INTERGENERATIONAL VOLUNTEERING FOR QUALITY AGEING

Purpose

Researches has shown, that loneliness is one of the main challenges of ageing. The main reasons for loneliness in the old age are reduced social networks and lack of close intergenerational relations. Intergenerational volunteering, that stands for regular socializing within intergenerational groups or within companionship relationship, is increasing the quality of life to every included individual. Participants make positive personal relationships, which overcomes intergenerational alienation. Many old people said that these meetings gave a meaning to their life again. On the other hand it is an opportunity for middle age volunteers to prepare on their own old age and to experience happiness that helping others can bring to oneself.

Implementation

Anton Trstenjak Institute trains volunteers for group and individual intergenerational companionship all over Slovenia.

We train them by the method of group social learning, where every participant is a teacher and learner at the same time. That method is appropriate because it enabels balanced knowledge gathering, quality human relations and growth of personality.

During the training courses participants:

• get the informations and knowledge about social gerontology (for example about old age, quality ageing and intergenerational coexistence)
• get help at making sensible personal stand for quality ageing
• get better quality communication skills (for nice communication with old persons, even with bittered or difficult ones) and skills for volunteer activities
• get group leadership skills (in case of training of volunteers for group leaders)

Training for individual intergenerational companionship takes 3 to 10 four-hour learning meetings in the group of 15 participants.

Training of volunteers for group leaders takes 10 four-hour learning meetings. At the beginning learning meetings are weekly, in the last part, when the volunteer already has a group, they are monthly. Meetings take place in the group of 12 participants.

Already in the last part of the training, we start to train volunteers to self organize themselves in order to maintain healthy volunteer work. It is very important for all volunteers to meet monthly for one hour and half to two hours in the intervension group. There they exchange experiences about their volunteer work, cultivate permanent learning, solve problems and search for answers to open questions, they are informed about other volunteers across Slovenia and last but not least, they spend some nice time together. Why it is so important for all volunteers to participate regularly and actively in the intervension groups? Intervension group is a major contributor to the success and satisfaction of persons volunteering and tool that makes sure, that his volunteer work remains beneficial for the people he volunteers for, for himself and for local community. It is a prevention from burn out and other pathologies that can develop in volunteer work.

We have already trained more than 3500 volunteers in different local communities. If there is a need, we help volunteers of a local community establish their Intergenerational association for quality ageing. In association also other programmes can be developed and if there is desire, Institute trains another group of volunteers. At Anton Trstenjak Institute we also train a local network organizer who is in charge of local Intergenerational association and network of volunteers.