Mojácar Council, in co-ordination with the Provincial Diputación of Almería, has just completed an intensive ‘active aging’ course for senior citizens entitled “Más Allá de la Palabra”, which ran throughout October.
The creative sessions included ways to promote and deal with self-esteem and stress release, whilst sharing ideas with others, as well as stressing the importance of taking up individual interests. Personal and communicative development were also on the agenda, by looking at feelings and how to channel and release emotions, which are not always easy challenges to face.
Creative therapist, Victoria Wilkinson, was charged with carrying out this broad mission, spent last month working alongside the group of Mojácar’s older residents. Ana García, the local Councillor with responsibilities for local senior citizens, was involved in the planning of the course and was present at the last session.
She stressed the importance of taking care of our elders, especially so in a society which has an ever increasing population of those with advanced years. In Mojácar, almost 30% of the population are over 65 years old, according to 2016 Government statistics, which is a high percentage, considering that the average in Spain is 18.4%.
Mojácar Council strives to involve their seniors in as many activities as possible to improve their quality of life such as; ‘Gerontogimnasia’ Keep Fit Classes, Craft Workshops, Adult Education Classes (offering subjects that many did not have the opportunity to take up when they were young), Information Technology through the Guadalinfo and, Memory Workshops. Also, a 3rd Age Centre is provided in the Centro de Usos Multiples, where they have their own meeting point for all kinds of recreational activities and social events.
