Database of good practices on ageing

Older persons in Jakarta 

Direct results were that the participants were introduced to physical exercise and received free medical check-ups. It is too early to state long-term results. The overall aim of the campaign is to support healthy ageing through physical exercise and to encourage sports for all ages and abilities. 

The FIG Aging Society initiative was developed as part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) long-term strategy to promote healthy aging through physical activity. FIG identified aging populations as a global challenge and positioned gymnastics as a preventive health tool . FIG collaborated with local organizers in Jakarta, medical professionals, and tech developers to integrate health screenings and digital monitoring. The event in Jakarta served as a kick-off event. 

The hosting of the Gymnastics World Championships by the Indonesian Gymnastics Association was used to raise awareness of exercise for all and of the importance of healthy lifestyles. In-person kick off meetings were supplemented with a mobile application that allows people to practice at home. It is a collaboration between Government, an the international governing body of gymnastics and medical providers in Indonesia. 

Older persons in Viet Nam, especially those who felt disconnected. 

Since its launch in March 2020, HASU has delivered tangible benefits for older people in Việt Nam, particularly during and after the COVID‑19 period. The app has enabled thousands of older users (50+) to improve physical and mental well‑being, stay socially connected, and increase digital literacy through accessible, age‑friendly technology. By 2022, more than 12,000 users were actively using the app, with a significant proportion being older women, reflecting its success in reaching a group often at risk of isolation and limited access to digital services. HASU has supported healthier lifestyles through guided home exercises, meditation, sleep support, and health education, while also reducing loneliness by facilitating online communities, learning, and cultural activities. In addition, HASU has strengthened digital inclusion, providing smartphone training, online and offline classes, and device support for older persons who previously had little or no experience with technology. The initiative has gained national and international recognition as a social‑impact innovation, receiving awards and selection in entrepreneurship and social‑impact competitions.

HASU is a non‑government initiative, implemented by a private social enterprise, and is often cited as a good practice in community‑based, technology‑enabled support for older persons in Viet Nam, complementing public ageing policies rather than replacing them. It enhances digital literacy of older persons and connects them. 

The young female CEO and Vietnam’s first app for the elderly

People of all ages in Indonesia

The law provides the legal foundation to establish a comprehensive, rights‑based, and people‑centered health system.

The plan was developed through extensive discussions and collaboration across multiple levels of the Ministry of Health, culminating in clear strategic directions and detailed action plans. Each goal and initiative had designated leads responsible for operationalisation, supported by review mechanisms and cross‑sector partnerships. Its implementation relied on coordinated effort among government agencies, hospitals, technical departments, academic institutions, and international partners such as WHO.

The Plan provides a structured, forward‑looking, evidence‑based framework for improving health outcomes nationally. The plan strengthens governance, promotes resource optimisation, enhances public health protection, and prioritises people‑centred care. Its comprehensive, integrated approach aligns with global standards and national aspirations, contributing meaningfully to healthier ageing and improved wellbeing across all life stages.

Older Queenslanders—especially diverse groups including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTI individuals, rural and remote residents, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders—benefited from culturally competent, accessible, and age-friendly health services.

While the strategy itself didn’t report quantitative outcomes, it laid the foundation for integrated, person‑centred care models and age‑friendly system reforms across the state. As an illustrative comparable example elsewhere, the Ageing Well Noosa program (supported under ActiveKIT) saw 410+ seniors participate, with 19.5% increase in moderate-intensity activity, 12.9% strength improvement, 7.7% better balance/flexibility, and 65.3% more social engagement — showing how local healthy ageing efforts yield measurable well‑being gains.

The strategy was co‑designed through broad consultation with older people, carers, clinicians, and providers—ensuring it reflected real needs. It aligned with WHO’s Age‑Friendly Cities framework and was embedded across Queensland’s health system via strategic policy, planning, implementation by Department of Health and Hospital and Health Services, with ongoing evaluation mechanisms built in.

Because it’s co-designed with diverse stakeholders, aligned with international age-friendly principles, and embedded into system-level planning—ensuring holistic, culturally responsive, and integrated care that keeps older people well and connected.

• https://hw.qld.gov.au/blog/hwqresources/case-study-ageing-well-noosa/

Older customers aged 60 and over, particularly those who have difficulty accessing or using digital services and technologies with confidence.

According to a recent company report, around 70 million elderly individuals were expected to have used the direct hotline for older adults by the end of 2023, accounting for a total of 320 million cases.

The digital divide has been identified as a challenge for older persons in China, where technology is rapidly advancing. The Silver Guardian Plan was developed as part of China Mobile’s commitment to closing the digital divide and providing supportive services to elderly customers. Initially launched under the "Four Ones" concept, the program offered service packages and support exclusively for the elderly, as well as online educational lectures on digital literacy and security, and on-site demonstrations and supports.

This plan demonstrates how the telecommunication sector can promote digital literacy among the elderly effectively. The services provided in this framework, such as an easier interface and door-to-door service, offer direct and measurable solutions to closing the digital divide.

How to build an elderly-friendly digital society - Chinadaily.com.cn

The programme supports families caring for fully dependent persons with disabilities, subject to income eligibility (income below two‑thirds of the net minimum wage).

By January–July 2024, 555,000 beneficiaries received support; the monthly allowance rose from 7,608 TL to 9,077 TL, and 4.9 billion TL was deposited in one month, totalling 30.2 billion TL over that period. As of May/June 2025, approximately 541,599 disabled individuals benefited from home care support, enhancing their ability to remain at home with their families.

Based on the 2005 Disability Act, the allowance was institutionalized via a 2006 regulation detailing eligibility, implementation, evaluation, and payment processes. Over time, payments have been streamlined to deposit directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts, and periodically adjusted to reflect public salary coefficients.

It enables equal access to care by empowering families to care for fully dependent relatives at home, preserving family unity, enhancing dignity, and ensuring fiscal transparency through direct, indexed payments.

• https://www.aile.tr/eyhgm-en/haberler/minister-mahinur-ozdemir-goktas-the-ministry-has-increasingly-started-to-pay-home-care-allowance-payments-to-the-accounts-of-the-right-holders/

Older persons without family support in Kyrgyzstan, especially those with low income. 

The programme has been able to reach older persons without families. 

The origins are in the 1990s as result of the economic crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left many older people unable to survive on insufficient pensions. Many older persons were left alone as younger relatives migrated for work, leading to widespread poverty and social isolation among older adults. It was founded with external support from bilateral donors. It also collaborates with the Government of Kyrgyzstan. 

Babushka Adoption is a good practice because it provides reliable financial, social, and emotional support to highly vulnerable older people who live alone and cannot meet basic needs. Its low‑cost sponsorship model effectively boosts inadequate pensions, while trained social workers offer essential home‑based care and reduce isolation. Operating in high‑poverty regions, the programme fills critical gaps in social protection and has delivered sustained impact since 1999, improving dignity, wellbeing, and daily living conditions for elderly people in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan: Adopt-a-Babushka Program Keeps Some Elderly Kyrgyz Citizens Going | Eurasianet

Older persons requiring long-term care. 

The programme has expanded caregiving support for frail, sick, and bedridden older persons by enabling them to receive essential daily‑living assistance within their own homes, improving comfort, safety, and continuity of care. It has mobilized and trained community volunteers, strengthening local caregiving capacity and fostering stronger family and community engagement in eldercare.

The Home Care Support Services for Senior Citizens (HCSSSC) in the Philippines was developed in response to the country’s rapidly growing older population and the rising need for long‑term care, leading the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to formalize the programme through Administrative Order Series of 2010, which provided the first official guidelines for its creation. Drawing on research showing that many frail and sick seniors were left without adequate daily support, the programme evolved from earlier community‑based initiatives—previously called Neighborhood Support Services for Older Persons—and was shaped to involve family caregivers, trained community volunteers, and local government units as core partners in service delivery.

It strengthens ageing in place, aligning with global recommendations for community‑based care. It uses a low‑cost, volunteer‑enhanced model suitable for both urban and rural communities. It integrates social protection, caregiving, and community engagement in a single framework.

Home Care | STB - Social Technology Bureau

Older persons across Malaysia—targeting seniors living alone, including bedridden individuals and those in need of community engagement.

Nearly 150 senior‑citizen activity centres (PAWE) have been established, serving as hubs for social, educational, therapeutic, and recreational activities that reached 19,904 older persons. Additionally, 451 NGO volunteers provide Home Help Services to assist 655 older persons with daily needs and healthcare visits.

KPWKM set up a multi‑sectoral governance structure: the National Advisory and Consultative Council for Older Persons, chaired by the Minister, monitoring implementation and mobilizing stakeholders across 7 sub‑committees (health, education, economy, social, etc.). The SMART‑partnership model engaged NGOs and community organizations: the government provided guidance, funding, and reporting systems, while CSOs delivered frontline services (e.g., activity centres, Home Help, WE CARE transport).

It exemplifies inclusive, well-coordinated, cross-sectoral governance, effectively leveraging SMART-partnerships between government and NGOs to deliver impactful, community-centered services for older persons.

• https://www.helpage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/malaysia-population-ageing-policy-case-study.pdf