Browse Ageing Policies

The "Involvement of Older People in Regional Programmes on Active Longevity and Healthy Life Expectancy to Maintain High Social Activity" was introduced in 2019 by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation under the federal project "Older Generation" of the national project "Demography". Implemented at the regional level and led by each region’s local authorities, this initiative targets senior citizens, focusing on promoting active longevity and healthy life expectancy. It aims to improve health, extend the period of active participation, and enhance social connectivity among older persons. Key measures include introducing new healthcare and social protection technologies, promoting healthy lifestyles, and organizing lifelong education in the "third age," including pre-retirement preparation. Each region customizes its programmes based on local needs and budget to ensure older citizens maintain high social activity levels. The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation oversees these initiatives as part of the 2021–2025 Action Plan within the Strategy for Action in the Interests of Senior Citizens. As of 2023, these programmes have reached 12 million older persons, reinforcing their role in society and supporting active, healthy ageing.

The Strategy of Digital Transformation of Slovakia 2030 is a framework inter-departmental government strategy that defines the policy and particular priorities of Slovakia in the context of digital transformation of economy and society under the influence of innovative technologies. This involves transitioning from an industrial society to an information society, focusing on innovative technologies like AI, IoT, 5G, big data, blockchain, and HPC to drive economic growth and competitiveness. It is a cross-sectorial policy, and it is coordinated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic for Investments and Informatization (ODPMII), in collaboration with other central state administration bodies. The strategy has a national scope, aiming to digitize the entire economy and society of Slovakia. It targets all Slovak citizens, entrepreneurs, and sectors such as education, public administration, and infrastructure development. Key interventions include the digital transformation of schools and education, creating a basis for a modern data and digital economy, and improving public administration's ability to use data and innovations. Implementation involves regulatory and non-legislative measures, investments in digital economy, and integration of initiatives under one digital agenda. In terms of timeframe, the strategy covers the time between 2019 and 2030.

The national plan for ageing support and dependency care is the strategic framework that aims to ensure positive home care experiences for beneficiaries and their families, prevent successive re-hospitalizations and loss of autonomy, and increase the number of available places in institutions for dependent older persons. The key institutions involved are the Department of Social Affairs and Health, the Directorate of Health Action, the Directorate of Forecasting, Urban Planning, and Mobility, Princess Grace Hospital Center (CHPG) and the Department of Clinical Gerontology. The main stakeholders are service providers for personal services. The policy is national in scope and its targeted audience is dependent older persons, whether at home or in institutions. Key features of the plan include the upgrading the rates of autonomy benefits, the signature of agreements with personal service provider companies, the issue a Sovereign Ordinance requiring accreditation for these companies, and the implementation of a procedure for reporting adverse events, among others. In the short term, 150 additional places will be created at the Cap Fleuri Residences and Hector Otto Foundation. By 2024/2025, a new Accommodation Establishment for Dependent Older Persons will be opened. The plan was introduced in 2019.

In 2019, Lithuanian retailers "IKI" and "Rimi" launched significant campaigns aimed at changing society's attitude towards older persons, addressing ageism, and promoting their inclusion in both the workforce and society. "IKI" introduced a loyalty card specifically for seniors, which led to over 150,000 older customers benefiting from special discounts and privileges. They also launched an image campaign that portrayed older adults as vibrant and energetic, effectively challenging negative stereotypes about ageing. "Rimi" conducted the social experiment “#AmžiusNesvarbu” (“Age Doesn't Matter”), focusing on the employment challenges faced by older people. This campaign resulted in a 10% increase in the hiring of older employees within the company, demonstrating that age should not be a barrier to employment. The campaign also sparked widespread public discussions on age discrimination. Overall, these efforts contributed to a broader societal awareness, initiating a shift towards greater inclusion and appreciation of older adults in both the workplace and public life.

The programme aims to enhance lifelong learning opportunities and improve digital education access for all citizens. It seeks to foster Kazakhstan's scientific contributions to socio-economic development while equipping individuals with skills necessary for modern life, including digital literacy and entrepreneurship. The Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan oversees the programme, with input from various government sectors and universities across the country. The programme is national in scope, targeting individuals of all ages across Kazakhstan. A particular emphasis is placed on older adults through the "Silver University" initiative, which serves citizens aged 50 and older. "Silver Universities" have been established in 35 institutions, offering diverse programmes in digital skills, foreign languages, entrepreneurship, law, culture, religion, and physical activity. Popular courses include English language learning, e-government services, digital literacy, and promoting healthy lifestyles. The initiative aims to empower older adults with knowledge and skills that can improve their quality of life and social participation. Most universities have developed their own courses and prepared teaching aids. The total number of students is about 2,000. The programme was approved in December 2019 and will run until 2025.

The "National multilevel co-managed coordination of active ageing policies” Project (2019) in Italy aims to create a national multilevel co-managed coordination of active ageing policies in Italy. It seeks to activate a shared intervention model for policymaking and policy implementation in the field of active ageing. The project plans to improve the status quo in various geographical contexts based on the results concerning the state of the art analysis. The project is a formal agreement between the Italian Presidency of the Council of Minister – Department for Family Policies (DIPOFAM, funding body) and IRCCS INRCA. The partnership is completed by representatives of the Ministry of Labour and of INAPP. The project is national in scope and involves different stakeholders at different geographical and governmental levels. It is a pilot project in sight of a possible (next) Italian Active Ageing Strategy. The project involves five main steps. Starting from an analysis of the state of the art concerning active ageing policies at the national and regional level (step 1), guidelines will be produced for policy making and policy implementation in the field of active ageing (step 2). The next aim is to identify one or more areas where to intervene to improve the status quo in the various geographical contexts (step 3), and then to proceed towards an implementation process of active ageing policies by using the guidelines (step 4), monitoring the evolution of the process (step 5).

The Work Ability Programme aimed to eliminate obstacles to the employment of people with partial work ability and develop services to support their work ability and employability. The programme was implemented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The programme covered the unemployed with partial work ability and the long-term unemployed in Finland. The programme sought to prevent prolonged unemployment and incapacity for work and increase labour market involvement of those with a weak labour market position. The programme had seven aims, such as identifying the need for work ability support, providing individual and timely services, strengthening the expertise of professionals, promoting the creation of jobs, developing services for employers, reforming the rehabilitation paths and services, and seeking solutions to lower the recruitment threshold. The programme developed work ability support services in the well-being services counties' health and social services centres, which are new regional entities that provide social and health services in Finland. The programme ran from 2019 to 2023.

The Charter for a Dignified Elderly Care in Denmark is a white paper that aims to improve the quality of life of elderly citizens through a citizen-centered approach and targeted efforts. It addresses the challenge of ensuring that the older adults are involved and empowered, considering their individual needs and preferences. The charter was developed by the partners who collaborated on the Senior Summit of 20211: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Senior Citizens have in collaboration with FOA (trade union and unemployment insurance fund), Local Government Denmark (KL) and DaneAge (Ældre Sagen). The charter targets the older population in Denmark. Healthcare Denmark is responsible for the publication of the white paper. It is a national-level policy and is cross-sectoral in scope, involving multiple stakeholders in the field care for older persons. The charter sets out three main landmarks. The first is securing welfare: this involves ensuring that the basic needs and welfare of the older adults are met. The second is care for older persons with a focus on presence, quality of life, and care: this emphasizes the importance of providing care that enhances the quality of life of older persons and ensures their well-being. The third is good solutions must come from practice in everyday life and must be disseminated: this underscores the importance of learning from practical experiences in everyday life and sharing these insights to improve elderly care practices. This charter represents a significant step towards dignified care for older persons in Denmark. It reflects a commitment to learning from practical experiences and sharing best practices to ensure the welfare and quality of life of the older persons.

The objective of this governmental decision is to increase the care allowance for individuals in the third and fourth degrees of dependency, supporting informal caregivers who provide continuous home care. The policy is implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. Key stakeholders include informal caregivers and individuals with high dependency levels. The policy targets individuals in the third and fourth degrees of dependency across the Czech Republic. It specifically benefits those not receiving residential social services. Key features of the policy include that, from April 1, 2019, the care allowance for individuals in the fourth degree of dependency increased from 13,200 CZK to 19,200 CZK. For the third degree, the allowance increased from July 1, 2019, to 13,900 CZK for children and 12,800 CZK for adults. The increased allowance is applied automatically, with no need for recipients to apply. As of February 2019, nearly 360,500 allowances were paid, indicating significant financial support for dependent individuals and their caregivers. The policy was introduced in 2019.

The Resilience Training project, organized by the Senior Action Quebec Association (SAQ). The project offers a series of train-the-trainer modules accessible online to SAQ's members, focusing on various aspects of teaching resilience skills Modules include resilience and self-awareness, recognizing the strength of character, coping and control mechanisms, resilience and social connections, key sills to build resilience in seniors. The project targets English-speaking seniors in Quebec who wish to enhance their resilience skills. The training was held between 2019 and 2020. Partners of the initiatives are: Community Health and Social Service Network, Quebec Community Groups Network, Canadian Heritage, Secretariat aux relations avec les Quebecois d'expression anglaise. The trainings are adapted to the region reality. SAQ's members have access to the online train-the-trainer modules. Additionally, when possible, in-person training sessions are offered. The goal is to support an already strong network of community organization and create a stronger and more vibrant English-speaking senior community who will be better equipped to engage with the wider community, both English and French speaking.

The Strategy for Improving the Position of the Elderly is prepared by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with financial and technical assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Strategy refers to the period 2018–2027, and it is done through a multisectoral engagement in which the Public Health Institute of the Federation of BiH participated, and the coordinator and holder of the activities was the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. As a general objective, the Strategy aims at improving the quality of life of older persons, with specific objectives, namely: reducing poverty in the elderly; improving social protection of older persons; improving access to public services to meet the basic living needs of older persons, with particular reference to rural areas; improving volunteering activities for older persons in local communities; increasing the awareness of the population about the needs of older persons; improving the health of older persons; improving access to lifelong learning Programme, sports and recreational and cultural content for the older persons; prevention of abuse against older persons, and protection and rescue of older persons in emergency situations.

The primary goal of the Personal Assistance Act and Ordinance No. RD-07-7 of 28.06.2019 for inclusion in the mechanism of personal assistance is to establish a framework for the provision of personal assistance to individuals with disabilities. It aims to ensure proper implementation, avoid double funding, and regulate the agreements between users, assistants, and providers. The main institutions involved are the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, municipalities, and the Social Assistance Agency. Key stakeholders include individuals with disabilities, their legal representatives, and personal assistants. This policy targets individuals with disabilities across the nation who have been assessed and issued a directive for personal assistance. It covers the procedures for applying, providing, and monitoring personal assistance services. Key features include the application process, criteria for selecting personal assistants, and the terms of agreements between users and providers. The policy outlines the responsibilities of municipalities and the Social Assistance Agency in overseeing the provision of services, ensuring compliance, and preventing double funding. Training for assistants and users is also mandated. As this policy was established in 2019, its impacts include improved access to personal assistance for individuals with disabilities and better regulation of service provision.

The National Strategy for Active Ageing in Bulgaria (2019–2030) aims to create conditions for active and dignified life of older persons by providing equal opportunities for their full participation in the economic and social life of society. It builds on the National Concept for Promotion of Active Ageing (2012). It is cross-sectorial: while the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is the responsible institution for the implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the strategy, other ministries and government agencies are involved in these processes. The strategy includes four main priorities: ensuring equal opportunities for active employment and financial stability of older persons; improving the standard and quality of life of older persons; ensuring equal opportunities for access to health and social services and promoting healthy and active ageing; and overcoming the negative stereotypes and building a positive public image of older persons. The strategy outlines various actions and measures under each priority, such as promoting lifelong learning and flexible work arrangements, reforming the pension system and combating poverty, improving the living environment and the accessibility of public spaces, developing and modernizing long-term care and home care, supporting the development of the “silver economy” and the voluntary work, and raising awareness and education on ageing issues.

The Decree on the Organization of Primary Care, Regional Healthcare Platforms, and Support for Primary Care Providers is a comprehensive policy enacted by the Flemish Parliament and sanctioned by the Flemish Government. Its overarching objectives are to improve the accessibility and quality of primary care, foster integrated and interdisciplinary healthcare, and bolster support for primary care providers. The decree delineates primary care zones and providers, underscores the significance of integrated care and support, and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals. The institutions and stakeholders integral to this policy include the Flemish Government, primary care providers, regional healthcare platforms, patients, and informal caregivers. The scope of the decree extends to the organization of primary care within specified zones, operational cooperation among healthcare actors, and the provision of coherent and continuous care. It applies to the Flemish community, defining primary care, providers, and integrated care, and promotes interdisciplinary cooperation with specific actions such as establishing care councils and supporting informal caregivers. The decree's main features involve legislative measures for implementation, collaboration between local administrations and healthcare providers, and support mechanisms for informal caregivers. The decree was enacted in 2019.

The "Silver DOST Volunteers" sub-program, jointly organized by the DOST Volunteer Program and the “Third Spring” project, aims to promote an active lifestyle for retirees and support effective organization of their leisure activities. The program engages older citizens in volunteer work at DOST centers, helping them stay active and involved in their communities. The program operates nationally, targeting retirees who are willing to contribute to society through volunteer work at DOST centers. Key features include involving retirees in activities such as welcoming citizens, providing information, directing individuals to relevant specialists, and conducting satisfaction surveys regarding services received at the centers. The program facilitates intergenerational cooperation by allowing retirees to work alongside younger volunteers, promoting knowledge exchange and mutual support. The sub-program has been in operation since 2019 and continues to offer meaningful opportunities for retirees to stay active, contribute to community life, and enhance their social engagement.

The Parliament of Austria created the media awards “Senior Citizen Rose” and “Senior Citizen Nettle” in 2019 which are created to promote a society for all ages. The goal is to give importance to age discrimination which does not receive the attention that discrimination based on gender or origin, for example. In conferring the “Senior Citizen Rose” and “Senior Citizen Nettle” (Senioren-Rose and Senioren-Nessel) media awards, the Austrian Senior Citizens Council has attracted attention from the public and promoted social participation and positive images of age and ageing. The annual event for assigning the awards is organized by the Austrian Senior Citizens' Council and the Austrian Journalists' Club (ÖJC). A jury of senior citizens and journalist representatives awarded prizes to contributions to journalism and advertising as well as accurate images of older persons. The "Senior Citizens' Rose" is awarded to media makers for realistic depictions of the lives of senior citizens, while the "Senior Nettle" is awarded to those who still spread unrealistic clichés about older persons.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund has the primary objective to support the development and expansion of social enterprises, particularly those employing individuals from disadvantaged groups. This includes subsidizing activities, creating new jobs, and covering social and health insurance costs. The fund is managed by the government of Albania, namely the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, with additional support from donors and international financial institutions. Key stakeholders include social enterprises and disadvantaged groups. The fund targets social enterprises across Albania, focusing on sectors that employ disadvantaged individuals. It aims to create new job opportunities and support the sustainability of social enterprises. Key features of the fund include subsidies for social enterprise activities up to 135,000,000 ALL. The fund also includes job creation subsidies up to 100,000 ALL per new job, with a maximum of 20 new jobs per enterprise. Additionally, there are social and health insurance subsidies up to 100% coverage for employees from disadvantaged groups, which include older employees. With regards to implementation, payments are made in two installments (70% upon approval and 30% upon project completion). Social enterprises must submit a business plan and meet specific conditions, such as hiring at least three new employees from disadvantaged groups within 12 months. The policy was adopted for the period 2019–2021.