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Description
The aim of the project is to reduce the phenomenon of violence against the elderly by developing and disseminating a pathway, conducting an educational campaign and implementing support for seniors experiencing violence and their families. According to the Statistics Poland, at the end of 2019, the percentage of people over 60 years old was almost 25% of the population. In 10 years it will increase by another 5%. According to a report of a nationwide survey conducted by the Polish Academy of Sciences (2015-2019), approx. 15% of seniors experience physical, psychological, economic or sexual violence. Violence against the elderly is a multidimensional and very severe phenomenon, yet it is relatively under-researched. According to WHO, the data is underestimated by 80%. As part of the project, we will publicise the problems of the lack of an adequate senior citizens'' policy in Poland, the inefficiency of the care system, and the lack of support for senior citizens experiencing violence. We will monitor the situation of senior citizens, and undertake interventions that will improve the quality of life, safety and independence of senior citizens. Together with our partner, the Community Council of Senior Citizens, we will strengthen older people in crisis. As part of the project, a Pathway of Work with Older People Involved in Violence will be developed. Workshops on dealing with violent situations will be held. We will organise self-help groups, and provide specialist support. We will publish the ‘Generation’ magazine dedicated to the subject of violence and exclusion of seniors. We will hold an educational conference promoting the Path of Working with Older People Involved in Violence. We will carry out a professional educational and social campaign in defence of senior citizens'' rights. The project will contribute to increasing the knowledge of the community and employees of public institutions on the problems related to the phenomenon of violence against the elderly.
Summary of project results
The main goal and main axis of the Regional Office of the Ombudsman for the Senior Citizens project was to reduce the phenomenon of violence against seniors by developing and disseminating the document Path of working with seniors involved in violence, conducting an educational campaign, and direct support for seniors and their families. The effect of the project is to start a public debate on the phenomenon of violence experienced by older people. In the PAN study, 43 percent of surveyed Poles admitted that they knew a case of violence against an elderly person. Over 30% of respondents in 2018 observed at least one form of violence against this group of people in their own families. WHO analysis of data from 52 studies conducted in 28 countries, including 12 low- and middle-income countries, indicates that as many as 16 percent people over 60 years of age experiences some form of violence. The most common are psychological violence (11.6%), financial abuse (6.8%), neglect in care (4.2%), physical violence (2.6%) and sexual violence (0.9%). .). In Poland, over 9 million people are over 60 years old. According to forecasts, by 2050 this number is expected to increase to nearly 14 million. IF WE DO NOTHING, VIOLENCE WILL BE USED AGAINST 2 MILLION 240 THOUSAND PEOPLE (from the Path document). The topic of violence we mentioned in the project touched the aid communities, both formal (ops, clinics, probation officers, etc.) and social (NGOs, universities of the third century).
387 people took part in training popularizing the Path of working with seniors involved in violence. The key person in the project was the Ombudsman, who undertook direct interventions for older people in extremely difficult life situations (will pressures, fraudulently obtained loans, abuses related to the transfer of an apartment for care, ill-treatment in medical facilities). We have published an issue of the "GENERACJA" Magazine dedicated to the issue of violence and exclusion of seniors. Our partner, the Social Council of Seniors, supported us in spreading knowledge about the rights of older people. During the project, direct support for seniors in poor life situations and their families was important. Specialists (counselor, support coordinator, psychologist, lawyer, physiotherapist, dietitian and others) provided professional help to 71 people. On October 27, we organized a Conference of Senior Councils devoted to the issue of violence and the promotion of project activities. The key element of the project was the social and educational campaign "STOP VIOLENCE against the elderly", which was published in social media and on the websites of the FOSa Federation (www.federacjafosa.pl and www. Koniecznni.org.pl). It had a multi-layered form: an educational film about the phenomena of violence, a radio spot, 4 online interviews with specialists and 2 video podcasts. We became interested in our project among young people, who took part in workshops on Empathy towards old age using a geriatric suit (176 people). We presented the campaign products and the path document during conferences and meetings to which the project spokesman and specialists were invited, including: at the conference organized on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons by ROPS of the Marshal''s Office, October 5, 2023. and at the conference "Civic media. Reality. Future. Challenges”, November 15, 2023 in Elbląg. We have appeared many times on Radio UWM FM, Radio Olsztyn and TVP Olsztyn promoting the results of the project.
Project products:
- 71 people supported
- 1 published Magazine of Elderly People''s Environments "Generacja"
- 1 educational conference and social campaign (4 online interviews, 2 video podcasts, 1 radio spot)
- 1 path of working with people involved in violence
- 1 English translation of The Path
- 240 hours of volunteering
- 80 hours of workshops
- 40 hours of support group meetings
- 240 hours of support from specialists
- 100 conference participants (41 directly, 533 live Facebook)
Project results:
- increasing access of 71 seniors in difficult situations to forms of support (measurement method: counseling cards, list of people using support)
- increasing the knowledge and response skills of representatives of institutions and organizations in situations of violence against seniors, the assumed result of 80 people was achieved: 387 people (method of measurement: attendance lists of people participating in training 387 people, surveys, direct feedback after meetings)
- increasing the knowledge of the voivodeship''s community about problems related to the phenomena of violence against older people (method of measurement: number of visits to the project''s subpage - on average 3,000 views per month, monthly reach of Facebook posts of the FOS Federation 10,223; Facebook Nowoczesni 6,671, number of people participating in the conference: 41 directly , 533 online broadcast on FB, 400 copies of Generation published, the reach of the campaign''s media products (Internet, TV, radio) was estimated at nearly 300,000 recipients),
- increasing the level of understanding of the problems of old age and empathy among students. The expected result of 80 students was achieved: 176 students (number of training participants 176, surveys, interviews after training)