Sociocultural animation for older people is the set of social practices that aim to “stimulate the initiative and participate of communities in the process of their own development and in the global dynamics of the sociopolitical life in which they are integrated.”
In addition, through sociocultural animation and social education, we seek to make older people feel part of their community, knowing the problems they have and proposing solutions for them.
The activities carried out in these social practices are activities whose general objective is that leisure is not an empty activity, but a source of satisfaction and personal growth for all those who participate in them.
These activities can be classified as educational, cultural, artistic, recreational and social, depending on their purpose and the scope of action in which they are carried out. Furthermore, they can be aimed at all ages (from adults to children) or focus on a specific age group, depending on what you want to work on or the impact you want to have with them.
Examples of sociocultural animation activities for seniors
Focusing attention on sociocultural animation activities for the elderly group, some examples of these sociocultural activities for older people could be the following:
- Dance exhibitions
- Family parties and celebrations
- Social outings to shopping centers and markets
- Excursions
- Cinema
- Trainings
- Magic shows and musical groups
- Group games or board games
- Participation in karaoke
- Volunteering
- Sports competitions
- Board games for the elderly
For this group (seniors) the best locations where this type of activities can be carried out, on a continuous basis, are those institutions in which they live together on a regular basis, such as:
- Residential centers
- Day centers
- Activities carried out at home
On the other hand, at specific times in the community such as fairs, festivities, special dates or markets, for example.
Main objectives of sociocultural activities for older people
The main objective of these activities with the group of older people is to promote active aging where the three fundamental pillars are:
- Physical activity
- Mental well-being
- Social participation.
These activities also increase the person’s feeling of belonging to the community or institution in which they find themselves and improve the feeling of personal competence, which is sometimes so deteriorated at that stage of life.
Benefits of sociocultural activities in older people
Also, sociocultural animation in older people favors the process of adaptation to different resources or personal situations, helps maintain personal autonomy, prevents sedentary lifestyle and inactivity, facilitates integration into the social environment and encourages the establishment of new social networks.
Other benefits can also be brain stimulation with the presence of positive feelings, prevention and reduction of physical, psychological and emotional conditions and improvement in quality of life. In summary, sociocultural activities in the elderly help avoid sedentary lifestyle and isolation in older people, in addition to providing entertainment for free time.
In conclusion, it would be interesting to add that sociocultural activities in the elderly have gone from being an alternative to social isolation to a social necessity, both for entertainment and to have a higher quality of life, in addition to all the benefits mentioned above.
