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Description
The aim of the project is the development of age-friendly municipalities. In the course of the project cooperation between municipalities and representatives of seniors will be facilitated and appropriate forms of cooperation tested. First, municipalities that are interested and willing to promote cooperation with representatives of seniors to make municipality age-friendly will be identified. Representatives of these municipalities and seniors will be consulted on their training needs; training programs will be designed, and trainings carried out.
Based on the knowledge gained from the training, participants will do their homework with the aim of planning a suitable form of cooperation together with municipalities.
As a result of the project a training program has been designed and refined ready to be implemented in other municipalities. In at least 20 Estonian municipalities there are working forms of cooperation between the municipality and representatives of seniors in place thus ensuring that the voice of the elderly is better heard.
Summary of project results
The proportion of elderly individuals in society is increasing due to longer life expectancy, and as a result, their role and participation in society are changing with extended presence in the labor market. More than a third of the older population and a significant portion of socially active citizens require much greater attention from the state, local governments, businesses, and organizations—both in terms of integrating them into the labor market and addressing their social welfare needs. Estonia, alongside other Northern and Western European countries, is one of the leading nations in terms of aging demographics.
It is crucial that issues concerning the elderly remain consistently represented in societal discussions, and that both the elderly themselves and the associations representing their interests actively participate in public dialogue. This includes contributing to relevant legislative changes, shaping policies and measures, and providing elderly individuals with appropriate counseling, training, labor market services, and opportunities for social engagement.
Local governments play a key role in addressing these challenges, as most of these issues fall within their responsibilities. In several municipalities, councils for the elderly have been established, and new advisory councils are being formed as partners to municipal councils and administrations. However, a major challenge has emerged: while these councils are created, their activities often stagnate because neither municipal specialists nor council members receive proper training on how to organize the work of these councils, establish cooperation, and collectively identify and resolve regional issues.
The project aims to provide training support to local governments and representative bodies of the elderly, helping them collaboratively develop age-friendly municipalities.
The project activities included developing joint training programs and curricula for representatives of elderly councils and social workers in municipalities, followed by conducting these training sessions across different regions. The training sessions were well received by participants, and feedback was collected regarding the content, trainers, and organization. Participant evaluations were highly positive.
In total, 11 training days were held across various counties, with 187 participants attending. Instead of the initially planned 12 training sessions, 14 were conducted, along with 3 experiential learning sessions. These experiential sessions provided participants with an in-depth look at a specific municipality’s social work practices and the experiences of its elderly councils.
Representatives from elderly councils and/or social workers from 21 municipalities participated in the training, along with officials from five district administrations in Tallinn.
As a result of the project, the elderly councils in participating municipalities are now better equipped to function effectively and have a greater understanding of the importance of cooperation.
In the long term, this will contribute to making municipalities increasingly age-friendly. Additionally, the project has supported the development of principles for age-friendly municipalities, which will serve as a guide for drafting and implementing legislation, as well as for planning activities that consider the needs and challenges of elderly citizens.