In the canton of Vaud (Switserland), more than 40,000 people benefit each year from the services provided by Community health and social care centres (CMS). Faced with growing and increasingly specific needs, the Association vaudoise d’aide et de soins à domicile (AVASAD) has been engaged since 2020 in an ambitious initiative, supported by the Leenaards Foundation and the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education: the “Ageing Well” programme.
This programme marks a real cultural shift within the CMS: it aims to strengthen the skills of the teams while mobilising the senior citizens themselves, two essential levers for preserving autonomy and promoting home care.
Over three years, nearly 150 professionals have co-developed a unique training programme consisting of 26 podcast modules aimed primarily at care and community health assistants (ASSC), and two specific modules for other professional groups. These podcasts combine testimonials, scientific contributions, role-playing exercises, quizzes and additional resources. By 2025, more than 2,600 employees of the Vaud CMS will have completed this programme.
The results of the evaluation, conducted with the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, are significant: 64% of care and community health assistants believe that the training has enhanced their practices and improved their well-being at work, while 94% of managers say that the experience has enriched their managerial practice. The seniors themselves perceive a change as well: the willingness of CMS teams to actively collaborate with them rather than acting on their behalf. For many, ageing well means above all staying active, maintaining connections, staying informed and being able to make decisions. “The change is in the little things that matter” said one person who was receiving support during the evaluation of the initiative.
Podcasts illustrating the concept of ‘ageing well’
To build on this momentum, AVASAD is launching the ‘En vrai’ (In real life) podcasts, a three-part series giving professionals and senior citizens the opportunity to talk about what ageing well means in practical terms:
- Preserving the independence of senior citizens
- Taking local action to support senior citizens
- Promoting the health of senior citizens
👉 Discover the podcasts series (in French)
An infographic highlights the main elements that structure the ‘ageing well’ approach and the roles of each individual in this collective dynamic.
A structuring initiative for health promotion
This approach illustrates the key role of a semi-public institution such as AVASAD in implementing prevention and health promotion policies. It shows how training, research and public participation can bring about lasting change in professional practices and the conditions for ageing well at home.
The UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, a scientific partner in this initiative since its launch, is proud to support AVASAD in the development, implementation and evaluation of this exemplary experiment in the service of healthy ageing in Switzerland.
