Table 1
Local impact following Athens–Slovenia exchange visits.
| ATHENS COUNTY PRIORITY | EXCHANGE LEARNING | OUTCOME / LOCAL APPLICATION |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable funding | Municipal support is key to sustaining age‑friendly work. | Athens: Strengthened the case for local public investment in Age‑Friendly Athens County. |
| Transportation | Volunteer and municipal transportation can support both mobility and social connection. | Athens: Informed local efforts to make existing transportation in Athens County easier for older adults to understand and use. |
| Housing | Housing should connect design, services, and community life. | Athens: Renewed local momentum around Community Reinvestment Area policy, with added emphasis on universal age‑friendly design in renovation and new construction. |
| Community and health services | Trusted local community members help connect older adults to support. “Handyman” and other support services can help older people live independently at home. | Athens: Reinforced local attention to Community Health Workers, caregiver support, health education, and safety programs. Slovenia: Exploring ways to adapt and implement these practices within the Slovenian context. |
| Intergenerational connection | Intergenerational work can be structured and intentional. | Athens and Slovenia: Led to collaboration with Mission of Generations to locally playtest the English version of its intergenerational game. |
| Rural community hubs | Existing gathering places are essential age‑friendly assets. | Athens: Validated a “start where people already gather” approach to local implementation. |
| Learning process | Reflection helped translate global learning into local action. | Athens: Reinforced motivation for local action and helped turn exchange insights into concrete planning and follow‑up. Slovenia: Integrated observed good practices into the training curriculum for new age‑friendly initiatives. |