Across Lebanon, older people’s needs and voices are being put at the centre of community recovery with HelpAge global network member Amel Association International. Amel has launched a dedicated Ageing Unit that turns practical care into policy influence – linking home-based support, clinics and social networks to build stronger, age-inclusive systems.
This momentum matters because Lebanon’s overlapping crises – from currency collapse to the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion and the pandemic – have strained essential services and pushed many into poverty. Older women and men are among the hardest hit, often navigating disability, chronic illness and isolation without the support they deserve. Amel’s approach shows how that can change.
From service delivery to system change
Amel’s Ageing Unit sits within its Older People Programme and acts as a national hub for training, tools and technical guidance on ageing – backing advocacy, research, coordination and fundraising so that older people’s rights are consistently recognised across humanitarian and development systems. It aligns practice with policy, convening partners and building the evidence needed to influence national working groups in protection and health.
What comprehensive support looks like
Across Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Saida and Mashghara, Meshmesh, and Akkar, Amel operates an integrated package that meets people where they are – often at home. Older people receive primary healthcare consultations, nursing follow-up, lab tests, medication and assistive devices, alongside physiotherapy, psychotherapy and centre- or community-based psychosocial support. Case management, capacity building, hot meals and even home cleaning – delivered with community volunteers – keep people safe, connected and dignified.
Crucially, the Ageing Unit nurtures social infrastructure: older people’s committees, WhatsApp peer-support groups and intergenerational activities that rebuild community ties and challenge ageism. Visibility is amplified through social media and national coordination platforms so that the everyday realities of ageing are not sidelined in policy discussions.
Power and participation: older people at the table
Care alone is not enough. Amel has invested in leadership and advocacy training that equips older people to meet municipal leaders and articulate priorities – from accessibility to services to safer neighbourhoods. Participants report greater confidence and a stronger voice in local decision-making, with municipal meetings becoming a venue where their concerns are heard, recorded and acted upon.
One initiative, ‘Resilience and Care: Strengthening Mental Health and Healthcare Access for Older IDPs and Vulnerable Seniors in Saida and Mashghara’, blends home-based primary healthcare with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). It aims to reach around 500 older people across Saida and Mashghara, including at least 100 who participate in small peer groups receiving 800 sessions of community-based psychosocial support.
Evidence of impact you can feel
Impact shows up in policy spaces – and in living rooms. After advocacy training, older people are joining municipal meetings as equal counterparts, not passive recipients. New Older People Community Groups now run independently, offering peer-to-peer support that reduces loneliness, boosts confidence and sustains wellbeing. Measured outcomes include stronger self-expression, tighter community ties and more active participation in decisions that shape daily life.
The testimonies speak plainly:
Before they started visiting me, my days were very quiet and lonely. Now, I wait for their knock on the door - it reminds me that I’m not forgotten, that I still belong to this community. Their visits bring warmth back into my home.
Male participant, 76.
When the group comes to see me, I feel alive again. We talk, we laugh, and sometimes we share our worries. It’s like having a family nearby - they give me strength to keep going each day.
Female participant, 66.
What we’re learning – and what’s next
Three lessons are shaping the Unit’s forward plan:
Leadership unlocks demand and accountability. When older people gain the tools to engage decision-makers, services adapt faster and stay relevant.
Peer structures sustain impact. With light-touch facilitation and the right skills, community groups continue supporting one another beyond project timelines.
Follow-up matters. Regular refreshers and advanced training help groups deepen practice and advocate on complex issues, from income security to accessible transport.
A networked approach to ageing
Amel’s long relationship with HelpAge International continues through technical collaboration, joint research and capacity building – ensuring the Ageing Unit draws on global standards while contributing grounded learning from Lebanon to the HelpAge network. This shared approach strengthens advocacy across contexts facing similar demographic shifts and crisis pressures.
Why this model matters now
Population ageing is not a future scenario; it is today’s reality across the Middle East as well as the rest of the world. Models that combine comprehensive home-based care, psychosocial support, and structured participation are essential to uphold rights and build resilience – especially where systems are strained. By coupling services with influence – and by insisting older people lead – Amel’s Ageing Unit offers a blueprint that is practical, scalable and rooted in dignity.
