More information
Description
According to Central Statistical Office data, as at the end of 2016, 30% of Łodź residents were sixty or older, of which 40 000 were above eighty. The study (Social situation of people 65+ headed by T. Kostka) emphasizes the problem of serious loneliness of seniors in Łódź. Three out of ten respondents did not have close relationships in any social circles (family, neighbors). These are vulnerable persons due to their state of health, low level of independence, financial standing, and hardship in life, exacerbated by the pandemic (report on loneliness, 2021. First year of the pandemic. produced by Szlachetna Paczka). The project addresses the problem of social exclusion of people aged 60+ (including people 65+ who are not independent, and in particular people 80+) due to age, poor health, and further lowering of spirits due to isolation and loneliness due to the pandemic. In the project, we will conduct a series of activation workshops for people aged 60+ in three districts of the city (exercising memory and the mind, handicraft, cooking and healthy eating classes, sound therapy, and gymnastics with elements of yoga). In these groups, we will launch the volunteer activation scheme We Have Each Other! We will give training to the most active seniors as part of the Elderly Activation Scheme to conduct activation classes for people aged 65+ (in particular 80+), at their place of residence. With assistance from an activation coach, they will conduct classes for ten people aged 65-80+. We will provide all participants and interested carers of people aged 65-80+ with psychological support. The project will socially reintegrate and activate a minimum of 42 people aged 60+ (including 65-80+) and build a sense of intrageneration community, and improve their standard of living with respect to community relations and their psychophysical functioning in general.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of social exclusion and loneliness of people 60+ living in Lodz. Approximately 30% of the city''s residents are over 60 (CSO, 2016). In 2035, one in four people living in Łódź will be over 65. At the same time, according to research, as many as 3 out of 10 people do not have close relationships in any social circle such as family or neighbours. These people are also at risk of exclusion due to their state of health, low level of independence, material status, difficult living situation and pandemic-related isolation. For many people 60+, the transition to retirement age and the end of working life is difficult, as it is associated with feelings of being unnecessary and depressive states.
The project provided a series of animation workshops for more than 40 people 60+ in 3 city districts. Their topics included gymnastics for the mind and memory, handicrafts, cooking classes with healthy eating principles, sound therapy and gymnastics with yoga elements. 10 women took part in the Animator of the Elderly programme preparing them to run animation activities for people 65+ (especially 80+). They initiated the "We have each other!" animation volunteer programme and - with the support of an animator - then led activities for their peers aged 65-80+. The participants also benefited from psychological support in difficult situations (e.g. cases of depressed mood and depression, family conflicts, loneliness).
More than 50 people of retirement age benefited from the activities. Participation in the project had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing and quality of life, as it enabled them to make new contacts and spend their free time in an active way. Thanks to the course and the subsequent implementation of animation activities, the 10 trained animators regained a sense of empowerment and energy to act for the benefit of their community. An intra-generational community was successfully built.