Anchoring between the health and social services network and municipalities in the quebec's age-friendly municipality initiative : An analysis based on a collaborative governance model

Abstract

Research Framework: The population of Quebec is ageing particularly fast, yet people over the age of 65 tend to receive less support than other age groups (Maltais, 2018). Older people form a group at higher risk of being socially isolated, which can lead to serious health problems (Holt- Lunstad et al., 2017). These problems require the creation of national programs to ensure their well-being such as the Age-Friendly Municipality Initiative (AFMI). However, the partnership between actors from municipalities and the Health and Social Services Network (HSSN) is flawed and undermines the initiative's success. Objectives: Present obstacles that harm the intersectoral partnership in the AFMI between actors from municipalities and the HSSN, using the Ansell and Gash's (2007) collaborative governance model, then reveal avenues of intervention based on certain experiments. Their analysis may help in the enhancement of intersectoral partnership and eventually help to meet the needs of seniors. Methodology: To illustrate the partnership between actors from municipalities and the HSSN, a qualitative methodology was used via three methods: 1) a brief literature review; 2) research results from the Quebec's Age-Friendly Cities Research Team; 3) interviews conducted with actors from the field (strategic, administrative and operational level). Results: The interviews allowed the authors to identify obstacles in the intersectoral partnership in terms of starting conditions, based on the Ansell and Gash's (2007) collaborative governance model. They also helped to identify certain experiments to guide new avenues of intervention and restore the intersectoral partnership. Conclusion: The partnership between actors from municipalities and the HSSN must be enhanced to allow an appropriate response to older people's needs in the AFM process.