19/12/2010 - Mittelbayerische Zeitung

Mittelbayerische Zeitung

»Old and young profit from each other«

In November 2007, the Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs started, supported by the Catholic and Protestant churches - the campaign "very young. very old. very ear ". It has set itself the goal, above all young people to inspire, to be "all ears" for older and care-needy people. In many ways, it should become apparent that even old people are part of society and have important experiences to pass on. Young people should be motivated to approach the elderly and the elderly. Conversely, old people should be encouraged to openly meet the younger. Everywhere in Bavaria, initiatives were created that bring old and needy people back to the center of society with generational projects. In Hirschau, this task is especially dedicated to the teacher of nursing Hildegard Kohl. Knowing that older, especially demented people react very positively to harmonious, familiar music sounds, she called two sound board music groups under the umbrella of the Caritas social station to life. Since it does not require knowledge of sound, the sound board also opens the way for older people to play actively. So the soundboard musicians are sometimes over seventy years old.

"Young people have experienced that old people are not that uncool."
BAVARIAN SOCIAL MINISTER CHRISTINE HADERTHAUER

In search of a "ganzjung partner" Hildegard Kohl turned to Werner Schulz, the headmaster of the elementary and middle school Freudenberg, who is also chairman of the Förderkreis Altenhilfe in Hirschau. Under Schulz's moderation, the soundboard group and the schoolchildren offered the residents a one-hour entertaining program on a July morning. The seniors were actively involved. Again and again they joined in the familiar songs that were played by the soundboard group. The school choir delighted with modern songs. The instrumental group provided with nostalgic feelings for evergreens and the school play group amused with the sketch "Altbayrisch für Anfänger". The successful cooperation between Caritas-Sozialstations-Klangbrettgruppe and Freudenberger Schule was evidently drawn to the attention of the Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs. On Wednesday, in the academic pastoral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, six projects were created for the "very young. very old. completely ear-campaign "are exemplary, by social minister Christine Haderthauer excellent. The only prizewinner from the Upper Palatinate was the Hirschau-Freudenbereger project. Social Affairs Minister Haderthauer stressed that the campaign had built many new bridges between the generations. "Young people have experienced that old people are not so uncool." The seniors could bring history lessons to life, they offer the youth a wealth of life experience. Children and adolescents got to know a generation that often has more time than their parents - and with which they connect surprisingly much. Teenagers could also give something back, for example, when dealing with computers or cell phones. They have the opportunity to give old people an authentic picture of today's youth and to reduce prejudices. The Hirschau-Freudenberger project, which was titled "Whole ear for evergreens and new sounds", was introduced to the audience by Thomas Distler, the project leader for the Landesforum Katholischer Seniorenarbeit.

By asn


19.12.2010 Mittelbayerische Zeitung – Old and young profit from each other