Database of good practices on ageing

Eligible Singaporean families, married couples, and singles (35+) purchasing resale HDB flats to live with or within 4km of their parents or married child.

Up to 2020, around 30,100 applicants had applied, with about 4,500 families and singles choosing to live in the same block—or even the same flat—as their parents or children, and HDB disbursed about S$550 million under PHG.

PHG was established following extensive “Housing Conversations” in 2014 under the theme “Closer Families; Stronger Ties,” and was embedded into the housing subsidy framework by the MND and HDB in August 2015.The scheme was later enhanced in February 2018, increasing grant amounts and simplifying proximity rules.

It promotes stronger family support networks, is widely inclusive, and has demonstrably enabled thousands of families to live closer together—enhancing informal caregiving and social support.

• https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/hdb-disbursed-550-million-under-035820369.html

Older persons in Malaysia

PAWE has improved the quality of life for thousands of older persons by providing opportunities for physical fitness, social interaction, and continuous learning. It has helped reduce isolation, enhanced mental and physical health, and fostered a sense of belonging among seniors. The centres have become focal points for community engagement and support for older persons.

The initiative was developed by the Malaysian government in collaboration with other government agencies and NGOs. PAWE centres were established across Malaysia to provide structured programs, including exercise sessions, social gatherings, educational workshops, and health services. Recruitment and participation are promoted through community outreach, social media, and partnerships with local organisations.

PAWE addresses multiple dimensions of older persons’ well-being, including physical, social, and mental, through an inclusive and community-based approach. It promotes active ageing, lifelong learning, and social support, ensuring seniors remain engaged and empowered. 

Individuals from middle-aged to older adults.

The platform has reached a large number of older adults nationwide. As of 2024, Qianchi had over 10 million registered users, 275,000 of whom were paying subscribers taking lifelong education courses through the provider.

The online learning platform is offered by the Quantasing Group, one of the largest providers of online education and lifelong learning. The platform uses simple language and a simplified registration process, providing easier access for the target group. Integrating communication apps like WeChat allows users to create learning communities and interact with each other.

ESCAP: Leveraging digital technologies to improve quality of life of older persons

Older persons as ultimate beneficiaries. 

By December 2019, the system had recorded 2,082 total cases, including 65 life-saving cases based on motion detection, 21 early detections of death that prevented lonely deaths, 31 cases involving temperature/humidity monitoring, and 1,964 safety/health checks for those at high risk of suicide due to depression or self-seclusion. The programme proved effective at detecting emergencies early, preventing worse outcomes, and saving the lives of seniors who might faint due to health disorders or wander due to dementia. It also enabled safety checks for high-risk seniors who were hard to reach by phone. 

Seoul implemented this system by installing sensors, inside the homes of vulnerable elderly citizens living alone. Data was directly  streamed  to institutional  boards and caseworkers' mobile phones. When sensors detected no movement for a set period or abnormal environmental readings, caseworkers were alerted to immediately contact or visit the resident, escalating to emergency services (119) if needed. The program launched small, then scaled progressively based on documented results, 65 life-saving interventions and zero lonely deaths in supported homes, with plans to expand to 12,500 devices by 2022, alongside using environmental data to improve housing conditions.

This is a good practice because it uses innovative, low-cost  sensor technology (motion, temperature, humidity, and luminosity detectors) to enable non-intrusive, real-time monitoring of vulnerable seniors living alone, addressing a critical gap that traditional welfare check-ins could not solve, especially for those who are hard to reach by phone or reluctant to accept visitors due to isolation or depression. The system is also highly replicable and sustainable, as it relies on relatively simple, scalable technology paired with existing caseworker networks and emergency response protocols, allowing Seoul to expand the program steadily toward a target of 12,500 devices by 2022.

Citizens of Bangladesh with mental health needs

While implementation is ongoing, the National Mental Health Strategic Plan has already contributed to strengthening the policy and institutional foundations for mental health care in Bangladesh. Early achievements include government endorsement of the strategy, baseline assessments in implementation districts, training of mental health professionals through the WHO mhGAP programme, development of standard operating procedures, and the initiation of integrated mental health services at community and primary-care levels. These reforms are expected to improve access to mental health services for all age groups, including older persons living with depression, dementia and other mental health conditions

The strategy was developed through a highly consultative process. According to the strategy document and supporting documentation, the development process included:

• Reviews of programme evaluations, policy documents, research literature and international evidence on mental health. 
• Focus group discussions with professional associations, government ministries, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. 
• Semi-structured interviews with national and international experts. 
• Technical working group meetings and stakeholder consultations to achieve consensus on priorities and implementation approaches. 
• Contributions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office and the Shuchona Foundation. The strategy was prepared with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

The strategic plan itself includes annexes summarizing stakeholder consultations and focus group discussions, reflecting a participatory development approach.

This strategy represents a positive step towards recognizing mental health as an essential component of healthy ageing. Although not an ageing-specific policy, it places older persons' mental health needs within the national health agenda through recognition of dementia and older-age suicide risks and by expanding access to mental health services across the health system.

National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020-2030

bangladesh-2022_2023.pdf

Government bodies, researchers, academics, NGOs

It generated and consolidated data on the size and characteristics of the older population, including demographic trends, employment and unemployment, living standards, education, health status, abuse, family violence, and time use. The dataset covers older women and men and provides national evidence for policymaking, research, and population ageing analysis for the period 2017–2021. 

The compilation was produced by the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, drawing on multiple existing official data sources. Population, migration, employment, and health data came from civil registration, population registers, and administrative records. Living-standards and poverty indicators were derived from the quarterly Integrated Household Budget and Labor Force Survey. Data on offenses and domestic violence were compiled from law enforcement and crisis-center administrative records. All datasets were then disaggregated by age (60+), sex, and territory/region, compiled into thematic sections (population, employment, living standards, education, health, offenses, time use), and published as a bilingual (Russian) statistical yearbook, with financial support from UNFPA Kyrgyzstan and cooperation with a local research NGO.

This constitutes a good practice because the research project adopts a holistic approach to demographic assessment, drawing on existing data sources and effectively integrating them into a single reference document for use by government bodies, academics, and NGOs in policy and project development. The data collection methodology, which spans multiple data registers, is readily replicable in other contexts provided that inter-institutional collaboration is established. Furthermore, the approach is sustainable in the long term, as it lays the groundwork for future collaborations of this kind.

Policy makers, Parliamentarians 

The report was shared with relevant stakeholders 

Stakeholder consultations were conducted, gathering insights from all relevant parties, while comprehensive pension-related data was collected to support the development of the case study.

Basing reform decisions on evidence ensures policies are grounded in facts rather than assumptions. Data-driven analysis also enhances transparency and accountability, making policy and legal changes easier to justify. This case study provided a detailed analysis of the government funded defined benefits. 

Older persons in Kyrgyzstan

Through free legal and informational support, RCE has helped thousands of older persons access pensions, social benefits, and basic services, reducing exclusion and vulnerability. Its self‑help group model has empowered older people to organize, generate income, improve legal and digital literacy, and actively participate in community life, leading to reduced isolation and stronger social cohesion.

The Resource Center for the Elderly (RCE) was established in 1991, in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Kyrgyzstan experienced a severe economic and social crisis. RCE emerged as one of the first civil society organizations in Kyrgyzstan focused specifically on older people, initially providing humanitarian assistance and basic social support to older persons living in extreme deprivation.

It is a bottom-up organization using the self-help club model. It provided effective support during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Промежуточные результаты исследования и анализ выявления проблем и потребностей пожилых людей в Кыргызстане для формулирования предложений в концепции активного долголетия
How a civil society organization in Kyrgyzstan provided a lifeline for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic

People living with dementia and wider society as a change of perceptions benefits all. 

The project led to increased confidence and feeling of acceptance among people living with dementia and promoted meaningful interaction and social engagement. 

The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders was developed through an experience‑led social innovation process, originating from personal caregiving experience of the founder, a Japanese television director. It was  designed as a pop‑up, participatory space that normalizes mistakes to promote dignity and social inclusion for people living with dementia.

It is an innovative way to change attitudes and perceptions. 

Restaurant of Mistaken Orders Brings Smiles / The Government of Japan - JapanGov -

Older Thai home owners between 60 and 80 years of age

According to studies, the use of the reverse mortgage scheme is still low, mainly because of lack of awareness and many older persons want to leave their home as inheritance. 

The initiative began in mid‑2019, as part of Thailand’s policy response to population ageing and the need for new financial tools to support older persons’ income security.

The reverse mortgage initiative by Thailand’s Government Housing Bank is a promising but still emerging good practice. It addresses income insecurity among older persons by enabling them to convert housing assets into monthly payments while ageing in place, promoting financial independence and dignity. However, its impact remains limited due to very low uptake. While the programme demonstrates strong innovation and policy relevance in an ageing society, further outreach, design improvements and supportive measures are needed to scale up use and achieve meaningful impact on older persons’ wellbeing.

@RM-Final-Report.pdf