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.
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.
Memory Home
Shanghai Jinmei Care for the Elderly established Memory Homes to support the city’s growing elderly population. It is a community-based space where social workers provide those with dementia and their families with professional support. These homes also provide educational programs, preventive activities, cognitive function assessments, and support for caregivers.
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.
WheeLog!—An Accessibility Map Application Created by Everyone
WheeLog!, an app for cellphones and computers, helps wheelchair users access barrier-free information about public spaces in Japan. It’s a crowdsourced map showing the actual routes taken by wheelchair users. The app aims to create an inclusive society by organizing city strolling events, where participants experience using a wheelchair.
Accompanying the Elderly to Face the COVID-19 Pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IRL quickly developed a home visit program, which aimed to minimize COVID-10 transmission and meet the biological, psychological, and sociocultural needs of older people.
The Intergenerational Self-Help Club (ISHC) Development Model
Since 2006, HelpAge International in Vietnam (HAIV) and local partners have piloted the ground-breaking Intergenerational Self-Help Club (ISHC) model—community-based organizations that promote healthy longevity through a range of inter-generational activities.