DAY IV – Swedish senior center

On the fourth day in the morning, interested people went for a walk to the Swedish seaside to walk on the pier, sunbathe and see the popular
in the city there is a sauna located at the sea, after which you can immediately cool down in the cold Baltic Sea.

After the walk, the whole group met at the Tuppen senior center to hear a few words about places like this from Mrs. Mia – an educator for the elderly and Anika – a coordinator who takes care of adapting the environment for a better life for seniors. Swedish senior centers are places where every senior can find something for themselves. Their main task is to build opportunities for dignified aging, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle regardless of social class, nationality, etc. These centers help older people not feel lonely. They also look for seniors who do not yet know about the existence of these centers and encourage them to take advantage of the activities they offer.

There are as many as 10 such centers in Malmö alone! They are visited by over 7,000 people every month. In each of them, various cyclical activities and single events are organized, such as concerts, conferences, etc. Every 3 months, the quarterly “Vi tillsammans” (“We together”) is published, in which all the activities and attractions planned for the next 3 months are written out in a prepared plan right in the middle of the newspaper – so that it can be easily torn out and always had at hand. If a certain type of activity is not available and one of the seniors would like to create specific activities, they are given such an opportunity. For example, if there is a group of 15 people willing to go on a trip, it is organized.

Our Polish seniors really liked how many activities are offered to retirees living in Sweden and with a spark in their eyes they unanimously said that it could be the same in our home country and that older people would have a better life.

In the evening everyone had free time. Some of the group spent it resting at the hotel, some looking for suitable souvenirs for their loved ones, and still others looking for a restaurant with local delicacies. Everyone was very satisfied with the moment for themselves and the opportunity to regenerate for another active day.