Perceptions (CC1)
- Communal Optimism / hope (CC2)
- Collective Efficacy (CC3)
- Sense of Community (CC4)
- Community Culture (CC5)
- Place Attachment (CC6)
- Local Knowledge (CC7)
- Community Skills (CC8)
- Emergency Preparedness (CC9)
- Local Governance (CC10)
- Leadership (CC11)
- Organizational Partnerships and Networks (CC12)
- Community Mutual Aid (CC13)
- Community Services and Support (CC14)
- Macro-level Capacities
Poverty, discrimination, climate change, increasing urbanization and environmental degradation are some of the drivers of risk for ageing communities. Compounded by ageing stressors, older persons who lack capacities to cope with or adapt to such events, are at particular risk of being negatively impacted.
Developed in response to increasing risk, our evidence-based framework is aimed at demonstrating how resilience can be developed in place-based ageing communities. It emphasizes the importance of risk management through collective action and building community capacities for risk management.
Risk exists at all levels (i.e., national, community and for older persons) and can be managed in different ways. This ranges from coping with risk by absorbing its impact, reducing risk through proactively adapting to it, to transforming how the particular risk is generated.
To do so, community members must work in tandem with older persons to develop and use their capacities or ‘assets’ through three key sets of processes:
- Shaping narratives, protecting heritage, and meaning making (Purple).
- Community organization, engagement, and participation (Green).
- Learning and reflection, and shared decision-making (Pink).
Each set of processes can be promoted through related good practices, that build capacities in the respective domains. View our resilience wheel below to find out about each domain of capacity.
A total of 35 capacities or ‘assets’ has been identified through systematic review and expert consultation. Regardless of the type and nature of risk that the community or program wishes to address, these are the building blocks required for ageing communities to cope, adapt, and transform risks they face. These capacities exist at the macro, community, and individual levels.
Individual capacities refer to resources that individual possesses at old age that can help them to age well.
One’s willingness to accept and change in response to risk and adversity.
Being more risk-averse and open to accepting adversity and change was cited as important in motivating the older person to adapt to the stressor.
Belief in a higher power and inner sense of self-discovery, connection, and harmony with nature.
Shown to strengthen one’s resolve which influences optimism and hope to overcome and form resilience.
Attitude emphasizing on hope and confident that the future will be positive.
An optimistic outlook on life enables one to make the best of circumstances, recognize the blessings amidst difficulties, and promote gratitude when managing stressors.
Belief in one’s own ability to control, obtained desired outcomes, avoid undesired outcomes, and achieve goals.
One’s belief in his or her own abilities to control the circumstances and achieve the desired outcomes is shown to promote resilience and motivates self-help.
Older person’s perceived consequences, controllability, and feelings about their own ageing experience.
Positive appraisals of ageing motivate an older person to ‘resist’ ageing and facilitate the transition to a transcendent view of life.
A desire and aspiration to live independently without overly depending on others.
Motivates the older person to use their resources to help themselves. Over-dependence on others can lead to a loss of self-confidence for the older person.
A desire to leave a legacy in the world by guiding and showing concern for the next generation.
Promotes social participation, recognition, and volunteerism of older person as well as motivation to overcome own stressors while helping others.
Knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed to develop solutions that facilitate coping.
Cumulative experiences from overcoming previous stressors increase self-efficacy, skills, and knowledge in managing current or future stressors.
Older person’s ability to obtain and appraise information from formal and informal sources.
Being able to navigate and obtain accurate information in an increasingly digitised world allows older adults to garner the knowhows needed for coping and adapting.
Older person’s physical ability to carry out activities of daily living, which is dependent upon their physical and mental health.
Promotes older person’s autonomy, sense of control, and social participation.
State of psychological well-being that enables older persons to manage day-to-day activities.
Strong mental health promotes self-reliance, optimism, and hope. Conversely, negative mental health increases the risk of self-blame, reduced self-esteem, depression, which is counterproductive in abilities to cope and adapt.
Sufficiency of monetary savings, personal insurance, and financial assets and resources.
Financial security provides the safety net required for daily needs and emergency situations. Conversely, financial inadequacy can restrict one’s ability to implement measures to manage stressors and quality of life.
Sources of non-familial networks and relationships that provide emotional, practical, and informational support.
Relational ties are voluntary and reciprocal in nature which may help individuals advocate for and access to a wider range of resources that may not be present in familial support.
Close ties, cohesion, and communication within the family unit that provides emotional, practical, and informational support.
High level of family support boost skills and promotes access to resources and positive attitudes towards stressor and enhances coping abilities.
Social roles, duties, and responsibilities of an older person to their family due to family expectations and norms.
Demands on older persons to perform these duties, e.g., providing care to of grandchildren, could restrict the older person’s independence and personal development. However, such responsibilities could give them drive to be resilient for the sake of the younger generation.
Community capacities are resources that a community have that its members can tap on to address risks they face.
Acknowledgment of and attitude towards risk and willingness to respond and change as a community.
Being risk-averse and willingness to acknowledge adversity and change are catalysts for communities to adapt and transform in light of stressors.
Optimistic outlook about a better future for the community.
Helps community members to collectively cope with uncertainty due to stressors.
Shared beliefs in the community’s capability to organize and execute collective actions to solve community issues.
Promotes a sense of community and motivates the community to act.
Members’ belongingness to and concern for the community cultivated through commitment and faith to meet each other’s needs.
Creates a sense of mutual responsibility that motivates members to come together to help one another.
Beliefs, values, norms, and practices of a community that is a subculture or counterculture of the dominant culture. Often shaped by historical memories, experiences, demographics, and collective meaning making.
Strong community culture promotes sense of community and bond that influences collective knowledge and perceptions of risk. Members would stand united to fend off or cope with stressors.
Emotional bond and connection between members and their neighbourhood or city.
Promotes a sense of community and motivates members to help others and stay in their community due to affective attachment to place.
Local understanding of social and environmental risk and risk management strategies shaped by indigenous and contemporary knowledge systems.
Increases the community competence in assessing, mitigating, and managing ongoing risk that is present in the community.
Critical skills and techniques that a community possess to organize, facilitate, and develop solutions with effectiveness and flexibility to deal with evolving challenges.
Skills related to problem solving, negotiation, strategic decision making, and collective action are needed for a community to resolve issues.
Precautionary measures and planning that involves determining roles and responsibilities, allocation of resources, drills to respond to emergencies.
Preparedness and planning increase the speed and efficiency of emergency responses in an actual crisis.
Localised rules, practices, accountability, and processes to distribute resources, govern, and responding efficiently, effectively, and equitably to community needs.
An efficient and responsive local government can increase individual’s access to resources, as well as local participation in risk management.
Formal or informal leaders who provide strategic vision to unite the community and solve community issues.
This can help to clarify the community’s actions in solving issues, boost collective self-efficacy, as well as the effectiveness of risk management strategies.
Formal cooperation between civil society organizations, businesses, community, and local and to provide services and resources.
Increases the organization’s access to resources, and ability to organize to form partnerships in addressing community stressors.
Network of trust and reciprocity organised into makeshift support groups with informal ties that facilitate the sharing of resources in times of need.
Practical mutual aid that draws on resources, offered by community members during times of both fast onset disaster or prolonged impact of climate change.
Bio-psychosocial and other support services provided by non-governmental organizations in the community.
Accessibility and availability of these services can increase the older person’s resources and promote their ability to age-in-place.
Macro-level capacities are resources that are offered by national government or international bodies that help communities build resilience.
Values, norms, expectations, roles and ideology that are dominant at the national level
A strong culture can shape national identity and serve as a standard towards behaviour in social settings. Often also shapes national narratives, shared goals and policy response towards stressors.
Technological infrastructure and communication strategies that facilitate the dissemination and exchange of vital information.
Influences access to information, resources as well as knowledge of what to do during an emergency. Effective risk communication builds trust and increases individuals’ hope and sense of control.
The physical infrastructure for ageing-in-place, ranging from elder-friendly housing, neighbourhood spaces for bonding to infrastructural upgrades that responds to environment changes.
A safe and well-designed built environment can promote participation, independence of older adults and reduce exposure to environmental hazards.
Rule of law, guiding principles, resource distribution approach, regulation and policies for older adults, local government, and community organizations.
Important to ensure effective and equitable use of national resources to benefit older adults and communities.
Financial resources and economic platforms that allows older adults to generate revenue.
Ability to generate revenue influences financial security of older adults and reduces reliance on family and community for resources.
Pre-existing and delivery of health and social services, social protection, and welfare by the state.
State resources provided can increase individuals’ and community capacity and reduce the impact of stressors particularly for vulnerable populations.
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