Database of good practices on ageing

Caregivers

A multi‑programme evaluation (UNICEF, 2020) found that the caregiver allowance—alongside other social cash transfers—plays a critical role in reducing poverty, vulnerability, and risk, especially in households caring for elderly, disabled, or dependent persons. It contributes significantly to household welfare in both Rarotonga and the Pa Enua

The development of the Caregivers Allowance in the Cook Islands is rooted in the country’s long-standing, tax‑financed social protection system, which began expanding significantly from the 1960s onward, and formally included a caregiver payment by the time the Welfare Act 1989 was established. This Act created the structural basis for multiple welfare payments—including those for older persons, persons with disabilities, and caregivers—and embedded the principle that the state should support families caring for vulnerable members. Over the decades, the allowance evolved through continuous policy refinement driven by government reviews, parliamentary oversight, and social‑sector evaluations. By 2017, the Caregivers Policy and its administration were scrutinized in a Public Accounts Committee inquiry, which examined implementation quality, eligibility rules, and payment mechanisms—showing active policy shaping and administrative strengthening.

It values caregivers and provides social protection. 

Evaluation of social cash transfer programmes in the Cook Islands - UNICEF

Primary beneficiaries are carers (often family members) providing constant care to people with disability, severe illness, or frailty who cannot support themselves independently.

The program supported a rapidly growing carer population. Recipients rose from about 57,800 in 2001 to 301,200 in June 2022, increasing from 0.4% to 1.4% of the population aged 16+. In 2025, reforms allowed carers to work up to 100 hours every 4 weeks, offering greater flexibility and improving labour market participation.

Established under the Social Security Act, administered by Services Australia. A 2008 review expanded eligibility to parents of children with severe disability, adding ~19,000 new recipients. Implementation has relied on legislative adjustments and regular updates to reflect carers’ evolving needs.

It provides long-term, responsive support to carers while adapting rules to promote inclusion, sustainability, and work-life balance.

• https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/carer-payment
• https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/millions-of-aussies-to-receive-pension-increase-next-month-as-major-changes-come-to-centrelink/news-story/80c4081d4564e442cdead44ccf6a1f72

Older residents of Akita City, Japan—particularly senior citizens facing barriers to mobility, social engagement, and access to services due to demographic ageing and youth out‑migration.

Recognised as an “Age-Friendly City” in 2019 and honouring “Aging-Friendly Partners” by 2025, the city strengthened public–private collaboration and fostered a more inclusive environment for seniors.

Akita City, a WHO Global Network member since 2011, has advanced age-friendly initiatives such as a one-coin bus service (launched 2011, expanded 2017) to improve elderly mobility, the intergenerational “Club of Friendship Between Generations” to strengthen social ties, and a multi-generational city hall built in 2016 with universal design features like concierge support, wheelchair paths, and heated floors/roads for winter safety. It also formalized an Age-Friendly Partner program engaging local businesses and institutions in senior support.

Akita City has advanced age-friendliness through integrated efforts in transport, infrastructure, governance, and community programs, combining accessible design with social engagement. Since joining the WHO network in 2011, it has sustained and expanded services, built public–private partnerships, and introduced tailored solutions—such as heated mobility paths and low-cost transport—to meet local ageing and winter-related challenges.

• https://www.city.akita.akita.jp/city/pl/pb/koho/htm/20190419/041903.html
• https://www.akita.coop/topics/detail.php?p=377&utm

The programme primarily benefits older people in Vietnam, especially those in rural and underserved communities. It promotes their social inclusion, health, and economic resilience through community-led initiatives.

In 2025, a national expansion plan targets 12,000 ISHCs, aiming to support hundreds of thousands of older adults across the country HelpAge International. Additionally, since 2021, 186 new ISHCs supported by the World Bank and JSDF have benefited 24,725 older persons.

CASCD began by mobilizing older people into grassroots associations. With support from HelpAge and the government, the model evolved into Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs (ISHCs)—providing services ranging from home care and microfinance to health screening and legal aid. The model is now part of Vietnam’s national ageing strategy.

It is community-owned, cost-effective, and highly scalable, empowering older adults as both beneficiaries and leaders. The model successfully integrates health, income, care, and rights—addressing ageing in a holistic way.

• https://www.helpage.org/news/new-chapter-for-ageing-in-vietnam/
• https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2024/05/28/how-intergenerational-self-help-clubs-transform-elderly-care-in-viet-nam

Older persons who require supervision, rehabilitation or long-term care services, including persons living with dementia, as well as their caregivers.

The initiative expanded access to community-based long-term care by providing coordinated day care, rehabilitation and dementia care services across Singapore. It supports ageing in place, helps maintain older persons' physical and cognitive functioning, and provides respite and support for family caregivers through an integrated national referral and subsidy system.

The Agency for Integrated Care coordinates referrals, eligibility assessment and access to centre-based care services through hospitals, polyclinics and AIC Link centres. Community care providers deliver standardized services, including rehabilitation, nursing care, dementia care, personal care and social engagement programmes. Government subsidies are available through means testing to improve affordability, while the national coordination model enables consistent service quality and equitable access across Singapore.

The initiative integrates health, rehabilitation and social care into a coordinated community-based long-term care system. By combining national coordination, standardized referral pathways, financial support and multidisciplinary services, it enables older persons to remain in their communities while reducing reliance on institutional care. Its integrated service model is scalable and readily adaptable to other ageing societies

Older persons in Bhutan

This programme has led to a significant reduction in the number of missed appointments at the hospital, as caregivers are there to ensure they make it. The initiative also created jobs for youth who were abroad and came back to Bhutan with experience working in aged societies.  

Founders of this initiative saw an increase of Bhutanese moving abroad and leaving their older family members behind. 

This practice values the Bhutanese value of loyalty and gratitude into a professional service for elderly. 

Charo Wongdo: Bhutan’s first dedicated elderly care service – The Bhutanese

Older persons looking to improve their digital and income-generation skills.

By end of 2024, over 21000 older persons have undergone MEEDEE training.

As Thailand is moving from an "aged" to a "super-aged" society, the working-aged population is declining and more people will have to work longer. However, many Thais worked most of their life in the informal economy and lack the skills to participate in the new digital economy. MEEDEE aims to close this gap through trainings offered via the free and in Thailand very popular instant messaging application "LINE" - as older persons would likely already be familiar with using it. Additionally, MEEDEE has partnered with over 2500 schools for older persons and with more than 70 government, private sector, and community organizations to provide in-person training. MEEDEE also operates online and in-person market places and supports users wishing to participate in them. MEEDEE not only teaches older persons new skills, but encourages them to participate in peer education, and for this has established a group of over 1000 "MEEDEE Certified Trainers" where older persons are involved in curriculum development and teaching. In 2021, MEEDEE spent approximately 100000 USD to develop and roll-out the programme. The goal is to have MEEDEE's funding covered through corporate social responsibility and marketing and product development resources.

MEEDEE's blended learning model with both online and occasional on-site learning is very cost-effective in providing comprehensive education for older persons.

Policymakers and all data users

The survey has supported extensive research on healthy ageing, retirement, long-term care, pensions and socioeconomic wellbeing, and its datasets are publicly available for academic research.

CHARLS has established one of China's leading longitudinal datasets on ageing, covering approximately 10,000 households and 17,500 individuals across 150 counties and 450 communities. The survey has supported extensive research on healthy ageing, retirement, long-term care, pensions and socioeconomic wellbeing, and its datasets are publicly available for academic research.

CHARLS demonstrates the value of long-term, nationally representative data for supporting evidence-informed policymaking on population ageing. Its standardized methodology, regular follow-up surveys and publicly accessible datasets make it a sustainable and highly replicable model for strengthening ageing research and policy development.

Researchers, policymakers, public authorities and organizations involved in ageing-related policy and service planning.

The first nationwide baseline survey was conducted in 2014 across 28 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, covering 134 counties or districts and 462 villages or communities. It produced 11,511 valid individual questionnaires and 462 community questionnaires. The baseline data were weighted using China's Sixth National Population Census and were designed to provide estimates of the circumstances of persons aged 60 and above in mainland China. The survey generated evidence on health and functional ability, pensions and economic security, family care, social participation, housing, community elderly care and health services, among other areas. The resulting data and research outputs have been made available to support academic research and ageing-related policymaking.

CLASS conducted pilot surveys in 2011 and 2012 before launching its first nationwide baseline survey in 2014. The national survey uses a stratified, multi-stage probability sampling design and collects information through both individual and community questionnaires. Field implementation is organized through a three-level management structure comprising the central CLASS project office at Renmin University, regional project offices and field sampling and interviewing teams. Quality assurance combines field supervision, remote data analysis and telephone verification. Following data collection, the data undergo cleaning, weighting and documentation before being made available for research use.

CLASS provides a systematic evidence base for understanding population ageing and evaluating ageing-related policies rather than relying solely on administrative statistics or one-time surveys. Its longitudinal design allows changes in older persons’ circumstances and needs to be monitored over time, while the combination of individual- and community-level data connects personal outcomes with local service environments. Its probability sampling, standardized data collection, quality-control mechanisms and public availability for academic research strengthen the reliability and wider use of the evidence generated. The approach demonstrates how longitudinal ageing data can support evidence-based policymaking and policy evaluation.

All data users, including policymakers; researchers; public health and ageing institutions.

The CLHLS has become one of the world's largest longitudinal studies on older persons and has generated extensive evidence on healthy ageing, longevity, disability, family support, and long-term care. Its publicly available data have supported numerous national and international studies and informed ageing-related policies in China.

The survey was established to better understand the determinants of healthy longevity among older persons in China. It follows a nationally representative cohort of older adults through repeated survey waves, collecting demographic, health, social, behavioural, and family information using standardized questionnaires. The data are regularly updated, quality controlled, and made available to researchers to support evidence-based policymaking and research on population ageing.

The CLHLS provides a robust, long-term evidence base for ageing research and policy development through nationally representative longitudinal data. Its standardized methodology, open data access, and sustained implementation make it a highly replicable model for strengthening evidence-informed policymaking in ageing societies.