Developed country systems and international intervention tend to veer toward the institutional provision of care (the high costs of which are borne by governments) as opposed to care through inherited family and community networks, which bear their own costs. 

Policy makers though, often have low awareness of changing populations and related problems, and can lack adequate focus on, and commitment to, relevant programs. The aim of the Management Information System (MIS) through which AUICK fosters connections between its associate cities and their local universities, is to address this issue by providing increased and comprehensive data to local governments for population based programs and policies.                                                                                    Free community health-checks in Surabaya

Japan has shown a focus on ‘workfare’ as opposed to ‘welfare’, with its aged citizens actively trained and employed, economically active after the traditional retirement age. It is shown that with high-level political commitment, community and social institutions can be appropriately redressed. 

In Indonesia, a recently developed institution for family empowerment, ‘Posdaya’, facilitates grass-root citizen involvement, by advocating and initiating local community programs based on government policies concerning the aged. The Indonesian word for ‘fire’, ‘API’, which also stands for Advocate Empowerment Initiation, is promoted as the ideology of such initiatives. 

In many countries, as well as increasing in numbers, the aged are appreciated less. They are living longer, but their welfare support is difficult to maintain, and their self-worth and participation in society diminishes. These factors will greatly impact the future of ageing societies if the appropriate programs and policies are not developed. 

So, educated and politically concerned citizens have to achieve the commitment and readiness of local governments by advocating ideas for focused, measurable and manageable people-based policies and programs. These programs should aim for the involvement of elderly citizens in society, by creating the conditions and environment for them to be active, healthy, employable, and treated as positive human resources for the future. Where awareness of such issues is low, working together is vital, to encourage the adoption by mayors of appropriate plans, such as through the AUICK workshop and Action Plan system. 

New examples are needed in cities to show the effective management of the elderly, without necessarily following the institutionalization of the elderly of developed countries, but by promoting the ‘social-institutional’ (family and community) support, such as the ‘Posdaya’ system, newly developed in the villages of Indonesia, before the institutional support.

The challenges are to improve the health, social participation and economic participation of the elderly. The provision of regular health checks, access to doctors, and regular exercise programs enable the aged to remain active. Many live alone, retired, isolated and feeling unimportant or unable to work with others, necessitating their assimilation into the community through social links and networks. And as many have lived as untrained dependents on the income of a diseased spouse, their informing, educating and training, and then access to simple employment that they are capable of doing, need to be actively encouraged. An example of this is the encouraging of the aged to join special courses at the ‘Silver College’, and subsequent employment promotion of Kobe. Such systems and initiatives can also be inspired through sharing knowledge through the medium of local and international seminars. As a simple start, arranging a hobby-based social club for elderly in a public area is a step away from their isolation from society. 

Social commitment among family and community members can be sustained by financial or institutional support, but should nonetheless be the base for the protection and appreciation so deserved by the elderly.