Social activity of elderly people Organizations unifying elderly people

Social activity of elderly people

Organizations unifying elderly

people

Organizations unifying elderly people

• It is highly significant to afford an opportunity for elderly people to express themselves actively in the society.

• The main institution in Lithuania that is engaged in this activity is Lithuanian Union of Pensioners “Bociai”.


• The main activity purposes and tasks of LUP “Bociai” are:

• to represent economical, social, and cultural interests of people of pensionary and pre-pensionary age;

• organize discussions, seminars, conferences, courses, publishing activity;


• realizing the principle “Study during all the life!”, render services for education and improving qualification to its members;

• organize the activity of artistic self-expression for elderly people.


• LUP “Bociai” communities raise the task of cultural activity – to organize cultured interesting activity for pensioners, improve the lifestyle of elderly people.

• In the society, choruses, companies, collectives of dancers and musicians, readers, drama, and other collectives of “Bociai” are especially popular.


“Bociai” for its members constantly organize the visiting of theatres and museums, excursions over Lithuania and to foreign countries, a lot of conferences, seminars, vivacious events, memorable meetings.


• Lithuanian Unity of Pensioners in 2006 started to publish the newspaper “LIETUVOS BOCIAI”.

• “Bociai” in 2007 implemented the project “Training of computer literacy of members of LUP “Bociai” funded by EU Structural Funds.


• The activity of Lithuanian Union of Pensioners “Bociai” stimulates elderly and old people to remain independent and to be self-sufficient and valuable members of their communities.

• The majority of the members of this Union attend sessions because of an opportunity to communicate.

The education of elderly people in Lithuania


• Among other institutions satisfying the demands for the education of elderly people are Universities of the Third Age (U3A).

• The education of people of retirement age is developed only by U3A having its branches in various regions of Lithuania.


• The students of U3A decide personally the knowledge of what level is needed to them, how often and when lectures shall take place.

• The students attend lectures in the Faculties of Health, Religion Studies, Regional and Tourism Studies, Housekeeping, Spiritual Perfection, Psychology, and Languages.


• U3A students also pay lot of attention to the communication.

• The activity of U3A is inconceivable without the women chorus.

• Christmas, Easer are celebrated together, get-togethers, concerts and celebrations are organized.

• It is travelled over Lithuania and the world.


This university is a nonprofit organization: students do not pay for studies and lecturers do not get salary for their work.


University of Third Age itself guarantees for elderly people better social integration into the society, stimulates prolific and sapid life, keeps efficiency, physical activity, creates opportunities to exchange life experience and to fight against premature aging.

Psycho-social aspects of aging of elderly people in

Lithuania

Psycho-social aspects of aging of elderly people in Lithuania

Earlier researches about the attitude towards elderly people fulfilled in Lithuania reveal the opponent status of people of senior age in Lithuania: the respect expressed for them is mostly declarative.


Plenty of daily situations of social interactions are to be evaluated in “mildest” cases as ignorance and derogation, whereas in worst cases – as discrimination due to age, and even the manifestations of violence with regard to the people of senior age.


• Elderly people often become the victims of stereotyped attitude and discriminatory behaviour.

• Their situation in the society is closely related to collective images of senility.

• The most common characterizations of the people of senior age in periodical press are: pensioners, antecedents, and grandparents.

The attitude of Lithuanian society towards elderly people and their images• Among the images of the people of

senior age are to be mentioned: • The image of the receiver of national

social insurance superannuation;• The image of the people of senior

age as the receivers of social support;

• The image of a person of senior rage as a physically and legally helpless victim;

The attitude of Lithuanian society towards elderly people and their

images• The image of the people of senior

age as offensive personalities;• The image of the people of senior

age as wise and active personalities;• The image of the people of senior

age as the objects of occasional respect;

The attitude of Lithuanian society towards elderly people and their images

• The image of the people of senior age as the inflexible and conservative personalities;

• The image of senility as the period of losses;

• The image of the old generation as „idling class“.


images• The relations between generations in

Lithuania are quite controversial:• The image of solidarity between

generations;• The image of grandparents as shifting

parents for their grandchildren;• The image of the generation conflict.


images• As a particular part of the society, the

people of senior age are evaluated very high, but the increase of their part in the society is evaluated cardinally on the contrary.

• Lithuanian residents are also distinguished by the lack of objective knowledge about the extent of resident aging.


images• Because of images of negative

colours in Lithuanian press that shade positive ones the image of the people of senior age could be described as objectionable and intimidating.

• Insufficient knowledge about resident aging creates the environment for negative feelings.

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Social activity of elderly people Organizations unifying elderly people