Help WHO shape quality health care for older people

The World Health Organization (WHO) is running a global needs assessment to inform the new WHO Global Standards for Quality Health Care for Older People. It wants to hear from older people, unpaid carers, and health and care workers and managers. Please take part, and share the surveys with your colleagues, patients and networks.

Family doctors care for older people and their families every day. WONCA colleagues, among them Dr Leon Geffen, Chair of the WONCA Special Interest Group on Ageing and Health, supported WHO in developing the survey for health and care workers.

Choose your survey

Older people: for people aged 60 or older who have used a health service at least once in the past 12 months. Health services include visits to a doctor, clinic, hospital or pharmacy, rehabilitation or mental health services, and care at home or in a residential facility. About 30 minutes.

Unpaid carers: for people aged 18 or older who provide, or in the past 12 months provided, unpaid care or support to someone aged 60 or older who used a health service in that time. Unpaid carers include family members, friends and others who are not paid for their caring role. About 30 to 35 minutes.

Health and care workers and managers: for health or care workers and health programme managers who provide, manage or organise services for people aged 60 or older. It asks about quality of care, the elements of quality care, digital technology, climate change and care in special situations such as emergencies and displacement. A short extra section is for managers. About 30 to 35 minutes.

The links open the English version. You can switch language inside the survey, or choose your language on the WHO page.

Help to take part

An older person or an unpaid carer who needs help may ask someone they trust to complete the survey for them. The person helping must have their permission, reflect their views and experiences accurately, and keep their answers private and confidential.

About your answers

Taking part is voluntary. You can skip questions that are not mandatory, or stop at any time before you submit. Answers are anonymous: no names or email addresses are collected, so a response cannot be removed once it is submitted. Please use the survey's own Previous and Next buttons rather than your browser's Back button.

Share the surveys

WHO has prepared a printable brochure with QR codes for all three surveys, and a "Survey at a glance" summary of each one. Family doctors can share the older people and unpaid carers surveys with patients and carers, for example by displaying the brochure in the practice.

WHO can provide the "Survey at a glance" summaries in the other survey languages on request. For questions about the surveys, contact WHO at [email protected].