TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As populations age and societies struggle to adapt, the question is no longer whether change is needed, but how it can be achieved. That question guided the "Ageing Well" and "SED Talks" panels at the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2025 on Wednesday (Oct. 29), where shared ideas on inclusion, care, and the role of social enterprises in supporting older communities.
For Abdul R. Shiil, co-founder and director of the UK-based Sahan Cares, inclusive care starts with who provides it. As a former refugee himself, he built a social enterprise that empowers refugee women to deliver professional, values-led home care across the United Kingdom. "There's nearly 200,000 vacancies in the UK for this particular group, looking after the elderly. So it's trying to think, how do we get the workforce ready to combat to combat this as we get older?" he said.
That same spirit of inclusion drives Sun Shih-shan (孫士姍), CEO and co-founder of Taiwan's Silvergate Delivery, though Sun's approach begins with technology. Silvergate connects long-term care meal delivery services across Taiwan, utilizing data systems to enhance logistics efficiency and create job opportunities for seniors. "For example, there's a rural elder community, and they use our system to train the local person. Local people don't have jobs, and they are about 62 years old. They are not rich, the older people, but they can get a job, but they join this delivery meals job," Sun said.
However, despite efforts to address workforce vacancies, Shiil pointed out that the UK's care models still often lack the intergenerational closeness that characterizes many Asian societies. "One of the reasons why there's a workforce shortage is because people are working so people are living longer. People are working, so they don't have that time to look after that relative. So that's when our organization comes, and we would cater for them," he said. "But that intergenerational link, I think, is so beautiful, and it's probably why there aren't that many caregivers here in Taiwan, because they're living with family."
In both the UK and Taiwan, the challenges are similar. In our current day and age, there is a limited workforce, growing demand, and pressure to build sustainable care systems. Across continents, both leaders share a vision of ageing not as decline but as an opportunity for renewal, showing that when compassion and innovation come together, ageing societies can become more connected, resilient, and humane.