Programme/activity name Program for intergenerational coexistence

Lead organisation

La Minería Retirement Home

Country Spain

Period N/A

Objective

• Offset negative impacts experienced by elderly people (e.g. loneliness) arising from changing societal norms, e.g. changes in family relations and caregiving in the last few decades;

• Promote “active ageing”;

• Make elderly people transmitters of key knowledge and values for new generations increase usefulness;

• Create respect, dignity and closeness towards different stages of life;

• Increase social participation;

• Improve social, family and personal relations.

Programme, activities, events

There are two projects within the program: Cultural Exchange Project – the possibility to exchange experiences, anecdotes and knowledge between elderly people and children of different ages through activities and workshops.

Coexistence Project – elderly people living in the retirement home offer their home as a space to children, promoting solidarity between different generations, improving self-esteem, personal and social development, and overall quality of life.

2 workshops per day of approximately 90 mins in accordance with the retirement home’s schedule. Coexistence experience occurs once per month over 3-4 days. Sessions will include a presentation and welcome to the groups, activities with objectives and a goodbye to each member.

Activities can include: bingo, drawing, crosswords, horticulture, aquatic therapy etc. Coordination needed within retirement home (social workers, entertainers etc) and educational institution.

Stakeholders and roles

The parties concerned are:

Educational institutions and students

Retirement home residents/senior citizens

Family members

Volunteers

Barriers

Personal: attitudes, abilities, motivations and conduct

Lack of participation from stereotypes or beliefs (must consider individual and group dimensions)

Spatial distribution of services/activities

Resources (material, human and technological)

Outcomes

Principles for behaviour change

Tips & tricks

Elderly people contribute experience, knowledge, maturity and a new perspective, helping them to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally, and enabling them to retain their sense of usefulness.

Keeping the focus on bringing generations together through all kinds of activities is what creates a sense of belonging. The members, through the experience of fun and enrichment, want to continue to participate and change their habits.

Maintaining activities that are customary for each within the framework of the programme but inviting the other generational group to participate means that there is always a leading group and another group that is invited and dragged to participate. Mixing introductory activities, games, sports and culture creates an interesting mix that allows for relaxation, knowledge and activation in equal measure.

Other information

Source

N/A https://www.fundacionpilares.org/modeloyambiente/docs/catalogoBBPP/ Anexos/BP40_LaMINERIA_Anexo.pdf