Human beings will naturally age. With this nature comes business opportunities in the care sector.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the elderly population in Indonesia reached around 12 percent of the total population in 2024. It is projected that this figure will continue to increase until it reaches 20.31 percent or around 65.82 million people in 2045. This trend shows that Indonesia is experiencing population aging, where the number of elderly people is increasing along with the increase in life expectancy.
Trisno Muldani, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Senior Living Association (ASLI), said that along with the increase in life expectancy and the growing number of senior citizens, the need for professional caregivers has increased, opening the door for new jobs and promising business potential.
"We (ASLI) have long since predicted that Indonesia will enter the Aging Population in 2014. Therefore, we already have 6 senior living providers in Indonesia to care for the elderly. The need for home care nurses (home services) itself continues to increase and even shortages," said Trisno Muldani, Chairman of ASLI by telephone (14/7/2025).
Caregiver training institutes are non-formal educational institutions designed to produce professional caregivers. It equips participants with the in-depth knowledge, practical skills and work ethics needed to provide the best care for the elderly, disabled or recovering patients.
The training curriculum is comprehensive, covering crucial areas such as personal care, nutrition, medication administration, first aid, effective communication, and understanding the psychology of care. The ultimate goal is to produce skilled caregivers.
The demand for trained caregivers, both in modern senior living facilities, and home care services, will continue to increase. This is a great opportunity for individuals looking for a stable career and for entrepreneurs looking to expand their business in the healthcare sector.
"For us at the Association, the average cost of training from zero to caregiver certification is at most 5 million. Those in ASLI (training institutions) are in Yogya, Bandung, Sentul, Bintaro, and Cirebon. We are currently expanding to other areas because there is quite a lot of demand," said Trisno.
Learning from Japan
Responding to this challenge, the Indonesian government, especially the Ministry of Health, has shown a strong commitment to strengthening the health and welfare system for the elderly. One of the concrete steps is to establish international collaboration.
Recently, Indonesia and Japan strengthened cooperation in the healthcare sector through a business forum in Osaka. Japan is one of the countries with the oldest population in the world, so it has extensive experience in managing a society dominated by the elderly...
"Indonesia can learn a lot from Japan, how they are able to adapt to changes in population structure through the transformation of the nursing system into professional services," said Director General of Health Human Resources at the Ministry of Health Yuli Farianti in the Kaigo 2025 Worker Competency Improvement Seminar (10/7/2025).
"Indonesia can learn a lot from Japan," said Director General of Health Human Resources at the Ministry of Health Yuli Farianti.
The collaboration aims to adapt the Japanese caregiver training module, kaigo, which focuses on respecting the dignity of the elderly, and add Japanese cultural and language materials. As an initial phase, four health polytechnics have been designated as pilot projects: Poltekkes Jakarta 1, Poltekkes Jakarta 3, Poltekkes Tanjung Karang (Lampung), and Poltekkes Mataram (Lombok).
Since 2023, Mataram Polytechnic has adopted the kaigo curriculum and Japanese language learning. They have a scheme in preparing students to be dispatched to Japan.
"So we are currently related to the acceleration of graduates to Japan, we have two schemes. The first scheme is for regular student learning, then for short-term fulfillment, those who have graduated, we provide learning for 4 months to 6 months, so that they meet the requirements to leave for Japan," said Director of the Health Polytechnic (Poltekkes) Kemenkes Mataram Yopi Harwinda Ardes (10/7/2025).
The caregiver profession is no longer just a side job, but a promising professional career path. With the right training and certification, a caregiver can work their way up from a care assistant to an elderly case manager, and even have the opportunity to work internationally.
However, to seize this opportunity, professionalism is key. Comprehensive training, covering the physical, psychological and social aspects of the elderly, is crucial. Effective communication skills, professional ethics, and an understanding of specific medical conditions of the elderly (such as dementia) will distinguish a quality caregiver.
The Indonesian Senior Living Association (ASLI) itself continues to encourage standardization of training curriculum and competency evaluation to ensure the quality of caregivers.
In a training for journalists organized by the Jakarta Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in January, Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Employment Committee for Regulations and Institutional Relations Mira Sonia said that the potential for the caregiver business is huge. Caregiver labor is not only for serving the elderly, but also early childhood education, nursing sick patients, and others.
Not only that, the business world is also encouraged to create a work environment that cares about the care economy. For example, the implementation of child care workers during parents' working hours(daycare) or special lactation rooms in offices for female workers.
