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– regions in collaboration to improve health and quality of life for elderly
Since January 2011, Centre for Senior Citizens Initiatives is implementing the project RECO - Regions in collaboration to improve health and quality of life for elderly, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, and is a part of the CREATOR mini-programme, which is a part of the INTERREG IVC Programme.
The proportion of older people in Europe is increasing and more people are living to an advance age. This is a positive change but places a growing demand on the welfare system when the cost of elderly care and medical care increases. Efforts to improve the quality of life and health of the individual also provide economic benefits to our different regions.
The aim of the project is to increase the quality of life for elderly, through developing methods securing development and support of senior citizens. Project is based on the exchange of ideas, knowledge and good practices between the cities, volunteers, non-government organizations and universities from different European regions. Our partners in the project are organizations from: Sweden, France, Finland, Hungary and Italy. We will share our experiences with them during the study visits and project workshops.
During the two year project, we will organize local events.
- In march 2011 there was a meeting with local organizations and institutions working for senior citizens in Poznan. A brochure with information about those organizations was published. In the next months we plan to organize a social awareness campaign about 50+ voluntary, an international conference concerning the international solidarity and a publication describing good practices in the sphere of improving quality of elderly’s life, which will be a summary of all project activities.
- Another was to develop the first diagnosis since 1997 about the needs and expectations of seniors living in Poznań. Official presentation of the diagnosistook place at the conference "The pro-senior actions in Poznań on the background of the activities in Poland - good practices" on 27th October 2011. Diagnosis relates to the needs and expectations of Poznań residentsover 50 years in education, health, culture and art, and their participation in social life. The study aims to identify the needs and expectations of thesocial group indicated in Poznan and the degree of their satisfaction. The study design will allow to improve the quality of life for seniors, includingincreasing their participation in social life, especially in education, health,culture and art.
The project's permanent part are the mandatory workshops in partner countries and study visits, during which we exchange the experiences and knowledge between institutions working for seniors.
- On 17-18 March 2011 held its first meeting in Miskolc (Hungary). During the meeting, all the partner organizations presented their activities.
- On 18-19 May 2011 we had a second meeting and the workshop mandatory for all sub-projects in the mini-program CREATOR. The meeting was held in Brescia, Italy.
During the meeting there was:
a) RECO project team meeting and presentation of good practice on improving the quality of life for seniors developed by Italian partners
b) Workshop of the mini- program CREATOR: "Demographic opportunity for local development: the transfer of good practices and exchange experiences."
The hosts presented the meeting local educational and preventive program for older people with diabetes and the risk of disease:
- To familiarize the partners with the scale of the problem and the outlook for the number of cases,
- Discussion of the proposed therapy, diabetics over 60 years of age,
- A detailed discussion of the program of educational courses for diabetics - illustrated presentation of educational materials,
- General application - one must take action aimed at comprehensive change in lifestyle of patients,
- Discussion on the issue and exchange of information and experience related to the prevention of diabetes among the elderly.
Second, the hosts presented a survey that will form a basis for the diagnosis of educational needs of the elderly, the proposed activities and courses. The study will be one of the local activities of the project RECO. Partners are going to examine 700 elderly people, carrying out direct talks with them.
Following subsequent presentations (France, Italy, Poland) was associated with the discussion of voluntary people over 50 year of life including its forms in the partner regions and ways to motivate volunteers. Also discussed the issue of encouraging young people to wolontaryjnych activities for the elderly, education for children and the idea of intergenerational integration.
- On 26-27 October 2011 held a third meeting and the mandatory mini-workshop program CREATOR. The meeting took place in Oviedo (Spain).During the meeting, three workshops were held concerning: products, services and human resources.
- On 30 November and 1 December there will be a study visit to Umea, Sweden, during which the employees of the Centre for Senior Citizens Initiatives will visit Swedish institutions which work for the improvement of the life quality of the senior citizens.
Project RECO - Regions in collaboration to improve health and quality of life for elderly as a part of the CREATOR mini-programme has been made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.