Best practices

in regard to new technologies and/or intergenerational communication

CZECH REPUBLIC

Internet home assistance for seniors

Done by young students coming to the homes of the seniors

The idea is also to connect 2 worlds : young and old, which seems to be a good idea for both.

Each senior have his own teacher so the relationship gets strong and students get part of family

Students get advice from their teachers how to do the course

The important is : slow pace teaching

Other planned activities :

· language courses for seniors

· don't worry if you are more than 50

FINLAND

3. Cellular phone courses in group and with young teachers are very popular as :

· Normal telephones disappear

· No telephone boxes

· Cellular phone guarantees security

· In peer group learning is easy

· Young helpers have know-how

EMPORIA simplified telephone - enables calling and receiving calls -fills basic needs

2 levels for course

In advanced course other features are taught like

· calendar

· radio

· wireless lan

· camera

Youngsters enjoy helping seniors in computer courses as the senior students are very motivated

4. Course about internet banking

There are less and less bank agencies so internet banking becomes more important.

Course given by two bank employees but they have their jargon and proceed too fast. Experts are anyway useful, but the voluntary workers have to help the participants in practicing the new skills.

5. Project of interactive personalized TV for seniors

This project was set up with and for young students learning social services and healthcare providing them a new way of applied studies in a new technological environment.

The students make programs for elderly people.

Programs can include conferences (web conferencing about health, counseling, healthy food, services), music audition, games ( such as everybody says a sentence and the group sets up a whole story - creating a group story), group gymnastics.

FRANCE

Interactive Video and computer Games - exergaming

With the new “cerebral stimulation” or even just “physical activity” games offered by DS or WII Nintendo consoles (with or without WII FIT), there are organized group activities for seniors based on “Exergaming”( physical stimulation) but also cognitive stimulation for seniors.

Games who have the biggest success are : ski slalom, step dance, balloons, tennis,…

Games can be organized in the form of intergenerational competition

“Memoires of the street” workshop

Collection, editing and publication of short stories from the testimony and the recollections of elderly people with the help of younger ones for intergenerational transmission of cultural heritage

Audio recordings, writings, photographs, video, and others will be used for the collection of the testimonies.

The workshop undertakes to learn and use new digital tools. The collected information is then formatted and published on a dedicated Internet site.

“Café des âges” meetings

Occasional informal meetings between younger and older people with predefined discussion subjects in convivial public places : getting together to understand each other better!

Get acquainted, dialogue, share experiences by the way of :

•Citizen debates

•Discussion forums

Colloquiums to reflect on ways to:

•enable different generations to live together

•to put forward joint projects

GERMANY

9. Computers course on specific days with free access on other days.

· for seniors without experience

· for advanced level

· more internet oriented course– not only seniors

internet basic search

preparing holidays = complete task

safety in using internet

working with links

using emails and having address

They also learn :

- create greeting cards with word-arts (for Christmas, etc..)

- first steps to create a homepage for “Café mit Anschluss”

Meetings “Café mit Anschluss”

· offer activities/conferences without computer , for instance, to collect recipes from different countries (people are from different origins) and printing out a booklet.

· other offers without computers :

- using GPS, mobile phones, health courses

- guided visits: schools, factories...

- in June : daily tour to Leipzig to visit the Zoo, the town, sites linked to Schiller and Goethe history

- working together with library staff : library visits

café

Mehrgenerationenhäuser (multigenerational homes )

These place offer a casual meeting place for people of different age groups and, hereby, the possibility of competencies and skills exchange to each other's benefit.

In this way generations in everyday situations will be mutually supportive. Two basic activities are childcare and an open cafe. Another focus of the program is to promote volunteering (volunteering). Multi-generational homes are not just places of encounter, but offer the people in the region inexpensive services for their support in everyday life.

Presentation from Puchheim

BAGSO – the German National Association of Senior Citizens Organizations

BAGSO is an umbrella organization which includes 93 active German associations with more than 12 million members. BAGSO regards itself as a solidarity-orientated action platform and interest group for the older generation, which serves to broadly publicize the needs of older people in Germany and effectively articulate their legitimate demands. Not only does it aim to provide information, explain issues and motivate people, but for many years already it has striven to affect political decisions at the federal level by means and reports. The main goals and tasks of BAGSO are:

· to foster independence in old age

· to assume political social responsibility for oneself and for others, and to support solidarity in general

· to improve the image and position of senior citizens in society and within the family

· to take a look at the difficult phases of old age, such as illness and death

· to promote learning about and in old age

· to promote the interests of senior consumers

Edited by Bagso : : introduction to the digital world - booklet for seniors

POLAND

Big success of computer courses given in Regional Public Library in Krakow

All activities for seniors are organized and supervised by junior employees

Seniors become more active and make full use of makes use of Library’s resources.

S@S (School of Active Seniors) in the Regional Library

Lots of seniors took part in various free activities (courses, workshops, seminars, lectures) organized by the Regional Public Library, which major goal is to stimulate and foster the activity of senior citizens and to provide conditions for their integration and (self-) fulfillment.

Program lines include:

Senior in the world of culture and art
Senior in the world of new technologies and information society
Senior in public life: towards conscious and full citizenship

Major goals are :

To provide conditions in which senior citizens may exhibit creativity and improve knowledge in the field of culture as well as enhance activity, develop and extend interest (through using ICT, too)
To support integration process of senior citizens through exchange of accomplishments and information as well as skills and experience in the field of culture and cultural heritage
To stimulate active life of senior citizens in order to increase their participation in events organized by cultural institutions (exhibitions, meetings, seminars)
To improve the inter-generation dialogue
To stimulate civil activity of senior citizens directed towards representing of the peers interest against public authorities through:

Expressing the needs of the senior citizens

Participation in decision-making processes

Monitoring the situation of senior citizens

Project of new building for School of Active seniors inside an intergenerational Club building with futurist architecture