The Platform
The Platform
Long-term Care
Access to quality long-term care can enable older people to be and do what they value for as long as possible.
Learn moreThis inter-institutional initiative, led by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in collaboration with other United Nations agencies and the inter-American system, aims to promote effective actions, favor the prioritization of measures at the local level and serve as a basis for reporting on the progress made during the Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030. Its purpose is to provide evidence-based information on the health and well-being situation of older persons in the Region of the Americas. This initiative consists of a series of publications is divided into four parts, namely: the demographic situation in the Region, aging and health, the various areas of action of the Decade of Healthy Ageing and other related emerging issues. Each part will be updated with new reports, articles, and data on a regular basis.
MorePeople worldwide are living longer, but the opportunities that arise from increasing longevity depend strongly on the health and well-being of older populations. Healthy ageing needs to be fostered by creating integrated and responsive primary health care systems and services; ensuring access to long-term care for older people who need it; changing how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing; and cultivating age-friendly environments. If these actions are underpinned by activities to address socioeconomic inequities, then they can improve the health and well-being of current and future generations.
MoreThis paper contributes to the evolution and acceleration of the global care agenda by taking stock of the state of the care economy at the beginning of 2024 and surfacing new perspectives to release its economic potential. It is unique in its global approach and its emphasis on public-private collaboration. It details the ways in which care is critical to addressing longstanding inequities as well as to fuelling growth. The paper subsequently lays out the interlinkages between the public sector, private sector and civil society that stakeholders can use to strengthen care economies. It advances a set of design principles and highlights key success factors observed in existing models. Finally, it surfaces promising practices implemented by a range of stakeholders that can support the exploration of meaningful investments and the striking of key partnerships. It argues that a well designed care economy will achieve: higher levels of productivity and growth; higher levels of gender parity; higher levels of workforce participation; higher levels of educational attainment; higher business profitability and efficiency; lower levels of inequality; lower long-term social expenditure.
MoreIn a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warns about the public health crisis that loneliness, isolation, and disconnection pose to the American public. Loneliness and isolation are widespread, with approximately half of U.S. adults experiencing loneliness. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Strengthening the social fabric of our communities is essential in order to improve the health of people and communities and must be a national priority. Addressing loneliness is as vital to protecting our health as addressing obesity, tobacco, or addiction. The Surgeon General’s Advisory lays out lays out a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection, which has never been done before in the United States. It includes six pillars detailing recommendations that individuals, governments, workplaces, health systems, and community organizations can take to increase connection in their lives, communities, and across the country. By strengthening our relationships, increasing connection, and rebuilding the social fabric of our nation, we can improve the health of people across the country.
MoreJapan’s long-term care insurance system was launched in April 2000, and in the ensuing years, as domestic demographics have continued to evolve, it has undergone various revisions to meet the changing situation. Currently, the pattern of aging in Japanese society has shifted from a phase in which the actual number of senior citizens was growing rapidly to a phase in which the number is not increasing much, but the relative proportion of those seniors to the overall population is rising as the working-age population is decreasing. This phenomenon calls for further changes in the system as it poses the dual challenges of finding new fiscal resources and securing the human resources needed to care for the elderly. Welfare for the elderly in Japan has always and will continue to be a “work in progress,” constantly evolving to keep up with the changing needs. The first half of this article looks back at the history of welfare for the elderly in Japan and reflects on its shortcomings. It explains the background that led to the creation of the long-term care insurance system, offering insight into the significance of the system and how it developed into what may be considered an optimal solution, the community-based integrated care system. The article also touches on the launch of the Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN), which offers a different perspective on how Japan and the countries in Asia can work together to tackle the challenges facing aging societies in the coming years in order to create vibrant and healthy societies where people can enjoy long and productive lives.
MoreThe WHO Framework to implement a life course approach in practice summarizes current evidence to reorient health systems to produce health and well-being, draws on global examples of implementation, and proposes next steps. A life course approach acknowledges that health and well-being depend on the interaction of multiple protective and risk factors, particularly during sensitive and critical periods throughout people’s lives and across generations. It strengthens equity by recognizing how critical periods, transitions and cumulative exposures shape health trajectories. This framework targets a wide audience including governments, civil society, and other non-state actors committed to applying a life course approach and informs discussions on redesigning primary health care programmes to improve life course health trajectories.
MoreThe WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre – WKC) has produced a series of research briefs on financing long-term care (LTC) which translate research evidence to guide policy-makers on designing and financing LTC in low- and middle-income countries. Brief 6 in the series, Financing health and social long-term care: lessons for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), addresses how countries can ensure financial protection in LTC.
MoreThis instalment of the Social Protection Spotlight brief series from the International Labour Organization explores the role of universal social protection in promoting healthy ageing, reducing disease and disability among older persons by ensuring equitable access to healthcare, pensions, and long-term care services.
MoreIs Dementia a normal part of ageing? Someone suffers from dementia every three seconds. What are the causes? Can we prevent it? Is there a cure? Dr Katrin Seeher explains in Science in 5.
MoreDid you know that social isolation or loneliness could increase your risk of early death by up to 32%? How would you know if you are socially isolated and how does it impact your health? Alana Officer explains and gives tips to overcome social isolation in Science in 5 this week.
MoreWhat is an evidence and gap map? How do we use them during the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing to improve the lives of current and future generations of older people, their families, and their communities? Evidence and gap maps are interactive tools that help researchers and decision makers discover existing evidence on a given topic, find solutions supported by evidence, and identify gaps in the evidence where more research is required. In this video, learn more about WHO's work to develop evidence and gap maps as part of a multi-year project for the Decade to summarise, disseminate, and increase the uptake of evidence towards deeper integration within policy and practice.
MoreIn this video statement marking the UN International Day of Older Persons 2022, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks on the need to address the challenges of longevity, as well as unleash its potential. “The past years have witnessed dramatic upheavals – and older people often found themselves at the epicenter of crises [...] Yet in the face of these threats, older people have inspired us with their remarkable resilience".
MoreThis is a comprehensive list of guidance resources related to community and home-based care for older people in the context of COVID-19, maintained by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the COVID-19 Health Help Desk initiative.
MoreThis platform to facilitate access to the data produced by the Lancet Commission on Global Access to Palliative Care and Pain Relief (GAPCPR) was released as a service to the global palliative care community by the IAHPC together with the University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas (UMIA), and the Mexican Health Foundation (FUNSALUD). The platform, created by researchers at UMIA and FUNSALUD, works in Tableau and enables users to calculate serious health related suffering (SHS) and the need for palliative care by income and geographic region for a vast number of countries. The data come from the GAPCPR Report "Alleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief—an imperative of universal health coverage" and an extensive data appendix.
MoreThe International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) has compiled this list of resources relevant to palliative care and COVID-19 published by academia, civil society organizations, member states and special agencies of the United Nations, with links to all of the websites and documents listed.
MoreThe accelerated aging process affecting the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean imposes unprecedented pressures on the field of long-term care. Increased demand for care by the elderly population is occurring in a context of reductions in the informal supply of care. Governments in the region should be prepared to face the pressures to come by supporting the provision of services to alleviate social exclusion among the elderly. The Inter-American Development Bank has prepared the Panorama of Aging and Long-Term Care with the objective of informing decision-makers about the health conditions of the elderly and the present and future needs for support services and policies based on the available empirical evidence. The Panorama provides comparable indicators, publications, and references that promote the design of effective policies to mitigate the effect of population aging.
MoreJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is an incorporated administrative agency that delivers Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. JICA is one of the worldʼs largest bilateral aid agencies, supporting developing countries in addressing their development challenges through flexible combination of various cooperation modalities, such as Technical Cooperation, Finance and Investment Cooperation, and Grants. JICA has 96 overseas offices and operates in approximately 140 countries and regions of the world (As of July 2023). JICA also has 15 domestic offices across Japan that serve as a nexus linking developing countries with regions in the country. These domestic offices promote international cooperation that takes advantage of the characteristics of these regions and contribute to their development through such cooperation.
MoreSAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is an organization that advocates with and on behalf of and offers supportive services and resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers.
MoreThe Alliance for Health Innovation brings together a diverse set of cross-sector stakeholders committed to health innovation through the lens of equity and healthy aging. Its mission is to establish the importance of innovation in achieving healthy aging through investments, policy reforms, and strategic partnerships – both for the value to patients and for health system sustainability.
MoreCommonAge is a charitable organisation, advocating to ensure older people are fully recognised in society, and are supported and enabled to live well in an all-age friendly Commonwealth. We support the view that a healthy ageing population is much less expensive one for governments to support, and therefore is less of a burden on taxpayers and health systems. We actively lobby governments, encourage sharing of ideas and promoting intergenerational activities, hold both physical and virtual events, and support ongoing research into issues affecting older people in the Commonwealth.
MoreEstablished in 2013, Bihani Social Venture is Nepal’s first social enterprise working to foster age and disability inclusive communities focusing on older adults. To promote a society inclusive of older people, Bihani offers innovative and diverse services and activities. Our primary focus is on individuals above the age of 50 (however not limited to it) while our secondary focus is on families, institutions and organisations who directly or indirectly work or interact with elders.
MoreAssociation of Senior Living India (ASLI) is a national organization formed with a vision to catalyse the growth and development of the elder care sector in India. The prime objective of the association is to create a platform for all the players in the senior continuum (independent living, home care, assisted living and lifestyle & technology providers) to draw knowledge, learn best practice and act as a single point of reference.
MoreBAGSO is an umbrella organisation of about 120 civil society organisations that are run by or work for older people. As such, it calls on politicians, society and businesses to offer conditions that allow for a good and dignified life in older age. In important policy areas, BAGSO puts themes on the political agenda that are relevant for healthy and active ageing. In statements and position papers, BAGSO identifies requirements for good quality of life in older age and provides recommendations for political action at federal, state and municipal level.
MoreThe Social Innovation Group is an interdisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus. We work on place-based, person-centred approaches to care, whether that is care for each other, our communities or our environment. We currently have two projects related to ageing. First, HAIRE (Healthy Ageing through Innovation in Rural Europe) which seeks to empower older people to articulate their needs and aspiration and to participate in service design and delivery in their communities. HAIRE operates in eight pilot sites in the UK, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Second, ANCHOR, which takes the toolkit designed in HAIRE and uses it to support the delivery of the NHS's Ageing Well agenda through improving anticipatory care in Cornwall, UK. Through these projects, we work in partnership with charities, agencies, government at all levels, health and care providers and voluntary sector organisations to co-design bespoke tools to support healthy and inclusive ageing.
More1in6by2030 is a global, collaborative project that brings together photographers from around the world to put a human face on one of the most important "statistics" of our time — the fact that by the year 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be over the age of 60. Earth’s population is about to become the oldest it has ever been. In the seven years leading up to 2030, photographers around the world will show us what it looks like to live in this historic time. This is a historic moment for the world — one filled with challenges and also huge potential — as individuals, societies and governments confront one of the most fundamental population shifts in human history. This seven-year-long project launched in 2023 will feature a series of photo essays that bring these issues to life from around the world.
MoreThe UN declared 2021–30 to be the Decade of Healthy Ageing, and efforts are being made to maximise the functional ability of people over their life course. Yet older people are marginalised and perceived as a burden, particularly those with ongoing loss in capacity. Nowhere is this more conspicuous than in the context of long-term care (LTC) worldwide, where older people in some settings encounter a loss of independence and other violations of their human rights. Such experiences can range from deprivation of liberty and loss of legal capacity and consent to coerced institutionalisation, exposure to abuse, neglect, and disrespect, and persistent use of restraints. These circumstances create inequity, injustice, and indignity for older people. Overcoming these societal and political challenges requires the lens of human rights and a rethinking of the provision of LTC so that it respects the rights of older people and addresses their diverse needs and preferences in fragile LTC systems. A new Lancet Commission on Long-Term Care for Older Persons aims to take just such an approach, fostering person-centred LTC in accord with the WHO Healthy Ageing framework. Our Commissioners bring a wealth of perspectives drawn from different regions, care settings, and areas of interest, with expertise in geriatrics, geropsychology, geriatric psychiatry, gerontology, nursing, palliative care, primary care, social work, clinical epidemiology, health economics, health policy, and regulation. The Commission will work in co-creation with a group of older people from different regions with lived experience of LTC.
MoreInvesting in people’s health is vital for everyone’s wellbeing and to ensure that we can truly benefit from the “longevity dividend” that could result from an ageing population. Yet we know that across the globe, action and investment in healthy ageing and preventative health continues to lag. This is where the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index comes in. It ranks 121 countries against six indicators: life span, health span, work span, income, environmental performance, and happiness. This allows us to compare how sustainable different countries are, both in terms of longer lives and the extent to which their governments are investing in efforts to prevent ill health and support healthy ageing. We know prevention is better than cure. We know what works. Now we need to see action.
MoreThe Global Coalition on Aging Bone Health Initiative was convened in 2022 to address the importance of bone health on the global public health agenda. Experts project that half a billion people will soon be living with osteoporosis, which weakens their bones and increases the risk of fragility fractures – fractures that occur because of weaker bones. Every 3 seconds, an older adult suffers a fracture, resulting in an estimated 9 million fractures globally every year. Approximately 33 percent of women and 20 percent of men aged 50 and older will experience osteoporosis-related bone fractures. More importantly, we know that individuals who sustain fragility fractures ddare a readily identifiable group at high imminent risk of sustaining second and subsequent fractures.
MoreAgeFriendly.org is a data-driven technology platform that aims to provide trusted content about the aging journey, help validate and elevate all things “age-friendly”, and invite older adults and caregivers to share reviews and ratings about programs, businesses, health care providers and other services where they live, work and thrive. Experts have used the term “age-friendly” for the last 15 years to describe and assess successful approaches to improving quality outcomes for older adults in cities, workplace, homes and provider settings. Providers around the globe are innovating and creating “age-friendly” best practices to better serve fast growing populations of older adults. Consumers too are recognizing and adopting this term, fueled by consumer-facing media in the U.S. that has used the term over 300,000 times in just the last two years. A missing link in this burgeoning “age-friendly” ecosystem has been a feedback loop: the ability for providers to collect consumer feedback at scale and use it to guide the creation of better programs and services that truly live up to the promise of “age-friendly.” User-generated rating and reviews sites exist in many categories (like travel) to promote authenticity, create trust and drive purchasing decisions. To date, a comparable site that elevates and connects “age-friendly” providers with older adults has not existed. AgeFriendly.org aims to address this gap.
MoreThis weekly research report, delivered via email and also available via a dedicated webpage, is compiled by the Foundation for Social Connection’s Social Isolation and Loneliness Workgroup (SILWG). Each week, the Workgroup brings together the latest publications, events, and research on the general topic of social isolation and loneliness, including but not limited to older people. The compiled information is generally sourced from the academic / research sector.
MoreMusic for Dementia is a cross-sector national campaign to make music an integral part of dementia care in the UK. We already include more than 200 organisations from the NHS, care sector, third sector and music sector plus thousands of individual supporters, many with lived experience. All over the country there are pockets of excellence, where general practitioners are prescribing music, musicians are leading dementia choirs and music therapists are providing specialist services. Carers and individual families are discovering the difference that can be made to the life of someone living with dementia, by choosing the right song or piece of music at the right time. Music is the powerful, but as yet underused tool for supporting people living with dementia and must become an integrated part of dementia care. Music for Dementia is calling for greater collaboration between government, the music sector, health and social care and communities working at the grassroots to ensure that everyone living with dementia has access to music as part of their dementia care.
MoreWith the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) by the 73rd World Health Assembly on 3 August 2020 and by the 75th General Assembly on 14 December 2020, countries have committed to 10 years of concerted and collaborative action to improve the lives of the older people (defined as age 60 years and over), their families and the communities in which they reside. To enable countries to monitor and evaluate the Decade's progress and impact, a monitoring and evaluation framework and standard set of indicators and measures are needed. These indicators should monitor healthy ageing, social determinants of health, health conditions, behaviour risks and well-being of older people. Guidance on measures, data collection, analysis and reporting are urgently needed to support global, regional and national monitoring of the actions, programmes and policies. To provide advice on the monitoring and evaluation framework, prioritizing and standardizing indicators and how to improve ageing and health measurement globally, WHO, in collaboration with UN DESA, UNFPA, ITU, ILO, UN Women, established the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the United Nation's Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).
MoreThis guide is designed to support older people to stay healthy at home while physical distancing during COVID-19 outbreaks and to prepare for healthy ageing in the new normal.
MoreThe facilitator guide is comprised of nine topics which we advise teaching in sequential order to allow volunteers to see the full range of materials available. The tools, talking points and activities included allow volunteers to teach communities in an interactive way. The assessment topic allows volunteers to assess community needs and develop a healthy ageing programme for each community based on its unique needs. The assessment determines which topics will be taught and the priority of each topic at any given time in the programme. All topics allow participants to learn and practise key knowledge and skills to coach community members through social and behaviour change techniques and to set a supportive environment for healthy ageing at the community level.
MoreThis communication toolkit contains a series of simplified messages and reminders based on WHO's technical guidance on infection prevention and control in the context of COVID-19.
MoreThis package of tools for use globally addresses health promotion through topics such as noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk and prevention, social inclusion and mental health with an ageing focus. These materials embrace a life course approach to bridge the generational gap by teaching both younger populations about healthy choices affecting their quality of life and older populations about managing to live healthier and happier lives. The toolkit is intended to be used with the healthy ageing guides. The toolkit features full-colour imagery, interactive formats and games material to teach all audiences according to the methodology suggested in the guides. All materials can be printed in colour or black/white and are of high resolution for those National Societies wishing to enlarge and print posters and banners for other uses in their healthy ageing activities.
MoreiSupport is a self-help skills and training programme for carers of people with dementia. Worldwide, around 55 million people have dementia. Dementia causes significant psychological and emotional impact on families and carers. In five modules, iSupport teaches carers what dementia is and how to respond to common challenges of caregiving. The five modules are (i) introduction to dementia; (ii) being a caregiver; (iii) caring for me; (iv) providing everyday care; and (v) dealing with behaviour changes. Carers can choose to work through all modules and lessons consecutively, or select the lessons that are the most relevant to their everyday lives. All lessons consist of brief readings, descriptive examples and several exercises. Carers receive feedback as they work through each exercise.
MoreIn the 21st century, demographic shifts are making a significant impact on the structure of populations, bringing forth the phenomenon of an ageing population. Healthy Ageing for Impact in the 21st Century gives participants the building blocks to become future leaders in this critical area. This course will provide participants with the competencies needed to work on this agenda as part of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), showcasing that societal change for Healthy Ageing can be achieved at scale in an impactful manner.
MoreIn WHO's first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Training in Assistive Products (TAP), you will have the opportunity to join other learners around the world in taking the first TAP module "Introduction to Assistive Products". The first round of the MOOC is open for two weeks, 10 - 24 November 2022. It takes 1 to 2 hour of self-paced study to complete the module online. The training complements other WHO tools and resources in supporting countries to improve access to assistive technology. TAP is currently available in 10 languages, including the six UN languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
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