Malaysia, Department of Social Welfare. The National Policy for Older Persons. Ministry of National Unity and Social Development

Abstract Rapid socioeconomic change, along with the demographic and epidemiological transition in Asia, has necessitated policy responses to meet the challenge of strengthening and sustaining family and community networks, social security mechanisms, healthcare strategies and long-term care provisions which provide support to older generations and contribute towards improving their quality of life, as well as enhancing the opportunities for using the reservoir of the growing number of older persons' experience and knowledge. Yet only a few countries in Asia have developed comprehensive plans for policy and action with a longterm view to respond to the growing and emergent needs of older people through political will, appropriate initiatives and legislative measures in recognising and addressing the unmet needs of older people. Nonetheless, many countries have developed specific policies and programmes to address special aspects for meeting the challenges of ageing population. The extant policies, practices and models of services and programmes developed by these countries can serve as models for others to adopt. In this paper, the policies of selected countries have been synthesised to highlight their relevance for India