Gdynia Seniors - an integral part of local community

1. Gdynia Seniors- an integral part of local community

2. Seniors in Gdynia * Indicator for Poland - 16,5% In 7 out of 22 districts of Gdynia, seniors make up more than ¼ of all inhabitants (in 3 diStricts, every third citizen is a senior).

3. The Mayor of Gdynia Non-governmental organizations City Hall Departments Gdynia Senior Citizens Council Small business Senior Activity Centre Social economyentities Municipal Social Asistance Centre Health units Police Local Community

4. Gdynia Senior Citizens Council • The Mayor’s advisory body for the elderly which influences the course of development and social policy in the area of activating and supporting the oldest citizens of Gdynia • among the members nominated by the Mayor to work at the Council, are seniors’ representatives selected by the local community

5. Management of community housing resources, allocating housing allowances and family benefits • Municipal program for education ‘Open Schools’ • Municipal programs for prevention: • prevention medical examinations • psychiatric program • compensating gymnastics ‘Always Fit’ City Hall Departments

6. Coordination of activities promoting seniors’ activation in the city • Animation of seniors social activeness • Support for non-governmental organizations for seniors (2 grant competitions – 29 tasks, 15 coordinators) • Informational services Senior Activity Centre

7. Senior Activity Centre • managing The Gdynia University of the Third Age • Supporting 21 Senior Clubs, running 4 municipal clubs • Coordinating ‘Gdynia 55+’ program (healthy lifestyle promotion) • In 2010, Senior Activity Centre’s offer was extended to 9,701 seniors (tasks were implemented in partnership with 41 entities)

8. Municipal Social Assistance Centre Organizational structure MOPS activities involve selecting problematic areas grouped in three divisions of management, which influence the structure of the centre. Division of Seniors and the Disabled Support Division of Child and Family Support Division of the Unemployed and the Homeless Support

9. Actions for enhancing seniors’ activity and social integration • Tasks in the scope of social rehabilitation of the disabled seniors • Support in the form of care services and specialised care services offered in the places of residence • Stay and services in sheltered housing Municipal Social Assistance Centre

10. Municipal Social Assistance Centre • day care in support centres3 centres- 177 people addressed • temporary, a 24- hour day care 1 centre - 119 people addressed • constant, a 24- hour day care 1 centre - 77 places;moreover,there were 78 people insupra-community social welfare homes • pensioners’ families madeup 34,5 % of the total number of families taking advantage of Municipal Social Assistance Centre’ support Data from 2010

11. Partnership initiatives • The process of broad social consultations- exchange of opinions and information. Decisions concerning the expectations and required care services features to establish the quality standards of these services. • Documents: • Quality of care services card • Gdynia standard of care services

12. Partnership initiatives The Programme of Preventive Police Gdynia "Safe Harbour - Gdynia" Highlighting places which are friendly to Gdynia seniors – open to their needs, places creating favourable conditions, offering products and services addresses to this age group. Organizing local community in Chylonia district, in the area of Opat Hacki and Zamenhof streets.

13. Cooperation in initiatives implementation • Tasks activating persons from groups with difficult access to labour market (endangered with social exclusion) aiming to offer services to the elderly: • professional trainings program and internships,subsidies • (District Labour Office, non-governmental organizations, small business, social economy entities) • social and professional reintegration programs • (non-governmental organizations, social economy entities • volunteering (Municipal Social Assistance Centre, non-governmental organizations)

14. Cooperation during the implementation of the tasks • Delegating public, social assistance tasks related to seniors support to non-governmental organizations, social economy entities, small businesses, ect. • offering care services in the places of residence • offering specialized care services to people with psychiatric disorders • preparing and delivering meals to people taking advantage of Municipal Social Assistance Centre’s support

15. Challenges • Coherent social support system, based on firm local partnership network, involving mutually complementary correlated assistance and social integration offer in three areas: • enhancing seniors’ activeness • providing support • providing care

16. Challenges • Efficient information flow in the system • Constant improvement of services quality for the sake of the highest quality of Gdynia seniors’ lives • Priorities: • Promoting gerontological prevention (as a form of investment) • Boosting the involvement of local community and people endangered with social exclusion in seniors support forms development

17. Thank you for your attention Katarzyna Stec Gdynia MOPS Vice- Director for the Elderly and the Disabled  k.stec@mopsgdynia.pl