Database of good practices on ageing

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

Primary-level health institutions gain stronger clinical capacity and better-trained staff through expert guidance. Retired senior physicians benefit by staying professionally engaged and contributing their experience to public health. Ultimately, the entire health system is strengthened through improved rural healthcare and sustainable knowledge transfer.

Since its launch in 2021, the policy has yielded measurable improvements in primary healthcare services across underserved regions. Retired medical experts were mobilized to provide outpatient care, mentoring, and training in grassroots health institutions, particularly in rural and remote areas to address staffing shortages in the medical sector. This has helped enhance the clinical capacity, professional development, and service accessibility at the primary level. Local governments and health commissions reported increased quality of care and skill transfer in key medical specialties. The initiative has been recognized for addressing regional shortages of experienced medical personnel and narrowing urban-rural healthcare disparities.

It identified shortages in specific medical specialties at the grassroots level and matched them with experienced, retired senior medical professionals. Local health commissions coordinated with medical institutions to assign experts to targeted regions. Implementation involved outpatient services, clinical mentorship, and on-site training, focusing on capacity-building in under-resourced areas. The programme emphasized voluntary participation, administrative support, and long-term sustainability through institutional cooperation.

This initiative effectively addresses rural healthcare workforce shortages by leveraging the skills of retired senior medical professionals, promoting intergenerational knowledge transfer. It combines resource optimization with social participation, aligning older persons’ expertise with local needs. Its structured coordination across national and local health bodies ensures scalability and sustainability, making it a replicable model for aging societies seeking to strengthen primary healthcare.

People of all ages in Indonesia

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

Direct beneficiaries are all those implementing the strategy. End beneficiaries are all people in Japan who benefit from higher healthy life expectancy. 

The third phase was launched in 2024 and outcome results are not yet available. However, the programme establishes a strengthened monitoring framework with 51 measurable targets, baseline indicators drawn from official statistics, a planned mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation. The strategy carries forward the longstanding national objective of extending healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities. The framework incorporates lessons from the second phase and strengthens implementation, monitoring and accountability mechanisms across sectors

Health Japan 21 (Third Term) was developed through a revision of Japan's national policy for the comprehensive promotion of health. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reviewed evidence from the previous phase, analysed national health data and established measurable national targets. The strategy is implemented through collaboration between national and local governments and integrates health promotion into multiple sectors. It uses official statistics and national surveys for monitoring and follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, including mid-term and final evaluations to guide policy adjustments.

The strategy demonstrates a comprehensive approach to healthy and active ageing by linking health promotion, disease prevention and supportive environments across the life course. Rather than focusing solely on older persons, it addresses the determinants of healthy ageing before old age occurs. The policy combines measurable targets, evidence-based planning and a robust monitoring framework. Its emphasis on extending healthy life expectancy, reducing health disparities and creating inclusive environments aligns closely with the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing and supports sustainable responses to population ageing.

Takimoto, H., Matsumoto, M., Morooka, A., and Yokoyama, T. (2024). Toward the Promotion of Health Japan 21 (the Third Term). Japanese Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Wada, Y. (2024). Start of the 12-year initiative for the third term of Health Japan 21. Journal of the National Institute of Public Health.

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/