Zemgale Planning Region, in collaboration with partners from Latvia and Lithuania, has developed new educational programs in the first implementation phase of the “Active and Healthy Aging” project. These programs aim to prepare seniors for a better understanding of the possibilities and challenges of active aging. The programs inspire seniors to expand their understanding of life quality improvement opportunities and, through storytelling methods, to recognize the value of their lived experiences and future productive life possibilities.
Additionally, training programs for specialists have been developed to prepare them for working with seniors using active aging and storytelling methods in social work. The piloting of these programs will begin with training for specialists, followed by sessions for seniors. These pilot activities will allow the assessment of the programs’ suitability and necessary improvements, considering the specific needs of Latvian and Lithuanian seniors.
Project partners in Panevėžys, Rokiškis, Jelgava, and Bauska municipalities have already started procuring necessary equipment and improving infrastructure. The Panevėžys municipality has acquired outdoor stationary board games and exercise equipment, which will be installed in the Panevėžys Culture and Recreation Park. From September, seniors will be able to participate in outdoor sessions led by specially trained instructors, learning new skills and promoting social inclusion.
View to the Panevežys culture and recreation park where equipment will be installed soon
Renovation work is underway at the Rokiškis Education Center to make its premises more accessible to seniors. The center has already hosted various sessions involving seniors, such as Art Studio, Innovative Dance Studio, Theater Studio for persons with disabilities, Tourism Academy, and Healthy Lifestyle Academy. A total of 232 seniors, including those with disabilities, have participated in these activities. Dance studio participants have learned several dances and participated in the Lithuanian Third Age University’s line dance festival “Friendship Braid.”
In Bauska municipality, the first sessions of the “Senior Academy” on computer skills will begin at the end of July. These sessions will involve both seniors and persons with disabilities and will take place at the Saulaine branch of the Kandava Agricultural Technical School.
The Jelgava municipality has begun refurbishing premises at the “Zemgale” activity center in Glūda Parish to make them suitable for training seniors and persons with special needs. Work is also underway to improve the building’s accessibility, which is expected to be completed by early September.
This project is a significant step towards improving the quality of life for seniors and creating an inclusive society by providing the necessary support and resources for active and healthy aging.
Ongoing renovation in center “Zemgale”, new room for trainings and accessible amenities.
This article has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union. Zemgale Planning Region is fully responsible for its content, and it may not reflect the official position of the European Union.
Project No. LL-00059 “Promotion of Active and Healthy Aging” is being implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027. The total budget of the project is EUR 619,503.60, of which the European Regional Development Fund’s co-financing is EUR 495,602.88.
More about the project: Zemgale Planning Region | Active Aging Project