European dimension in learning and Memory training of the seniors SOKRATES/Grundtvig 2 GRU2/2005/14-k-BA-1

“Education for senior citizens“ 14 th - 17 th October 2004 Lingen, Germany GRUNTVIG 1 and 2 Contact Seminar

 Working group created  Project coordinator proposed  The name and aims of the project set  Preliminary partnership  Language and the method of communication  Duration of the project What happened at the contact seminar?

Project partners 1.Lachesis, Office of Expertise on Ageing and Gender, Education and Research for 50 plus people, Belgium 2.Athens Association of Alzheimer´s Disease and Related Disorders, Athens, Greece 3.Municipal Company for Vocational Training Studies - DEEKME, Thessaloniky, Greece 4.Educational Centre „Socialization“, Rezekne, Latvia 5.Centrum MEMORY n.p.o., Bratislava, Slovakia

Project name set: “European dimension in learning and Memory training of the seniors”  Project duration: 24 months  First year –  Second year –

Project coordinator Centrum MEMORY n.p.o.  Preventive, diagnostic, specialized and training organization for people with memory disorder and Alzheimer’s disease Main activities of Centrum MEMORY:  Memory training for seniors  Activation a therapeutic programmes for people with dementia  Training of memory trainers

The method of communication between project partners  Internet, – as necessary: before the preparation of a meeting, during the year: in order to exchange interesting information  Personally – during project meetings, 2 times a year  During the project meeting we kept a written record, which was obtained by all project partners - participants of the meeting

Aims of the project  To exchange theoretical and practical information about working with seniors in a European context  To identify and compare the interests and educational needs of seniors in each participating country  To c ompare the level of care of seniors with emphasis on their memory abilities but also the ability to lead independent and active life  To use acquired know-how to enrich the education of seniors in the participating countries  To exchange experience in developing educational programs for seniors It was not necessary to change the aims during the project

Project financing  The project was assessed by the national agency  Financial grant was received for each year  Each project partner, after the approval of the project, received a grant in their country  The grant was intended for: language training, translations, documentation, purchase of materials necessary for educational activities, general administrative costs, international travel and subsistence costs  Provided funds for project  80% at the beginning and 20% after the handover of the final report Grant was sufficient for planned activities

Target groups of the project  Older persons - seniors  People with Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders as well as disadvantaged groups  Employees and stuff of project partners organizations cooperated on the project

Role of the coordinator  Draft of the project concept in collaboration with partners  Communication and negotiation of planning processes  Evaluation activities during each year  Final monitoring

The role of partners in their own country  Determine the level of education of seniors  Focus on memory trainings  Prepare and organize a project meeting

Core activities of the project  2 project meetings in 1 year  Project meetings: seminars, excursions, samples of work with seniors in a particular environment  Getting to know the host country, its characteristics, culture, heritage, way of living

Project activities between the project meetings  Implementation of the knowledge gained in project meetings  Translation of written materials in communication (English) language  Preparation of videos, working papers for partners

Project results  Exchange of experience directly in each particular country during project meetings  Familiarization with life in different countries  Comparison way of life of seniors in partner countries  Exchange of working papers for the implementation of memory training during project meetings  Creation of groups memory trainers in partner countries Differences and particularities in individual countries  Memory training in Slovakia, Greece, Belgium  Handkraft in Latvia  The use of music in Greece

Project benefits  Work with the seniors does not bring many opportunities for personal meetings with colleagues from other countries  Non-material benefits - the exchange of experience, new ideas, reward for hard work with seniors,  Material benefits - computer, literature, camera, workbooks for seniors...

Benefits for target group – seniors  Meetings of seniors - participants in memory training with the participants in the project meant an motivation for further education  A trip to town Banská Štiavnica  museums and theaters visits

Strengths of the project  High level of professional knowledge and practical experience of the partners - teachers, social workers, psychologists  Motivation of partners for cooperation, willingness to exchange practical experience - the exchange of working papers

Weaknesses of the project  Low number of partners  Disapproval of a project partner from Belgium in the second year of the project and the resulting changes in the Schedule  Different experience of project partners in international cooperation  2 years of the project were insufficient for all the tasks that we would like to address

Dissemination of project results  educational events of partner organizations  presentation of project results and exchange of theoretical and practical knowledge of memory training and education seniors during the presentations  Preparing, printing and dissemination of information materials about memory training and Grundtvig in mass media

Thanks for listening Centrum MEMORY n.p.o. Coordinator of the project