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Description
The project addresses the problem of social exclusion and psychological, economic and physical violence against the elderly. While preparing the project, we used the report Programme for Support and Social Integration of Seniors in the City of Lublin in 2021-2025 and evaluation data of two projects: "Seniors have the POWER!" and "Strength in seniors". The data show that many challenges faced by the elderly result from their disability or limited abilities, e.g. speech, hearing, sight impairments or mobility problems. In addition, older people may experience various forms of violence, also from members of their families. Other difficulties seniors face include psychosocial barriers such as disheartenment, lack of motivation, low confidence, timidity, feeling misunderstood, isolation in the family, or self-isolation. The data also indicate that older people have more difficult access to culture, are less active in social life, and have communication or perception difficulties. In our project we want to reduce the exclusion of people 60+, including those at risk of family violence, living in Lublin, and integrate them into the local community. We will conduct workshops for older people and for seniors who are local leaders, preparing them to help older people at risk of social exclusion. We will implement a personalized path of assistance for seniors provided by leaders, and carry out activities aimed at integrating elderly people in the local community. We will provide psychological counseling for seniors, in particular for those experiencing violence. Our partner is the Territorial Self-Help Association in Lublin, responsible for psychological counseling and assistance in promotion and implementation of initiatives.
Summary of project results
Therefore, the problem the project addressed was the exclusion of older people from Lublin in various areas and aspects of life and functioning, e.g. individual, social, family, professional, cultural, and the threat of family violence.
This problem affected seniors'' difficulties in:
-low independence in life, lack of faith in one''s own abilities, inability to cope with difficult life situations
-low social acceptance of deficits resulting from age, e.g. disability
-low sense of belonging to a group or community
- fear for one''s own safety: one''s health and fitness, including those resulting from the threat of domestic violence
- social isolation
In response to these problems, we have taken steps to support this group of older people, especially people "locked up at home" who are excluded for various reasons and this offer does not reach them. This group needed direct access to their homes, which was only possible through people they knew from the neighborhood. A familiar neighbor inspired trust and could reach these people to start a slow process of integration and support. The planned project at the Foundation complemented and expanded the activities we initiated as part of the Active Senior Center, where we implemented and continue to implement activities responding to the needs of seniors from Lublin.
- Recruitment of 40 senior women and senior leaders and 40 older people in need of support and help.
- "Academy of Strong Seniors" - The workshops gave Z98 the knowledge and skills to help seniors/excluded people, how to "catch" signals of neglect, discrimination or violence, so as to tailor help to their needs.
- Help Tailored to Needs (continuous help from leaders to excluded elderly people) - Leaders provided support and accompaniment to seniors, among others. Twice a month, e.g. conversations on various topics, including those related to recognizing various forms of violence against seniors, telephone conversations - when there was a difficulty, the need for advice, help with shopping, official matters, various types of trips to the cinema, theater, museum, botanical garden, park, open-air museum, for coffee/pizza).
- Individual coaching. Each leader was under the care of his or her coach, with whom he met once a month to discuss the course of assistance, solve problems and difficulties - if they occurred, motivate the leader, help in setting goals and action plans and cooperate with seniors.
- "Seniors are among us" initiatives. A total of 12 initiatives were implemented, in which 459 people took part, including 85 young people. The main goal of the initiatives was to integrate older people with the community.
- Psychological counseling whose aim was to provide support and psychological counseling for seniors in need. 24 elderly people with various problems, including violence, took advantage of the counseling.
- On-going evaluation lasted throughout the entire project implementation period.
- Promotion and communication. A subpage was created, a promotion on Facebook, a meeting opening and summarizing the project, distribution of leaflets, posters, calendars, an art competition, information and cooperation with local media.
The project contributed to a number of positive changes both among 40 older people experiencing exclusion and among 40 leaders, i.e.
- reducing the feeling of loneliness - pers. they felt that they were not alone, that someone was thinking about them, taking care of their needs, and supporting them in solving the problems of old age
- increased ability to deal with official matters
- becoming aware that you can be active even at retirement age
- increased sense of social usefulness - although the senior leaders'' task was to support excluded seniors during the project, this turned into mutual help
- the opportunity to look at life from a different perspective - contact with a psychologist and a senior leader helped excluded seniors to change their way of thinking, to have a more optimistic view of themselves, their fate, their lives
- gaining hope that something good might happen in life - the experience of caring from a stranger (senior leader) made seniors believe that their lives could improve
- openness to people - people who were previously in a certain social isolation, experiencing exclusion - began to open up to new people, acquired greater trust in people and began to approach people with greater openness
- increased willingness to take care of themselves - seniors said that thanks to the project they began to take better care of their needs and their health - they began to eat better, take walks, and care more about their hygiene and appearance.
- improved mental well-being
- increased willingness to leave home and enjoy cultural goods - people who had not left their homes before began to feel like going out to see people, to the cinema,
- reducing the fear of contacts with other people, increasing the courage to meet new people, expanding the circle of friends