Total: 405 good practice(s). Download
A national guideline to support the care, protection, and quality of life of people living with dementia. The guideline provides practical recomendations to integrate approaches into daily care routines, in particular regular physical activity focused on maintaining mobility, balance, cognitive functioning and psychological wellbeing.
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
The guidelines for establishing and managing Older People’s Associations (OPAs) provide a framework to create community-based groups that empower older persons to participate actively in social and economic life. They outline steps for forming OPAs, including community mobilization, leadership selection, and capacity building, while emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and sustainability. The document also details governance structures, roles and responsibilities, financial management practices, and strategies for linking OPAs with local authorities and service providers. Overall, the guidelines aim to strengthen older persons’ voices, promote mutual support, and enhance resilience within communities.
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
This is a guide book for establishing elderly schools (Sekolah Lansia) in communities in line with the Bina Keluarga Lansia (Family Development for Older Persons) framework. The guide outlines Sekolah Lansia as a non-formal educational model that empowers older persons—especially those still active in family and community life—to become SMART: Sehat, Mandiri, Aktif, Produktif, dan Bermartabat (Healthy, Independent, Active, Productive and Dignified). Sekolah Lansia includes modules on healthy ageing, chronic disease prevention, cognitive stimulation, mental well‑being, economic empowerment, social participation, and safe, elder‑friendly environments. Implementation involves trained facilitators, monthly learning sessions, community‑based activities, home visits, and periodic assessments using tools such as ADL, IADL, and happiness and life‑satisfaction indexes.
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".
A campagin to promote gymnastics as a sport for all ages, including older persons, was initiated by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the Gymnastics Associatoin of Indonesia. It includes a series of events promoting gymnastics for older persons. It was initiated with a kick-off event in May 2025 which attracted over 120 participants, including a 93-year- old lady. Participants also who also benefited from free medical checkups, including musculoskeletal evaluation and personalized exercise programs to do at home. In addition, a smartphone application will be introduced, allowing seniors to track health metrics, perform exercises at home, and share data with medical providers.
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.
HASU is a Vietnamese digital health and well‑being application for middle‑aged and older people (50+), developed and operated by a social‑impact enterprise founded by Ngô Thùy Anh and launched in March 2020. Designed as a personal digital assistant for ageing well, HASU supports physical health, mental well‑being, and social connection through features such as home‑based exercise guidance, health education, meditation and sleep support, online learning and cultural classes, and community forums that help reduce isolation. The app was initially created in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic and has evolved into a broader age‑tech solution that also promotes digital literacy and active ageing, with a strong user base of older women.
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
The initiative mobilizes retired medical professionals, especially experienced senior experts and veteran traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors, to serve in grassroots healthcare institutions in underserved areas. By offering outpatient services, mentoring, and skills training, the program aimed to enhance primary-level healthcare capacity and address local health needs through intergenerational expertise sharing and expanded talent channels.
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.
The Health Law of Indonesia (Law No. 36/2009) emphasizes right to live healthy, dignified, and productive lives for older persons. It mandates that the Government must ensure the availability of geriatric‑appropriate health services and facilitate older persons to remain independent and socially and economically active (Article 138). It also requires that the elderly be prioritized in public health funding allocations, placing them among key vulnerable groups for whom government resources must be directed (Article 172). In addition, health care for the elderly is framed as a shared responsibility of national and regional governments and the community, ensuring that service systems and supportive environments are collectively maintained. The law also takes a life-cycle approach on nutrition (Article 142).
People of all ages in Indonesia
The law provides the legal foundation to establish a comprehensive, rights‑based, and people‑centered health system.
Health Japan 21 (Third Term) is Japan's national health promotion strategy for 2024-2035. The policy aims to create a sustainable society in which all people can lead healthy and fulfilling lives. It promotes a life-course approach to health, emphasizing the extension of healthy life expectancy, reduction of health disparities and creation of supportive social environments. The strategy adopts a "leave no one behind" approach and addresses key determinants of health, including physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use, sleep, preventive health services and healthy environments. Although not limited to older persons, it supports healthy and active ageing through prevention, health promotion and social participation throughout life.
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 Strategic Plan 2019–2023: Investing for Our Future was implemented by the Ministry of Health as a comprehensive national roadmap for strengthening Brunei Darussalam’s health system. It outlines five strategic goals, 39 integrated actions, and a wide range of policies and programmes that cover health services, disease prevention, public health protection, sustainability, governance, and system innovation.
The Strategic Plan explicitly includes “Promote Healthy Ageing” as a key initiative under its goals for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It seeks to align the broader health system with the needs of an ageing society.
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.
The Healthy Ageing Strategy for Older Queenslanders, implemented by the national and local Australian Governments, aims to improve health services for older individuals. The strategy seeks to enable the alinment of policy, planning, administration and service delivery activities of the public health system to create an environment where health and health services for older persons are continually improving. The strategy additionally aims to identify priorities for service improvement and innovation in the delivery of health care for older people.
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.
