On November 20th and 21st, AGE Platform Europe participated in a study visit to rural West and East Flanders, Belgium, organized by Prof. Liesbeth De Donder from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in the framework of HomeAGE Doctoral Network. The visit provided an opportunity to observe innovative practices supporting older adults in rural areas, addressing unique challenges, and fostering independent living. AGE Platform Europe also shared its work under the Laurel project, which aligns closely with the themes explored during the visit.
The Context: Rural West and East Flanders
Rural West and East Flanders is characterized by a mix of agricultural landscapes, small villages and iconic cities like Brugges, Ostend and Ghent. These two provinces together are composed by 6000 km2 of area, almost 3 million residents, and count with around 60 municipalities each. In the rural area, we have a significant percentage of older people enjoying a slower pace of life and a sense of belonging. We visited some low-populated sub-municipalities like Krombeke and Dranouter with more than 600 people each to find out the opportunities and challenges of ageing in such areas less know from the public.
An introductory paragraph should be dedicated to the Caring Neighbourhood initiative that serves as a frame to the projects we visited. In 2014, the Flemish government decided to invest in 3 active caring neighbourhood projects that would improve the quality of life of older people in urban environments such housing or case management for complex care situations. Given its success, the project expanded in the scope and number, now with 132 neighbourhoods across the Flemish and Brussels regions, being nowadays defined as: ‘In a Caring Neighbourhood, individuals live comfortably in their homes or familiar neighbourhoods, where young and old provide mutual aid. This neighbourhood prioritises the quality of life, ensuring accessibility of facilities and services to all. All individuals receive assistance, irrespective of their support needs’. Krombeke and Dranouter are examples of it.
The study visit began with interviews with two older residents in Oudegem and, later, a lunch with activists for the rights of older people in Poperinge. These conversations revealed both the joys and the struggles of rural life. While they appreciated the tranquillity and community spirit, they voiced concerns about the closure of nearby banks, supermarkets, and other essential services. In the absence of reliable public transport, these closures become major barriers, particularly for those who can no longer drive or lack the resources to own a car. The digital divide further exacerbates these challenges, with many older adults struggling to cope with the increasingly digitalised systems without sufficient infrastructure, skills or support.
Innovative Solutions: Village Points
A highlight of the visit was the exploration of “village points” – Dorpspunt – in Dranouter and Krombeke. These multi-functional community hubs are tailored to the needs of their respective villages and propose three components: a mobility hub, a social function and a service offering. They serve as places where people of all ages can meet for a coffee, participate in activities such as knitting afternoons, and access essential goods from local suppliers that are so scarce on foot.
Operated by individuals with disabilities under the guidance of De Lovie vzw, the village points also provide digital assistance and other useful services as for example, taking care of pets when older people are unwell. These initiatives reflect a model of community-driven development, where needs voiced by the population are matched with community resources and a mindset of solidarity governs the environment (e.g. the “dorpspunt” infrastructure in Dranouter was built entirely with funding from four local families).
Connecting Resources: Community and Daily Centres
On the second day, the delegation visited a local service and day care centre in Vladslo, another sub-municipality in West Flanders. Patricia, the manager and creative mind behind the project, described the centre’s approach to addressing community needs and fostering a participatory approach to implementation of solutions. A notable example was the “civil shared transport” initiative, where volunteers use their own vehicles to help residents with mobility issues. This shows how grassroots solutions can be created to face the transportation challenges in rural settings.
From Patricia point of view, before proposing or launching any solution aimed to provoke community change, we should dedicate a lot of time studying what already exists and see where bridges can be made. Basically, to gather everyone on the table. This is especially relevant when designing care pathways to support older people with care needs to stay at home. One informal carer shared with us the importance of the day care centre in supporting her mother with dementia and the entire family in feeling that they are not alone. Having a place to share their feelings, knowing her loved one is safe and even discovering new interests is for this informal carer a blessing.
Finally, the group finished their visit in a nearby “place of comfort” or “Troostplek”, which consists of serene green spaces designed to provide solace to individuals coping with loss. By planting bulbs together as a community in the fall and witnessing their bloom in the spring, rural residents find a sense of solidarity, hope and a moment to remember their loved ones.
Insights and Reflections
The study visit offered valuable lessons for addressing the challenges faced by older adults in rural areas, many of which resonate with the findings of the Laurel project. Key takeaways include:
- Codesign, codesign and codesign! – The whole community, including older adults were actively involved in designing and implementing these initiatives, ensuring that solutions were directly responsive to their needs. Some specific strategies, like home visits, paper magazines, were found to be crucial to reach isolated groups or individuals with lower levels of education.
- Cultivate solidarity through shared spaces – Community hubs like village points and PlantTroost reinforce the importance of creating spaces where people of all ages can connect, share experiences, and access resources. These projects emphasise solidarity, intergenerational ties, and community resilience.
- Reflect on the impacts of digitalisation – The growing digitalisation of services could be an opportunity to age in place, but instead it presents significant additional challenges for rural older adults. Initiatives like digital assistance at village points are vital, and broader policy efforts are required to improve digital literacy and ensure equitable access to technology and internet infrastructure. But foremost, we learned that technology might not be “the” solution policymakers and companies want it to be… Let’s reflect critically on these increasing technological evolutions. Is this really the solution we want?
- Fostering mobility solutions – Transportation remains one of the most pressing issues in rural communities, contributing to social isolation and in a lot of cases, a sense of loneliness. Grassroots solutions like the shared transport initiative powered by volunteers demonstrate the gains of local collaboration. Scaling these models will require supportive policies and frameworks that recognise and value the role of volunteers.
A Call for Collaboration
The study visit to West and East Flanders demonstrated the power of community-led initiatives in addressing the needs of older adults in rural areas. It also highlighted the importance of policy support and resource allocation to ensure these efforts are sustainable and inclusive.
The Laurel project will build on these insights, exploring caring neighbourhoods and community initiatives and advocating for their translation into broader policy action. Fostering inclusive, equitable, and sustainable solutions for the future of rural areas will require collaboration across sectors and regions. The mentioned initiatives offer some powerful examples of what is possible when communities work together to ensure that everyone can age with dignity and independence wherever they wish.
By Sofia Santos Nunes, AGE Platform
To learn more contact Sofia at sofia.nunes@age-platform.eu or visit https://www.age-platform.eu/