By Willem Myburgh / Director of Training & Development
In March 2026, a global conversation unfolded around a proposed UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. It brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to reflect on equity, human rights, and age-friendly environments. On the surface, this sounds like progress, and it is. A legally binding framework could reshape how societies value older persons, strengthen accountability, and create a shared global vision for ageing.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we already know what good ageing looks like and we already have frameworks, principles, and policies. And yet, older persons still experience loss of dignity, autonomy, and belonging every day. So, the real question is, do we need better policy, or why are we failing to translate what we already know into lived experience?
A story from the floor: when “person-centred care” becomes task-centred reality
A few months ago, during a walkthrough of a residential care setting, a caregiver quietly said:
“We’re told to treat residents as individuals… but we don’t have time to know them.”
This is not a failure of intention. It is a failure of system design. Research consistently shows that even homes or villages that claim to provide person-centred care often fall short in practice — with residents reporting loss of autonomy, a lack of empathy, and institutional routines overriding personal preferences.
At the same time, staff themselves feel invisible, reduced to task execution rather than recognised as relational professionals. This is the paradox:
- We design systems to deliver “care”
- But in doing so, we unintentionally strip away the very human relationships that define it.
What the global conversation got right (and what it didn’t go far enough on)
The Age-Friendly Conversation highlighted four critical insights:
- This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity
A UN Convention could reshape how societies view ageing — shifting from charity to rights, from dependency to agency.
- Older persons must be active participants
Not recipients of care — but co-designers of it.
- Local actors are the real drivers of change
Municipalities, providers, and communities are where rights become real.
- Participation is the mechanism of legitimacy
Without lived input, policy becomes theoretical.
But here’s where we need to push further. Local actors are not just “implementers” of rights — they are the creators of lived dignity. This is where our CEO, Prof. Rayne Stroebel’s work has consistently challenged the sector.
Prof. Rayne Stroebel’s contribution: shifting from care delivery to relational ecosystems
At GERATEC, under the leadership of Prof. Stroebel, a different question has shaped our work:
“What does it take to create environments where people continue to live — not just be cared for?”
This reframing is subtle, but radical. It moves us from service delivery to lived experience, from compliance to culture, and from systems to relationships. It aligns closely with emerging global thinking on relationship-directed support, which extends person-centred care to include everyone in the ecosystem — residents, staff, families, and communities.
The real barrier: the workforce crisis we don’t talk about honestly
Let’s be direct.
You cannot create dignified, relational care environments if:
- Staff are overworked
- Teams are understaffed
- Turnover is high
- Training is inconsistent
And globally, this is exactly what we are seeing.
The aged care sector is facing:
- Workforce shortages
- High burnout and turnover
- Low job satisfaction
- Limited career pathways
Even more critically:
When staff are not recognised as “persons” within the system, their ability to deliver person-centred care collapses.
This is one of the sector’s biggest blind spots.
We expect caregivers to:
- deliver empathy
- build relationships
- support identity
…while operating in systems that deny those same experiences to them.
Challenging the industry norm: care is not a service; it is a relationship economy.
Most aged care systems are built on a task-based operating model:
- medication rounds
- hygiene routines
- meal schedules
- compliance checklists
These are necessary. But they are not sufficient. Because well-being is not delivered through tasks, it is experienced through relationships. And yet, most funding models, staffing structures, and performance metrics:
- measure tasks
- reward efficiency
- ignore relational depth
This is where the industry must be challenged.
A new model: translating rights into daily practice
If we take the UN Convention seriously, then the question becomes:
What does “human rights” look like at 10:30 on a Tuesday morning in a care setting?
Not in policy documents.
Not in strategy sessions.
But in lived moments.
Here is a practical translation framework:
- Rights → Choice in micro-moments
Example:
Instead of fixed routines:
- “Bath time is at 7am”
Ask:
- “When would you like your day to start?”
- Participation → Co-design, not consultation
Move beyond:
- surveys
- suggestion boxes
Toward:
- resident councils with real authority
- co-created care plans
- family partnership models
- Dignity → Environment redesign
Ask:
- Does this space feel like a home or an institution?
Small shifts matter:
- personal belongings
- flexible dining
- sensory environments
- Workforce recognition → Staff as relational leaders
Invest in:
- emotional intelligence
- communication skills
- reflective practice
Not just clinical competence.
Because:
Skilled carers don’t just “do tasks” – they interpret human needs.
- Accountability → Measure what matters
Stop measuring only:
- compliance
- incidents
- outputs
Start measuring:
- sense of belonging
- relational quality
- emotional well-being
What this means for South Africa
South Africa faces a unique convergence:
- Growing ageing population
- Resource constraints
- Deep inequality
- Strong community networks
This creates both risk and opportunity.
The risk:
We default to institutional, efficiency-driven models.
The opportunity:
We build community-integrated, relationship-centred systems that the world can learn from. Because in many South African contexts, we already understand something deeply, care is not something you deliver, it is something you live together.
A call to leadership: stop waiting for the Convention
The global momentum is real. But if we are honest, the sector does not need to wait for a UN Convention to begin transforming.
We already have:
- the evidence
- the frameworks
- the experience
What we need is:
Leadership that is willing to redesign systems around people — not processes
Final reflection: the future of ageing is decided in ordinary moments
The success of any global convention will not be measured by:
- How many countries signed it
- How many policies are written
It will be measured by:
- whether an older person feels heard
- whether a caregiver feels valued
- whether families feel included
- whether a community feels connected
And those outcomes are not created in boardrooms.
They are created:
- in conversations
- in relationships
- in everyday choices
Closing thought
At GERATEC, and through the leadership of Prof. Rayne Stroebel, we are increasingly convinced of one thing:
The future of ageing will not be built by systems alone. It will be built by the courage to humanise them.
Call to Action
If you are a leader in aged care, ask yourself:
- Where are we prioritising tasks over relationships?
- Where are we excluding the voices of older persons?
- Where are we undervaluing our staff?
And most importantly:
What is one change we can make this month that would make care feel more human?
If you’d like to explore how your organisation can translate policy into practice, connect with us at GERATEC or join one of our upcoming learning sessions through GERALEARN.