In 2025 NCF made international collaboration a priority and pursued many opportunities to learn from other countries to create better care for older people. From the OLTCA This is Long Term Care conferencein Toronto to the Global Ageing Network summit and the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Boston, and a member technology tourof the Netherlands, NCF has been at the heart of a global movement driving innovation, connection, and shared learning to improve the care of older people.
NCF lead a group of its not-for-profit care and support provider members on a technology tour of the Netherlands together with Adaptive Care. A key highlight of the tour was a visit to the Hogeweyk, the world’s first dementia village and an internationally recognised example for innovative, community-based model of care for older people. This care village is built around the concept of empowering residents to live independently, pursue their interests, maintain routines and remain active in daily life as they contribute to their community. While in the Netherlands the group also visited ‘s Heeron Loo a large residential care setting providing support for a range of residents with a diversity of care and support needs. During the visit, members were able to witness scaled up CLB acoustic monitoring equipment in use in the centralised monitoring control centre where a small team monitor 1,500 residents both onsite and remotely via acoustic sensors in each resident’s room. The monitoring team can speak directly to the resident through a microphone and alert on-site care workers where assistance is needed. This type of scaled up centralised acoustic monitoring is commonplace in the Netherlands where tens of thousands of residents are monitored overnight.
OLTCA – This is Long Term Care Conference, Toronto
In October Vic Rayner spoke at The Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) conference which set the tone for a season of global engagement. It provided a platform for care leaders to explore new models, share best practices, and build bridges across borders. The conversations sparked here laid the groundwork for deeper international collaboration, which would flourish in the events that followed. Vic updated attendees the progress of the Adult Social Care Testbed that NCF are partnering with the University of Liverpool to deliver for the Liverpool City Region. In this project, NCF member providers, their workforce and the people they provide care and support to are part of a research collaborative aimed at upskilling care workers, using social care data to create better outcomes for people and testing and developing new and emerging technologies. Vic also had chance to meet Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care.
Global Ageing Network Summit and Leading Age Annual Meeting, Boston
With Vic holding the chair of the Global Ageing Network, NCF’s leadership is front and centre at the Global Ageing Network Summit and Leading Age Annual Meeting in Boston this week. At this global gathering of care and support providers from around the world innovation, research and collaborative participation are strong themes. Activities began with visits to local care settings, a brilliant summary of which can be read here.
The Summit on Saturday 1st November brought together care professionals from around the world, united by a shared commitment to improving the lives of older adults through innovation. The Leading Age Annual Meeting then kicked off the following day with Vic delivering a number of addresses to delegates including a keynote speech and an onstage interview with world renowned chef and humanitarian Jose Andres together with LeadingAge Chair Roberto Muniz. The interview ultimately took place by video link as Chef Andres’ World Central Kitchen was in action in Jamaica responding to the impacts of Hurricane Melissa. Concluding on Wednesday 5th November the conference brought together hundreds of care leaders from over 20 countries to collaborate and explore how we can use innovative approaches to support the world’s ageing population.
Global connections happening in real time
One of the additional highlights is the International Café Lounge, hosted in partnership with Sodexo for which Helen acted as Ambassador. This dynamic space, inspired by Sodexo’s “Vibrant Mind” initiative, blends food, culture, and science to explore how nutrition supports cognitive health. It is a hub for global networking, with delegates adding pins to a world map marking connections made across continents showing just how expansive the Global Ageing Network is.
NCF members taking to the international stage
NCF members have been active contributors at these global proceedings with David Williams, CEO of St Monica Trust and Martin Rix, CEO of Belong speaking at sessions that highlighted international perspectives on community-integrated care.
David appeared on a panel together with Jason Eldering of Southern Cross Care based in Australia called “International Perspectives: Building Community Integrated Care Settings,” which explored how care environments can be shaped to foster connection, contribution, and choice. David’s insights into the Chocolate Quarter in Keynsham—a multi-generational community hub—demonstrated how co-designed spaces can transform lives.
Meanwhile Martin’s session explored lessons that can be learned from household care models. Belong are part of the Household Model International Consortium and together with HammondCare from Australia and the US Green House Project promote the benefits of small-scale congregate settings for older people. Attendees to this panel took away strategies for incorporating household model design and operational principles.
The Ageing Commons: Research and Reflection
The Ageing Commons, initiated at the 2023 Glasgow Global Ageing Network conference and supported by NCF, continued its mission in Boston with Finn moderating research poster session which covered themes around dementia care and cognitive health amongst others.
Sessions included groundbreaking work on neuroprotective diets from the Global Brain Health Initiative and a compelling presentation by Arlene Bunton on the intersectional challenges faced by married couples navigating dementia care. These discussions underscored the importance of inclusive, evidence-based approaches to ageing.
A Global Movement for Change
Across all these events, one theme stood out: the power of global collaboration. As the conference came to an end Vic Rayner reflectedon her experience as co-host of an event that saw the biggest ever convergence of care and support leaders all committed to same future of improved care for older people.
As the world map at the Boston conference filled with pins marking new relationships, it became clear that the future of ageing is being shaped not in isolation, but through shared vision and collective action. However there remains much to do as a global community as we continue to grow a stronger workforce and strive to create change and innovation in the care of older people.