Total: 413 good practice(s). Download
Older People’s Associations (OPAs) are community-based organizations led by older persons that promote active ageing, social participation, mutual support, health, livelihood security and representation. OPAs provide meeting spaces, organize collective activities, support vulnerable older persons, facilitate access to health services and social assistance, and serve as a channel between older persons and local authorities. They participate in commune and district development planning and help address isolation, poverty and exclusion among older persons. The Government recognizes OPAs as a key mechanism for implementing the National Ageing Policy 2017–2030 and promoting active ageing. They play a role in implementing all MIPAA priority directions.
Older persons in Cambodia.
According to HelpAge Cambodia, as of 2025, there were over 2,000 OPAs in Cambodia.
OPAs increased opportunities for social participation, active ageing, health promotion and representation of older persons. They facilitated involvement of older persons in commune and district development planning and supported health screenings, referrals, home visits, social care and livelihood initiatives. During COVID-19 pandemic, OPAs helped disseminate information and improve vaccine access.
The OPA model emerged as a community-based approach to enable older persons to organize collectively and address their own needs. HelpAge International pioneered the model in Cambodia and produced practical guidance on OPA establishment and management. OPAs were designed as self-managed associations promoting social support, health education, livelihood activities, advocacy and community participation.
The Government subsequently institutionalized the model through the 2009 OPA Guidelines and incorporated OPAs into the National Ageing Policy 2017–2030. Local authorities were encouraged to establish OPAs in communes and sangkats nationwide. Older persons became directly involved in local development planning and policy implementation through OPA structures.
HelpAge Cambodia continued supporting OPA capacity development, fundraising, leadership training and programme implementation. Together with MoSVY and partners, it also developed intergenerational OPA approaches that engage younger community members alongside older people.
The OPA model is a good practice because it places older persons at the centre of planning, implementation and decision-making. It combines active ageing, peer support, community participation, health promotion and social inclusion through locally owned institutions. OPAs provide a sustainable mechanism for linking older persons with public services and local authorities while addressing isolation and vulnerability. The model has been scaled nationally, embedded in government policy, and strengthened through collaboration among government, civil society and development partners, demonstrating strong potential for replication
Cambodia Voluntary National Survey on the Implementation of MIPAA (2021)
Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. Guidelines for the Establishment and Management of Older People’s Associations (2009)
HelpAge International. Establishing and Working with Older People’s Associations in Cambodia: A Practical Guideline (2006)
Comprehensive national strategy, includes a toolkit for older workers and an extension of an already existing wage subsidy for those seeking jobs aged 65+. Additionally, there is return to work coaching available for those over 50.
Older workers aged 50+, with an emphasis on diversity across Māori, Pacific, disabled, and regional communities.
Over 1,000 businesses have used the toolkit to redesign their jobs to work for an ageing workforce. This strategy has contributed to New Zealand having very high labour force participation rates for those over 65 years.
Developed through collaboration between governments, community groups and different businesses. It is now a core aspect of employment strategies to tackle ageism as well as skill shortages, as it keeps experienced workers contributing to the economy.
This strategy treats older persons as economic agents, as they have much to contribute to the workforce. It addresses age discrimination while still applying wage subsidies for employers to hire seniors.
The Pension System Modernization Concept of the Republic of Kazakhstan to 2030 initiated a comprehensive reform of the national pension system with primary focus on ensuring adequate retirement income, strengthening financial sustainability, and expanding pension coverage. The reform further introduces Kazakhstan’s multi-level pension model by strengthening the state, mandatory, and voluntary pension components. Reform focuses on modernization of the basic pension system by tightening benefits to an individual’s participation in the pension system and length of service. The reform also strengthens mechanisms for pension payouts and state guarantees on pension savings. Additional measure included introduction of a conditional funded pension component financed by mandatory employer contributions of 5% of employees’ income.
Ultimate beneficiaries will be people in Kazakhstan of all ages who will benefit from a more sustainable pension system.
The reform was initated on the presidential decree in 2014. However, the active intergation and implementation of the reform outcomes are carried out by Presidential Administration and Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The reform was initiated by the President of Republic of Kazazakhstan and Presidential Administration.
This reform is a good practice because it strengthens income security in old age while creating incentives for older persons to remain active in the workforce and engaged in the formal economy. The approach is replicable and sustainable, as it is based on a multi-pillar pension system with diversified sources of retirement income and shared responsibility among the state, employers, and employees.
Longzhen Senior Care created the One‑Stop Community Elderly Service Program, where trained liaisons help older residents and people with disabilities find and access the goods and services they need, such as adult daycare, home-delivered meals or medical supplies, help with doctors' appointments or legal assistance etc. These liaisons include home‑care staff along with local residents and community leaders from the ‘Longzhen Sunflower Volunteer Team.’ Social workers first assess each person’s situation and then develop an individualized plan to support their health and wellbeing. Through ongoing contact with their liaison, older residents build trust and feel more connected to their community. The liaisons also act as a safety net for noticing changes in health or behaviour. Longzhen Senior Care negotiates discounted rates with service providers and monitors service delivery to ensure it remains high‑quality and compassionate. Local small businesses benefit by increasing sales and reducing marketing costs, and as the age‑friendly network grows, more providers and businesses are applying to join.
Older persons who need daily assistance with various goods and services but do not (yet) want to move into a long-term care facility.
The One‑Stop Community Elderly Service Program operates on a non‑profit basis. Clients pay only for the specific services they use, while more than half of the total service costs are subsidized by the government or covered through a person’s social insurance. Local small businesses providing the needed goods and services benefit by increasing sales and reducing marketing costs, and as the age‑friendly network grows, more providers and businesses are applying to join.
By 2024, the program had expanded to nine regions and enrolled more than 3,100 older adults, most of whom are over 80 years old.
Many of the older adults catered for by this program live in apartment complexes without elevators resulting in limited mobility. They often also are not comfortable with or have no access to digital technology to order goods and services online. Developing such a liaison program has ensured that "no one is left behind". While it enables older persons to stay in their own home longer, it also is a trust-building exercise if seniors later need to move to the Longzhen Senior Care institution.
https://ahwin.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Innovation-for-an-aging-Asia_web.pdf
The SWD Elderly Information Website is a centralized digital information platform established by Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department (SWD) to help older persons, their families, and caregivers access information on elderly services. The website serves as a one-stop portal containing information on community care services, residential care services, service quality and licensing information, the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, and the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. By consolidating service information in an accessible online format, the platform improves transparency, facilitates informed decision-making, and helps users navigate available long-term care options.
The main beneficiaries are:
The website was developed as part of efforts to strengthen access to information on ageing, long-term care and support services. It consolidates information that was previously dispersed across multiple programmes and service providers into a single digital platform.
The SWD Elderly Information Website is a good practice because it improves accessibility, transparency and informed choice in ageing and long-term care services. By bringing together information on multiple programmes, care options, service providers and quality assurance mechanisms in a single platform, it reduces information barriers for older persons and caregivers.
The 2021 policy outlines a comprehensive approach to population aging. It focuses on expanding home- and community-based elderly care, improving healthcare through integrated services and long-term care insurance pilots, and promoting active aging with programs like the national Senior University. The framework also strengthens digital inclusion and legal protections, ensuring offline service options and tackling elder fraud. Finally, it drives growth in the “silver economy” by supporting senior tourism, assistive technologies, and health-focused real estate.
The policy provides guidance to practitioners in relevant Ministries. The ultimate beneficiaries of this policy are older persons across China, particularly those with disabilities, low-income seniors, and childless elderly who require public care support. Rural seniors benefit from improved access to integrated medical and elderly care services at the county level.
The policy has led to significant improvements in China’s elderly care system, including expanded service coverage, better integration of medical and social support, enhanced digital and legal inclusion for older adults, and the emergence of the silver economy as a national development priority.
The policy was jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council in 2021 after nationwide consultations. It was implemented through a coordinated, multi-level approach involving central ministries and local governments. Key mechanisms included pilot programs (e.g., long-term care insurance), integrated planning (e.g., combining elderly care with health services), and clear timelines and targets for local authorities to follow.
This policy represents a good practice due to its comprehensive and forward-looking design. It adopts a whole-of-government approach, integrating elderly care, healthcare, digital inclusion, legal protection, and economic development. It promotes both top-down planning and local innovation, encourages public-private partnerships, and aligns with international best practices. Its adaptability and strong emphasis on inclusive, people-centered services make it a replicable model for aging societies.
Movement Singapore offers weekly parkour classes for persons aged 50 to 70, encouraging them to embrace a sense of adventure while staying active. Each session combines stretching, conditioning exercises and obstacle-based training. Participants also learn how to fall safely by tucking the chin towards the chest. This adjustment can help reduce the risk of more serious injuries in the event of a fall. Through regular participation, older persons will experience a range of benefits, including increased muscle and bone strength, improved agility and balance, fall-prevention skills, greater vitality and increased confidence in their everyday movements.
People aged 50 years or over interested in staying active through a multitude of sports beyond sports traditionally dedicated to older persons.
Shie Boon, the founder of Movement Singapore, started the initiative with the aim to prevent falls among older persons. There are weekly outdoor parkour classes across four locations in Singapore.
Thinking "outside the box", providing a sport to older persons which is usually associated with youth culture.
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Singapore is helping its older citizens age well by teaching them parkour - Monocle
The programme has expanded older persons' access to affordable public transport, community programmes and recreational activities through a single integrated membership card. By combining transport concessions with community participation opportunities and lifestyle benefits, it has supported greater social participation and mobility among older persons while encouraging active ageing.
Singapore citizens aged 60 years and above.
The programme was developed by the People's Association to encourage active ageing and strengthen community participation among older persons. It integrates transport concessions, community programmes and lifestyle benefits into a single membership platform through collaboration with government agencies and participating merchants. Eligible seniors can apply for the card through the Passion Card system, enabling convenient access to subsidized active living.
The Passion Silver Concession Card demonstrates how an integrated membership platform can promote active ageing by combining mobility support, community participation and everyday benefits. Its cross-sector partnership model strengthens social inclusion, encourages lifelong participation in community life and provides a practical, scalable approach that can be adapted by other ageing societies.
The book provides guidelines for creating a care space from a mutual care perspective. Rather than focusing on one-sided care from caregivers to recipients, it focuses on a mutual approach. Using the concept of pattern language, the project offers caregivers practical guidelines for interacting more effectively with the elderly. For instance, it addresses how to listen to the intentions of care recipients, involve them in daily life, and shape a supportive environment.
This is designed for those who provide in-home care, especially for the elderly with dementia, and also for those who wish to create a warm place for their grandparents.
The guidelines provide evidence-based, actionable advice for caregivers of the elderly. The positive impact of these guidelines has been acknowledged in Japan and has also received media attention.
Keio University originally launched a researchproject to apply the concept of "pattern language" from architectural theory to daily life with people with dementia.The project was tested in a practical context to verify its effectiveness. These outcomes have been disseminated through the publication of books and card collections under the title Words to Live Together.
Words for Journey: A Pattern language for living with dementia
The Penal Code and the Vulnerable Adults Act, amended in 2019, was implemented by Singaporean national and local Governments. This act aims to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect or self-neglect and to provide timely and effective interventions. This act is guided by five principles, including: exercising the Act must be for protection of adults from abuse, nelgect or self-neglect; adults with mental capacity can decide how they would like to live; implementation of the act should be as least restrictive of a persosn rights; and the welfare of the peson should be of paramount importance.
All adults aged 18 and above who, due to mental or physical infirmity, disability, or incapacity, are unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or self-neglect.
The Act provided mechanisms for state intervention such as investigations, entry into premises, temporary placement, and court protection orders. It strengthened Singapore’s safety net for vulnerable adults, filling protection gaps where families or communities could not intervene, and enhanced safeguarding efficiency.
The Act was developed after public and professional consultations, first read in Parliament in March 2018, passed in May, and implemented in December. Led by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), it defined “vulnerable adults,” set out intervention and court procedures, and emphasized least-restrictive intervention, prioritizing best interests and autonomy.
It balances family-and community-based care with state intervention, while safeguarding autonomy through least-restrictive, best-interest principles.
