Retirement is one of the most difficult changes and transitions in a life time, and is often not very well known and prepared. Counselling and the collective support of other seniors can make it easier to overcome the challenges of age stereotypes and also achieve active ageing more quickly.
A pre-retirement course aimed at providing relevant information and coaching for seniors entering the process of transition into retirement has been developed and implemented with great success in Aarhus, Denmark. It allows older people to discuss new possibilities with other seniors and get inspiration from teachers
The course focuses on three main objectives:
- Identify and kick out traditional stereotypes on retirement and mental barriers;
- Identify your core competencies and how to make the best of them;
- find meaning, purpose and passion in the senior career, either in paid or unpaid activities.
Being a shortcut to a better quality of life in active ageing, pre-retirement courses are for the benefit of the seniors themselves, as well as for the benefit of the society in helping address the demographic challenge facing EU member states.
The results demonstrates that courses motivate seniors to find new ways of getting active in employment or in the community through voluntering & caring, improving their health habits and taking up networking activities.
This initiative is in tune with the overall objective of the European Commission and of the European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations of empowering older people to age in good health and to contribute more actively to society.
For more information:
General presentation of the project
https://www.seniorforce.dk/rationale.htm
https://ec.europa.eu/social/ey2012main.jsp?catId=972&langId=fr&initId=3
