University of the Third Age as a form of help for seniors

Abstract

The last period of life of the vast majority of people is old age. Old age is associated with multiple problems, limitations and difficulties. Some of these problems are timeless, so they have always been,  and will be experienced by elderly people. These include: illness, solitude, exclusion, limitations ... Others arise within concrete forms of societies, their structures and the their value systems... A typical example of such a situation is the exclusion of elderly people from certain forms of social life, due to their retirement. Being retired they do not paly social roles that are the basis of social prestige and the criterion of suitability in society. The consequence of such situation is social isolation of old people. Any initiative to minimize the negative features of old age is functional and desirable. This applies to both physical and mental health as well as to social interaction with others. This is the reason why Universities of the Third Age have a great role to play in meeting the needs of elderly people. However, regardless of the need for these initiatives for the benefit of seniors, it is obvious that none of them will eliminate all inconveniences of old age. Deterioration of physical health, weakening of intellectual abilities, diseases are inherent to old age; they are part of the "genetic code" of old age. Therefore, the serene survival of old-age deficits must be referred to a different than purely natural perspective. It is a religious view that is the only one able to give full meaning to old age and human death. Only religion, proclaiming the truth of life beyond the boundary of death, is able to give meaning to human life, full of limitations and deficits.