The project “Socio-drama tackling ageism, preventing abuse” is an Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships project, financed by Leargas, the Irish National Agency, with a 2-years duration (2015 – 2017).
Project partners are:
• Age Action Ireland – coordinator
• Anziani e Non Solo – Italy
• Suvanto – For a Safe Old Age – Finland
• Asociatia Habilitas – Centru de Resurse si Formare Profesionala – Romania
The objectives are:
– To design an education programme that will provide new learning opportunities in the field of human rights and empathy to prevent abuse. Traditional learning opportunities explicitly focusing on elder abuse may be ineffective or refused by the target group, as abuse can be unintentional due to lack of awareness and taboo nature of topic. Hence the methodology will use creative tools including socio-drama to deliver the programme in day care centres and residential settings.
– The empowerment of older adults though education on human rights and the exploration of ways of safeguarding well-being
– To foster empathy amongst formal carers abuse, ‘to walk in older person’s shoes’, challenge ageism
-Develop educators competences on the topic
– To input into care settings’ elder abuse policy
The target groups to be addressed are:
– Older adults, particularly those in care settings, who lack the opportunity to engage in learning on human rights and elder abuse, yet are a group most in need due to increased disability and reduced social networks
– Professionals and formal carers, many from a different generation, unaware of role ageism can play in creating environment for abuse, learning opportunities limited.
The transnational element of the project is also important as countries involved represent different social models but are also at different stages in the development of elder abuse policy and practices, engendering shared learning.
Project will meet common need of all EU countries to find new ways to educate, and provide older people and formal carers with the skills to protect themselves and those they care for.
