Ageing with purpose: more than 200,000 older people take part in health workshops in Catalonia
From personal development to improving physical health and digital skills, the ”la Caixa” Foundation has promoted more than 7,000 activities this year in its 205 centres and those affiliated with local authorities throughout Catalonia. More than 220,000 older people have taken part.
According to current demographic trends, it is estimated that by 2031, 25% of the Spanish population will be over 65. Therefore, following the increase in life expectancy, one of the current challenges is to improve healthy longevity. With more than a century of experience, the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation's Senior Citizens Programme responds to the needs of this population group in a changing and increasingly diverse environment.
The aim of the training courses is to promote the participation of older people, value their role in society and contribute to their empowerment so that they can carry out their own personal projects and enjoy a life with purpose and meaning. The workshops and activities are developed along five lines of action that aim to address their needs, interests, and concerns in a holistic way, promoting their physical and emotional well-being.
- Maintaining and improving physical health and preventing frailty. Workshops to promote physical health, well-being, and the prevention of frailty, designed to comprehensively stimulate the sensory, motor, and cognitive areas so that older people can remain active and maintain healthy lifestyle habits, thereby contributing to improving their quality of life. For example: Get in Shape, Dress Well, Feed Your Well-being, Get Active or – PAIN + LIFE.
- Promoting personal development. Activities to encourage older people's capacity for growth, reflection, and empowerment to live the life they want in accordance with their values. These include Living well, feeling better; Effective treatment, a matter of dignity and rights; and living with meaning.
- Improving digital skills. Workshops to provide the tools and resources necessary for older people to navigate this new digital landscape and feel included. For example: Communicate online, carry out procedures online or prepare your outing or trip.
- Social and community participation. Solidarity actions in which older people can get involved by passing on and sharing their experience or helping the most vulnerable groups to integrate into society.
- Creativity and reflection. Workshops and initiatives aimed at fostering imagination and encouraging the search for sensitivity and awareness of personal skills to give meaning to people's lives. For example: the newly launched workshops Poetic Writing, Creative Writing, Writing and Journalistic Interpretation, and Podcast Creation.
As a new feature for the coming academic year, the ”la Caixa” Foundation will promote the Ageism Workshop: How to Detect and Prevent It, which aims to provide older people with tools to deal with ageism and, in turn, become active agents in raising awareness in their community through volunteering. One in three people in Europe is a victim of age-related discrimination at some point in their lives. That is why the initiative promotes awareness of this phenomenon and subsequent action. Intergenerational activities are particularly important in community action.
"All the activities we promote are aimed at helping older people acquire new knowledge, recognise their existing skills and discover new ones to enhance them. To achieve this, the programme develops innovative and rigorous content that promotes health, relationships, well-being, personal development, and a fulfilling life, as well as encouraging social participation," says David Velasco, director of the Senior Citizens Programme at the ”la Caixa” Foundation.
With the aim of reaching everyone in an inclusive way and thus reducing the digital divide, the ”la Caixa” Foundation offers a series of virtual workshops. Since its inception, more than 10,000 older people from all over Spain have signed up for these workshops, either on their home computers or in computer rooms at senior centres. According to a survey of those who signed up, over 94% would recommend these courses to other users.
The self-study courses cover topics such as healthy eating, exercise, wellness routines and the use of technology apps. They are designed for people who want to keep adding experiences to their lives at their own pace.
Open Classroom mini-workshops
In addition, in line with the digitalisation trend, the programme runs Open Classroom mini-workshops, with specific training for older volunteers who provide digital support in the Open Classroom spaces at senior centres. The necessary knowledge and resources are provided so that volunteers can accompany those who attend these spaces and teach them how to use the most popular digital applications and carry out the most common tasks online.
A look to the future
With more than a century of experience, the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation's Senior Citizens Programme has the strategic aim of responding to the current challenges associated with old age. Its current focus is on building models that prioritise “being” over ‘doing,’ with a commitment to the development of a personal life project. The idea is to accompany and facilitate a new stage of life that is worth living with awareness, responsibility and meaning, enjoying the present and actively contributing to society. In this context, it is particularly important to combat isolation and loneliness by promoting bonds of mutual support, self-care, and care for those around us.