Database of good practices on ageing

Older persons with disabilities, chronic diseases, advanced age, dementia, or mobility difficulties, including those at home, in communities, or in institutions.

For example, by October 2022 Fujian Province had 182 integrated medical–eldercare institutions with 48,813 beds, up 76.7% and 60.5% respectively from 2019, significantly enhancing service coverage and capacity.

Developed through inter-ministerial coordination, with policy tools such as fiscal subsidies, medical insurance inclusion, service guidelines, and capacity-building actions. Local governments refined implementation to expand home, community, and institutional services.

It integrates health and eldercare resources, ensures targeted coverage for vulnerable seniors, and shows measurable, replicable impact nationwide.

• https://wjw.fujian.gov.cn/xxgk/fgwj/zcjd/bmzcjd/202212/t20221219_6081156.htm

Direct beneficiaries are health volunteers who benefit from improved skills. Secondary beneficiaries are older persons in rural areas who benefit from improved skills of health volunteers. 

The guidebook standardizes, strengthens, and professionalizes the work of Posyandu cadres—who are the backbone of Indonesia’s community‑based primary health care system.

Older persons with dementia 

It was developed as a technical and practice-oriented document aligned with preventive health and standard-of-care principles. It draws on evidence based approaches to dementia care, emphasising physical activity, safe environments and monitoring of physical and cognitive progress. Implementation is reliant upon voluntary adoption by healthcare providers and caregiversand is intended to be implemented into pre-existing care routines and service delivery models.

It provides clear, evidence-informed guidance that promotes preventive, person-centred approaches to dementia care. Its focus on physical and cognitive activities strengthens care quality while aligning dementia care with broader health promotion and long-term care standards.

Guideline of Protective Approaches for Persons with Dementia | Ageing Policies Database - UNECE

Older persons in Cambodia are direct beneficiaries from the establishment of Older Persons Associations. 

The guidelines and subsequent implementation led to the establishment of 247 Older Persons Associations (OPAs) in Cambodia across 25 provinces and cities (As of November 2024). The establishment of OPAs leads to the empowerment of older persons, increases their participation and strengthens social cohesion and intergenerational solidarity. OPAs often organize activities like health awareness, savings groups, and disaster preparedness, improving both individual well-being and community resilience. They also foster intergenerational solidarity, reduce social isolation, and create informal support networks, making communities more inclusive and better equipped to address challenges collectively.

The OPA guidelines were collaboratively developed in 2009 by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation of Cambodia and the National Committee for Population and Development, drawing on technical expertise and financial support from HelpAge International and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). They reflect a joint government–NGO initiative aimed at strengthening older people’s associations nationwide—providing structured processes for community mobilization, governance, capacity-building, and linkages with local authorities—to promote the well-being and inclusion of older adults in line with national policy priorities.

Guidelines to establish OPAs make it a sustainable practice. OPAs themselves empower older persons. 

Elderly Associations in Cambodia Seek Social Protection, Financial Security | CamboJA News

Older persons and their caregivers.

The 2021 BKKBN Guide laid the foundation for creating Sekolah Lansia (Elderly Schools) within the Bina Keluarga Lansia (BKL) groups. This guide has been implemented at national scale. As of 2025, 2122 Sekolah Lansia facilities have already been created across all provinces in Indonesia using the guide as the standard reference for curriculum, structure, and implementation, and over 20000 older persons have participated in the Sekolah Lansia programmes.

The Sekolah Lansia di Kelompok BKL initiative is a national effort led by BKKBN (National Population and Family Planning Agency) in partnership with the Indonesia Ramah Lansia (IRL) Foundation to improve the well‑being of older adults through lifelong, non‑formal education. It operates within Bina Keluarga Lansia community groups designed to strengthen families with elderly members. Overall, the initiative seeks to enable older adults to stay functional, engaged, and valued—while strengthening family resilience and community support systems. The Indonesia Ramah Lansia (IRL) Foundation is presented as its own good practice in this database under the title "Community-based education for older adults and their caregivers in Yogyakarta".

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/