Project lead: Local authorities

• Local authorities
• Older People’s Association
• Social or health care provider
• Private sector

How collaboration worked: The Thukher Club for Senior Citizens initiative employs a collaborative approach to enhance its age-friendly practice, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded service delivery for its older members. Here’s how collaboration is effectively utilized in project management and funding within the initiative: Project Management: Strategic Partnerships: Thukher Club collaborates with various organizations, each bringing expertise in different domains crucial for older persons’ welfare. For instance, partnerships with health foundations provide medical expertise and health services, cultural associations enrich the social life of seniors, and sports councils incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. Integrated Service Delivery: Through its collaborations, Thukher Club integrates services across different sectors to provide holistic support to older persons. This requires coordinated project management that ensures all services from health care to cultural activities are seamlessly delivered, enhancing older persons’ quality of life. Stakeholder Engagement: Regular meetings with stakeholders, including older persons, caregivers, and partner organizations, help align the project’s goals with the actual needs of seniors. This collaborative approach in project management ensures that all parties are engaged and have a say in how services are designed and implemented. Feedback Loops: Continuous feedback mechanisms are established to gather insights from all participants, allowing for ongoing adjustments and improvements in project delivery, ensuring that the services remain effective and relevant. Funding: Joint Funding Initiatives: Funding for the Thukher Club often involves multiple sources, including government allocations, grants from health and social service departments, and contributions from private sector partners. These funds are pooled together, enabling a more extensive range of services than could be provided by single-source funding. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Engaging with private companies and nonprofits not only leverages additional financial resources but also brings innovation and efficiency into the management of the club. These partnerships might involve sponsorships or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that support specific programs or events. Grant Applications: The project management team actively seeks out grants that focus on older persons’ health and social services. These grants, whether local or international, provide crucial financial backing for new initiatives and help expand existing programs. Community Involvement: Sometimes, funding is also sourced through community-driven initiatives, such as fundraising events or donation drives, which further the community’s investment in the well-being of its older members. Through these collaborative efforts in both project management and funding, Thukher Club effectively marshals resources, expertise, and community goodwill to create a supportive and enriching environment for seniors, making the initiative a model of successful age-friendly practice.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: In the Thukher Club initiative, older people play a central and active role, directly influencing the development and refinement of services. They participate in feedback sessions, helping to tailor programs that reflect their needs and preferences, and serve as ambassadors within their communities to advocate for and promote the benefits of the club’s activities. This involvement ensures that the initiative remains responsive and relevant to the actual requirements of the older population.

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: No

Do you plan to evaluate your age-friendly practice? No

Feedback:
Positive Feedback: Increased Social Interaction: Older persons often express appreciation for the social activities and events that help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Improved Access to Healthcare: Positive feedback frequently highlights the benefit of having convenient access to health services that are tailored to the needs of older adults. Empowerment Through Education: Many older persons value educational programs that help them learn new skills or technologies, enhancing their engagement with the modern world. International Standards: As evidenced by the attainment of ISO certifications such as ISO 22316 for resilience, ISO 37101 for sustainable urban development, and ISO 23592 for Service excellence, the initiative clearly aligns with globally recognized frameworks that are based on comprehensive research and best practices.

Expansion plans:
1. Assessment of Current Services Begin by conducting a thorough review of current services and programs to identify strengths and areas for improvement based on feedback from participants and service providers. 2. Engagement with Additional Stakeholders Expand stakeholder engagement to include more community partners, healthcare providers, and local businesses. This can enhance the resource base and offer more comprehensive services to older persons. 3. Geographic Expansion Consider opening new club locations in other parts of the city or in nearby towns to reach more older persons. This could involve smaller satellite centers that provide core services with the same standards of care and inclusion. 4. Enhancing Service Offerings Develop new programs based on emerging needs and interests of older persons, such as technology training, advanced health care options, or specialized fitness classes. This could also involve adapting services to cater to older persons with different cultural backgrounds or those with more severe mobility or health issues. 5. Technology Integration Leverage technology to expand services, such as virtual classes, telehealth services, and online community forums that allow older persons to participate from home, making the program more accessible to those with mobility issues or those living in remote areas. 6. Partnerships and Collaborations Forge new partnerships with educational institutions, tech companies, and other organizations that can provide expertise, funding, and additional resources. These partnerships can also help in scaling the initiative more sustainably. 7. Policy Advocacy Engage in advocacy to influence policies that support age-friendly environments and older persons’ welfare, ensuring that the expansion is supported by conducive legal and social frameworks. 8. Funding Strategies Develop a robust funding strategy to support expansion, including seeking grants, launching fundraising campaigns, and exploring sponsorship opportunities with private companies interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. 9. Evaluation and Scaling Implement a scalable model that can be replicated in new locations. Regular evaluations and modifications of this model based on feedback and changing needs will be crucial to ensure its success across different settings.

Reflections:
Reflecting on the conceptual framework of an age-friendly practice such as the Thukher Club initiative, there are valuable insights and considerations that could be emphasized to enhance future implementations. Here are some reflections on potential issues and improvements: 1. Greater Awareness of Diversity Within the Older Population Reflection: An initial oversight might be the underestimation of the diversity within the older population, including varying levels of mobility, health conditions, cultural backgrounds, and preferences. More thorough initial research into these differences could lead to services that are more finely tuned to meet diverse needs. Improvement: In future implementations, conducting detailed demographic studies and needs assessments before launching the program could provide a clearer picture of the specific needs and preferences of the target population. 2. Technological Accessibility Reflection: While integrating technology to enhance accessibility and widen the reach of services is beneficial, it might initially overlook the varying levels of technological literacy among older persons. Improvement: Offering foundational digital literacy training as a core component of the program could empower more older persons to access digital services, thus improving their overall engagement and satisfaction. 3. Community and Stakeholder Engagement Reflection: Early stages might have limited engagement with potential stakeholders who could contribute resources, knowledge, or additional support. Effective stakeholder engagement is crucial and can significantly amplify the impact of the initiative. Improvement: Establishing a continuous stakeholder engagement strategy that includes regular feedback loops, partnership development, and community involvement activities could enhance program relevance and sustainability. 4. Scalability and Adaptability Reflection: Initially, the program might not fully consider the scalability and adaptability of services across different geographic and cultural contexts, which could hinder expansion. Improvement: Designing the program with scalability in mind, including adaptable service modules that can be customized for different communities, would allow for smoother expansion and greater impact. 5. Measuring Impact and Continuous Improvement Reflection: There might be a need for a more robust system to measure the impact of the initiative on the well-being of older persons and the community. Improvement: Implementing a comprehensive impact assessment framework from the outset would provide ongoing insights into the effectiveness of the program and guide continuous improvements. 6. Policy and Advocacy Reflection: In initial stages, the potential for policy influence and advocacy might not be fully leveraged, missing opportunities to shape broader systemic changes that benefit older persons. Improvement: Developing a clear strategy for policy advocacy to work alongside service provision could enhance the long-term sustainability and reach of age-friendly practices. These reflections highlight the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in developing age-friendly practices. Each iteration of the initiative provides an opportunity to build on previous experiences, enhancing the ability to meet the evolving needs of an aging population effectively.

Challenges:
1. Adapting to Diverse Needs Challenge: Older citizens have diverse needs based on their health status, cultural backgrounds, and personal preferences, which can make it challenging to develop universally suitable programs. Solution: To address this, the Thukher Club could implement personalized service plans that are tailored to individual needs. Gathering detailed feedback through surveys and personal interactions helps to continuously refine and adjust services. 2. Technology Adoption Challenge: Some older adults may struggle with new technology, which can hinder their participation in digitally delivered services. Solution: Offering training sessions to improve digital literacy can help. Additionally, providing traditional service options alongside digital ones ensures that no one is excluded due to technological barriers. 3. Engagement and Outreach Challenge: Effectively engaging with the older population to encourage participation and ensure that services meet their expectations can be difficult, particularly when dealing with isolation issues. Solution: Leveraging community networks, local media, and social services agencies to reach and engage older persons more effectively. Organizing community events and open days can also help raise awareness and foster community ties. 4. Scalability and Replication Challenge: Expanding the initiative to other regions while maintaining the quality and personalized approach of services. Solution: Developing a scalable model that can be adapted to different cultural and community settings is crucial. This involves training local teams and using technology to oversee and manage multiple locations effectively. 5. Regulatory Compliance Challenge: Navigating the complex regulatory landscape that governs health and social services for older persons, which can vary significantly from one region to another. Solution: Investing in expert legal and compliance advice to ensure all activities meet local and national regulations. Regular training for staff on compliance issues is also essential. 6. Measuring Impact Challenge: Demonstrating the tangible benefits of the initiative to stakeholders, including funders and participants. Solution: Implementing robust evaluation mechanisms that can track both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. Using tools such as participant satisfaction surveys, health improvement metrics, and economic impact assessments can articulate the value of the initiative clearly.