190,000 older people and 7,200 workshops for active ageing

The increase in life expectancy is one of the major social challenges of our time. Today, a 65-year-old person can expect to live for another 21 years. In this context, promoting healthy and meaningful aging has become a priority. With more than a century of experience, the Elderly Program of ”la Caixa” Foundation responds to the needs of this population group in a changing and increasingly diverse environment.

The aim of the activities it promotes is to encourage the active participation of older people and highlight their role in society, their social commitment, and their involvement in the community. At the same time, the program seeks to empower them to develop their own life projects and enjoy a life with purpose. This year, 550,000 older people have participated in more than 20,000 activities promoted at the 634 centers owned by the Foundation and in collaboration with public administrations throughout Spain. In Catalonia, more than 190,000 people have participated in more than 7,292 activities promoted at the 205 centers owned by the Foundation and in collaboration with public administrations.

The workshops are structured around five major areas of action that comprehensively address the needs, interests, and concerns of older people. The activities contribute to maintaining and improving physical health and preventing frailty by stimulating sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities and promoting healthy lifestyle habits. They also foster personal development, reflection, and empowerment, helping participants to live according to their own values. In addition, they provide tools to improve digital skills and develop greater autonomy in the digital environment. At the same time, they promote social and community participation, recognizing the experience of older people and encouraging their involvement in the community, while also fostering creativity and reflection through activities that stimulate imagination, sensitivity, and personal abilities. All of this aims to promote physical and emotional well-being and contribute to a better quality of life.

One of the new features of this year's program is the innovative workshop “Ageism: How to Detect and Prevent It,” in which more than 1,600 people have already participated. The workshop aims to provide older people with tools to address situations of ageism and, at the same time, to empower them to become active agents in raising awareness within their communities through volunteering. One in three people in Europe experiences age-related discrimination at some point in their lives. For this reason, the initiative seeks to raise awareness of this phenomenon and encourage action. Intergenerational initiatives are particularly relevant among the community activities. The program has also organized awareness-raising talks and workshops on grief, caregiving, and other topics.

“Within the program, we develop rigorous, innovative, and up-to-date content that, in addition to providing tangible benefits, seeks to address isolation. The centers are spaces for connection where people can build new relationships, discover and develop skills, exchange experiences, and improve their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Our goal is for older people to feel that, by taking part in these activities, they are enriching their lives with meaning,” says David Velasco, Director of the Elderly Program at the ”la Caixa” Foundation.

Online self-training workshops

With the aim of reaching everyone inclusively and helping to reduce the digital divide, the ”la Caixa” Foundation offers a series of workshops in a virtual format. Since their launch, more than 11,000 older people from across Spain have enrolled, either participating from home using a computer or from the computer rooms at senior centers. According to a survey of participants, more than 94% would recommend these courses to other users.

The self-training courses cover topics such as healthy eating, physical exercise, wellness routines, and the use of technological applications. They are aimed at anyone who wants to continue gaining new experiences and learning at their own pace.

Open Classroom mini-workshops

In addition, as part of its digitalization efforts, the program offers Aula Oberta mini-workshops, providing specific training for older volunteers who offer digital support in Aula Oberta spaces at senior centers. Volunteers are given the knowledge and resources they need to accompany people who attend these spaces, helping them learn how to use the most popular digital applications and carry out common procedures online.

The idea is to accompany people and facilitate a new stage of life that is worth living with awareness, responsibility, and purpose, enjoying the present and actively contributing to society

A look towards the future

With more than a century of experience, the Senior Citizens Program of ”la Caixa” Foundation has a strategic mission to respond to the current challenges associated with aging. With an approach that focuses on building models that prioritize “being” over “doing,” the program is committed to fostering personal and community life projects.

The idea is to accompany people and facilitate a new stage of life that is worth living with awareness, responsibility, and purpose, enjoying the present and actively contributing to society. In this context, combating isolation and loneliness and promoting bonds of mutual support, self-care, and care for others are particularly important.