IM-OK Project
To combat social isolation, the Lions Befrienders Service Association (LBSA) created an easy-to-use elderly-friendly tablet device that lets users monitor and report their daily wellbeing. Pushing an “I am OK”button lets people know they are alright, and any missed check-ins alert family or LBSA volunteers to confirm the person’s safety. The tablet offers entertainment, learning, and health-related functions as well.
Micro-Jobs Program for Older People
The Micro-Jobs Program lets healthy, active seniors assist frailer peers in their neighborhood through tasks such as meal delivery, medication reminders, or accompanying people to doctor’s appointments. The tasks are “bite-size,” so there is a low barrier to entry. Participants are trained and receive a modest allowance in
return for the tasks. More importantly, they feel a sense of purpose and engagement with their community.
CARE-Net—A Smart Integrated Care Approach to Reach Older People in a Depopulated Area
CARE-Net is a digital platform that assists underserved rural communities by connecting health, welfare, long-term care, and medical care. By allowing inter-agency data-sharing and communication, experts can quickly identify a person’s needs and consult with others to resolve them. Village care managers (trained citizen health leaders) in each village help their neighbors navigate the system and advocate on their behalf.
Home Nursing to Regenerate the Town
Nurse & Craft addresses aging, rural communities by establishing a home-visit nursing station to provide medical treatment and care at home, taking advantage of telemedicine to access medical doctors on the mainland. They also offer a combination of health monitoring technologies, regular home visits by nurses, and health classes to improve medical literacy and digital literacy among older residents and promote healthier living.
Go Bike Project—Ronda Kalusugan Program
Go Bike trains young volunteers to become community responders—“Go Bikers”—in times of emergencies and disasters. They use bicycles equipped with first-aid kits, medicine, blood pressure apparatus, random blood sugar checking kits, and disaster response equipment that they used to effectively respond to help those in their communities. Recognizing the value of these trained volunteers, the project expanded the following year to have the Go Bikers conduct a regular health monitoring program for older people called the “Ronda Kalusugan Program,” which includes blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring. This is designed to help hypertensive and diabetic patients in the community monitor their health and respond quickly if the person requires further attention.
YoungHappy Plus—Online Community Platform to Enhance the Quality of Life for Urban Seniors
YoungHappy is a social enterprise providing in-person and digital solutions to promote social interaction, physical activity, and mental stimulation for urban elders. They create “Happy Spaces,” community hubs located in shopping malls, let members join their peers for art workshops, health talks, exercise classes, etc., while their “YoungHappy Plus” platform (via app or LINE), offers virtual classes on digital literacy, health, and more.
Ready Senior Project
The Ready Senior Project is an online platform that includes a learning space for gaining technology skills as well as health-related and caregiving skills. This university-based project seeks to empower older people to be economically self-reliant, have a good quality of life, and reduce the burden on healthcare systems as Thailand’s population continues to age.
Longzhen One-Stop Community Elderly Service Program
The Longzhen One-Stop Community Elderly Service Program in Beijing aids seniors aged 80 and above with various services. Liaisons and volunteers assist with tasks like meal delivery, medical supplies, and more, helping older adults maintain their independence. This initiative benefits over 1,500 seniors in the Jinsong region.
Odekake Rehabilitation Initiative to Promote Outings for Older People and Commercial Revitalization
Odekake (Outing) Rehabilitation is an original healthcare project mainly targeting older persons or those who require care and support. It combines the concept of “shopping, dining, and recreation” together with “activity, sports, and interaction” to create a comprehensive form of rehabilitation while also contributing to the local economy.
STRONG Program—A Collaborative Municipal-Community Model for Comprehensive Elderly Care
Bueng Yitho municipality uses a bottom-up grassroots approach to provide a continuum of care for older people with a wide range of needs in their community. Based on the success of their program at the local level, they have developed a framework for disseminating STRONG to other local governments in Thailand.