Database of good practices on ageing

Older persons

A 2025 study found that those who attended the schools have a quality of life scores 10 points above those who do not. Seniors are more active as a result of attending the schools, and this leads to lower hospital visits and healthcare costs. Overall, there are more than 2000 schools nationwide with over 170,000 seniors studying both in person and online.

The government created this programme after finding out that many Thais were suffering from social death, and were therefore lonely and depressed after retirement. This programme uses a self help model, as seniors are helping to run the school. After the success of the pilot, the government created a playbook so all villages in Thailand could start their own school.

This programme combats social isolation, and is a big tool to stopping elderly isolation, a precursor to dementia. As it uses community centers and temples, it is cost effective and cheap to run. Overall happiness and life satisfaction increased in seniors.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354846717_Lifelong_Learning_for_Senior_Citizens_in_Thailand

all citizens of Nepal aged 60 years or over

The Constitution of Nepal, Senior Citizens Act (2006), and various national policies—established obligations for senior citizens’ health and protection, motivating MoHP to draft a dedicated strategy. The MoHP formally decided to develop the Geriatric Health Service Strategy in recognition of the vulnerability and rights of senior citizens, based on evidence of unmet geriatric needs. 

This strategy takes already existing facilities and adapting them to the needs of seniors. It puts limiting the financial strain on elderly as a top priority.

Both older persons and children in the community.

The “Apo Ko” storytelling initiative engages seniors in early childhood sessions, fostering empathy, respect, and intergenerational connection while promoting their empowerment and social participation.

The programme follows a structured process, beginning with consultations with Local Government Units and partners to formalise commitments through Memoranda of Understanding. Volunteers are then mobilised to contribute their time and skills, while both implementers and participants receive training to ensure readiness. Services are delivered to foster interaction between older persons and children, and progress is monitored and evaluated against plans and budgets to maintain accountability.

The programme integrates older and younger generations through structured, participatory activities that foster mutual support and knowledge exchange. It tackles ageing issues while promoting inclusive development, following a clear process from social preparation and training to monitoring and evaluation for sustainability. By engaging older persons in all stages—such as through the “Apo Ko...” storytelling initiative—it empowers seniors, honours their contributions, and strengthens intergenerational bonds.

• https://theaseanmagazine.asean.org/article/empowering-older-filipinos-through-pension-care-and-community-support/?utm_source

All citizens of Georgia, as well as stateless persons with an official status on Georgia and foreign nationals who have legally resided in Georgia for the past 10 years by the time they apply for the pension are entitled to the pension. 

Georgia now provides virtually complete non‑contributory pension coverage, ensuring that almost all older people receive a basic income in old age. It therefore plays an important role for poverty reduction and especially provides access to pensions for women who are less likely to be covered by contributory pensions. However, while coverage is universal, the pension benefit level remains low relative to income needs.

The Law of Georgia on State Pensions, adopted by Parliament in December 2005 and effective from January 2006, was developed to stabilize and modernize Georgia’s post‑independence pension system. It established a universal, non‑contributory pension funded by the state budget and grounded in constitutional principles such as human rights, equality, universality, and intergenerational solidarity. The law formalized administrative procedures for awarding and managing pensions and has been refined through multiple amendments since 2012. It formed the foundation for later pension reforms, including the introduction of complementary accumulative pension schemes from 2018 onward.

The law established a universal pension, funded by the Government; it also includes stateless persons legally residing in Georgia, as well as foreigners who resided for at least 10 years in Georgia. 

Older persons in Armenia eligible to pensions, regardless of nationality

It provides non-discriminatory access to pensions. 

Older persons in Mongolia, especially those with care needs, disabilities, or limited family support.

As of early 2020, residential care covered only 1.6% of older persons in need, and long-term care in Mongolia remained mostly informal, relying on untrained family caregivers. Most existing services were medically driven, with limited access to social and psychosocial support, and a lack of coordinated, cross-sectoral systems.

The Law on the Elderly was developed through stakeholder consultations led by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, with support from international agencies like ADB. It was implemented via legal enactment, training programmes for caregivers, and the establishment of community-based service centres.

It adopts a holistic, rights-based approach to ageing, integrates health and social services, and promotes community involvement, aligning with international best practices in long-term care.

People aged 65 and older needing long‑term care, and those aged 40–64 with age‑related diseases, were eligible—regardless of income or family caregiving availability.

The programme supports over 5 million seniors aged 65+, about 17% of that age group, facilitating home‑ and facility‑based care while easing family burdens. Service use increased markedly, with formal services boosting support and reducing caregiver time (especially among higher‑income groups). Moreover, LTCI helped lower annual medical expenses for elderly people compared to pre‑implementation levels.

The law passed in 1997, followed by a three‑year pilot, culminating in a mandatory social insurance system launched April 2000. Funded equally by taxes (central, prefectural, municipal) and insurance premiums from citizens aged 40+, municipalities act as insurers; beneficiaries pay only 10% copayment (adjusted to 20–30% for higher‑income groups later).

It modernized elderly care by socializing caregiving, ensuring universal, equitable access, relieving family burden, and establishing evidence-based, sustainable financing structures.

• https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=50024

Older persons of Sri Lanka, especially those at risk of neglect

A board meets frequently, around 50 times a year, and successfully resolve a significant number of cases. They close around 50% of cases through mediation.

The programme follows a restorative justice model rather than waiting for a lawsuit. An elder can apply for a maintenance order against their children, a conciliation officer then meets with both parties to reach an agreement. If conciliation fails, the board holds a formal hearing. They then have the power to issue a legally binding Maintenance Order that requires children to pay a monthly allowance, which covers specific care such as food, shelter or clothing.

This programme ensures that ageing in place is financially possible for seniors without an independent income but who have children that can support them.

11. MIPAA Focal Point Presentation (Sri Lanka).pdf

Annual Report of the Council of Elders 2010

Policymakers and government officials involved in retirement and social protection, public 

The Forum aimed to raise awareness, foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, and promote collaboration to secure the financial well-being of the country’s aging population, while emphasizing the need for balanced intergenerational resource sharing to ensure a sustainable and resilient pension system.

Developed in collaboration with Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Finance, Maldives Bureau of Statistics, UNFPA

Developed in collaboration with Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Finance, Maldives Bureau of Statistics, UNFPA

Beneficiaries are retirees in Moscow—women aged 55+, men aged 60+—regardless of employment status, focusing on enhancing their social inclusion, health, and active lifestyle opportunities.

As of 2025, the programme engaged over 660,000 older Muscovites in more than 141 Moscow Longevity Centres and many more self-organized clubs. It offers free cultural, educational, physical and recreational activities through a network of institutional and NGO partners. Participants have reported improved well‑being, social ties, and purposeful engagement.

The Moscow Longevity programme was formally launched as a pilot on 1 March 2018 and scaled citywide in January 2019 through a mayoral decree. It involved city agencies, NGOs, and social service centers under an integrated governance framework.

The Moscow Longevity Project is conceptualized as a systemic social intervention that addresses multiple dimensions of ageing, such as health, education, social inclusion, self-organization, and intergenerational cohesions - allowing for cumulative, reinforcing positive impacts. It transforms urban ageing through community-based, inclusive programming that promotes physical, cognitive, and social engagement using free, accessible services—fostering dignity and active citizenship in older age. The project explicitly contributes to changing public attitudes toward older age by reinforcing the value of active, capable, and socially engaged older people, which strengthens social cohesion across the city. Research (e.g. VTSIOM, 2025) on the social impacts of the Moscow Longevity Project shows improved quality of life, contribution to healthy life expectancy, increased self-realization and social participation, higher levels of financial, legal, and digital literacy, and the formation of a supportive communication environment for older citizens. 

• ВЦИОМ. Новости: Социальные эффекты «Московского долголетия»

• The impact of the Moscow Longevity Project on the quality of life of elderly patients - Orlova - Medical and Social Expert Evaluation and Rehabilitation