You are on page 1of 22

UNIT 6.

LEISURE
AND FREE TIME PSYCHOSOCIAL ATTENTION AND SUPPORT

1º CFGM Atención a Personas en Situación de


FOR PEOPLE WITH Dependencia
IES L´Eliana

DEPENDENCY
Academic year 2023/2024
ÍNDICE
Pág.

1. Leisure time for people with dependency 2

1.1. Leisure and busy time 2

1.2. Leisure and quality in life 4

2. Leisure in the groups with dependency 5

2.1. Elderly people 5

2.2. People with disabilities 6

2.3. Sick people 7

3. Group dynamics 8

4. Support in leisure and free time 9

5. Recreational resources for people with dependency 11

5.1. Game 11

5.2. Festivities 14

5.3. Physical activities and sport 15

5.4 Tourism and outdoor activities 19

5.5. Culture and art 19

5.6. Training resources 21

5.7. Digital resources 21

5.8. Solidarity activities 22

1
1. LEISURE TIME IN PEOPLE WITH DEPENDENCE
All people need interaction with the
environment as a context of opportunities for
development. Through leisure, people take
advantage of their time for socialization and
obtain diverse, pleasant and enriching
experiences that allow them to acquire new
skills and strategies, both personal and social.

On many occasions, the loss of autonomy of people in a situation of dependency


generates disinterest and lack of motivation towards the idea of enjoying their free
time or carrying out pleasant and leisure activities, and turns it into low quality time.

The technician caring for people in a situation of dependency must provide users
with the necessary resources related to their individual needs. They must facilitate
access to leisure activities, adapting them so that everyone can participate within the
framework of inclusion. They must also accompany them to improve the quality in
the use of their free time.

1. 1. Leisure time and busy time

Busy time is considered to be the time dedicated to work and/or study and daily
obligations. The most common activities in which busy time is distributed can be:

• Work/study time: time dedicated to carry out professional and work tasks,
and to train in aspects related to one's work.
• Busy non-work time: time dedicated to obligations and needs.

It includes issues such as:

– Satisfaction of biological needs in order to maintain and have health and


well-being (eat and rest, among others).
– Fulfillment of family obligations: time dedicated to the family, doing
housework (cooking, shopping, cleaning).

- Social relationships: time dedicated to interact, build, expand and maintain one's
social network.

2
Leisure can be defined as the person's
attitude aimed at enjoying free time while
carrying out some voluntary activity that is
pleasant and satisfying.

Free time is the remaining time available


once the productive and mandatory tasks
(work and/or training) have been completed
and the inherent basic needs have been
satisfied. It represents time to rest from daily obligations and occupations. Within free
time we can consider leisure time.

Leisure time is time dedicated to entertainment and fun. It cannot exist without free
time because there must be time outside of obligations, where one can develop.
Thus, free time is the context for developing leisure activities.

What characterizes leisure and distinguishes it from free time is the person's own
attitude, since he or she voluntarily carries out an activity with the purpose of having
fun, enjoying and obtaining a satisfactory personal experience.

Leisure activities meet the following conditions:

• They are chosen freely and voluntarily by the person, they refer to his preferences.

• Its purpose is to enjoy, have fun, obtain pleasant benefits.

• They are activities that generate satisfaction and well-being.

• They can be carried out independently.

Leisure causes multiple benefits at a personal, relational and community level such
as:

• It is an element of well-being and personal and emotional satisfaction.

• It is an element that favors interpersonal relationships.

• It is a key element to promote the inclusion of functional diversity in the community.

Leisure is an activity that allows you to transform monotony and routine and
provides benefits and opportunities on both at personal and social level,
influencing the improvement of people's quality of life.

3
Leisure takes place during free time. It is an engine of well-being. It is not so
important what is done, but how it is done, since it must be a freely chosen activity
that is pleasant and satisfying. It is a preventive and educational resource with great
potential to improve the quality of life of people in a situation of dependency.

The work of professionals who work with people in a situation of dependency, such
as the TAPSD, is aimed at knowing and using leisure time as a tool to guarantee
multiple opportunities, offering individual and collective resources and activities for
the discovery of new capabilities, and stimulate personal and social development.

1. 2. Leisure and quality of life of people with dependency

The loss of autonomy of people in a situation of dependency can cause longer


periods of confinement and a tendency towards isolation, feelings of loneliness and
affectation of social and interpersonal relationships. Thus, free time in this group can
become a source of demotivation and a generator of mood problems, reducing
participation in leisure activities, which aim at personal and emotional satisfaction. In
order to improve their quality of life, professionals must carry out actions aimed at
reversing this situation.

Joffre Dumazedier (1982) proposed the 3 "d" model, which relates how people use
their leisure time and the impact on their quality of life. For this author the most
important free time activities are:

• To rest.

• To have fun.

• To develop.

4
This model distinguishes the level of leisure used by assessing its quality from more
to less:

• Training leisure: it represents a higher level of leisure that includes education, art
and culture to fully develop the person.

• Entertainment leisure: it is intended to be distracted by hobbies and preferences.


It is the most common leisure.

• Rest leisure: it is the leisure of free time. It is used to gain strength, without a
specific purpose, usually to relax.

• Leisure of boredom: it is usually a time that generates frustration, a time that is


not destined for anything in particular with a feeling of apathy.

• Consumer leisure: leisure is contracted to external companies, adopting a passive


role included in the consumer society.

2. LEISURE IN GROUPS OF PEOPLE WITH DEPENDENCY


2. 1. ELDERLY PEOPLE

The loss of autonomy of people in a situation of dependency can cause longer


periods of confinement and a tendency towards isolation. Aging is a natural process
of a universal nature, but it is different for each individual, since it has a personalized
development in terms of physical, psychological and social spheres (Cuenca, 2009).
Individual differentiation is an essential aspect due to different lifestyles, interests,
objectives and personal desires.

There is a wide range of leisure and free time activities adapted to elderly people in a
situation of dependency, which offer all the necessary support to be able to fully
enjoy leisure, both in residential homes and senior centers and in associations and
entities.

In retirement, the change associated with leaving the productive world is linked to the
end of a stage in the person's life and all associated habits. The professional must
accompany and guide the elderly person in a situation of dependency through their
intervention, providing the highest possible quality to their leisure time.

5
ACTIVE AGING
The World Health Organization defines active aging as the process of optimizing
opportunities for health, participation and security to improve the quality of life of
people as they age.

We must keep in mind that not all people reach retirement in the same physical and
health conditions. This poses a new challenge: knowing how to age healthily (WHO,
2015) and having to face illnesses and circumstances and situations of dependency.
Leisure can be a good tool to assume these new realities in a more gradual and
positive way. Active aging is one of the most interesting proposals that currently exist
in order to enjoy the aging process in a healthy, playful, interesting and active way.

2. 2. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The group of people with disabilities is extensive, varied and heterogeneous. It


encompasses people with different abilities (physical, sensory, cognitive) and with
different degrees of functionality. When designing and implementing activities, it is
necessary to keep this diversity in mind, since people with similar abilities or
disabilities may have different degrees of functionality, while people with different
abilities may have the same degree of functionality.

Many times people with functional diversity cannot access and enjoy leisure because
they encounter barriers and obstacles that make certain activities inaccessible to
them. When designing and implementing an intervention, professionals, taking into
account the individual needs of people intervene in the environment taking into
account the following aspects:

• Change and adaptation of the environment

• Improved accessibility

• Promoting access and enjoyment of leisure for all.

2. 3. SICK PEOPLE

Intervention in leisure in sick people requires special attention due to the complexity
and confluence of multiple factors. This is a diverse group, which encompasses
different degrees of disease (chronic, degenerative...). There are people in a

6
situation of hospitalization (which can be short, medium or long term) and which can
occur in various age groups.

People with the disease have the following common features:

• Central role of the disease in the person's life.

• Moments of physical discomfort and emotional distress.

• Side effects of treatments.

• Reduction of the space for socialization or social network.

The difficulties in accessing or motivating someone to participate in leisure activities


are diverse:

• The characteristics of the disease: aspects related to the severity of the disease
and the symptoms it generates. Side effects of medications or others such as
chronicity, prognosis, the phase in which the person is if it is a process. ..

• The person's attitude towards the disease: each person's coping style plays a
fundamental role.

• The support network: people in charge and the quality of support they receive
influence the attitude and motivation towards leisure.

• The vital stage

• Dysfunctionality linked to the disease: each disease causes different limitations to


the person and there are various types of affected functionalities that affect access to
and participation in leisure.

Taking into account the diversity of the specific difficulties of this group and their
needs, the attention provided must often be personal and individualized, to promote
the inclusive participation of all people.

The characteristics of the proposed activities must be sufficiently diversified and


must take into account the following aspects:

• Different age groups, seniors, adults, youth and children. For example, in caring for
children, those activities that provide opportunities to play and laugh should

7
predominate, or activities aimed at adolescence should contain opportunities to
develop the emotional issues typical of age.

• Temporalization of hospitalization: short, medium or long stay.

3. GROUP DYNAMICS
There is a wide range of group
dynamics depending on which group
you want to work with and the
characteristics of the recipients in the
unit. A careful selection of the type of
dynamic must be made in relation to its
adaptation to the needs of all people
who make up the group, ensuring that everyone can participate with the same
opportunities.

Depending on the objective to be achieved, the following stand out:

-PRESENTATION DYNAMICS: facilitating contact and initial interaction between


group members break the ice and introduce everyone with the aim of creating a
positive, relaxed and pleasant emotional climate that enables the subsequent
establishment of links.

- DYNAMICS OF KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST: facilitating the gradual increase in


the degree of knowledge of people who make up the group, discovering more
aspects of their lives and increasing knowledge and interest among them with the
aim of generating spaces for interaction and promoting dialogue and the relationship
of mutual trust.

- COMMUNICATION DYNAMICS: seeking to improve verbal and non-verbal


communication, the expression of feelings, active listening and disinhibition,
improving social skills.

- COOPERATION DYNAMICS: focusing on participatory team work towards


competitive work. Developing the ability to share mutual benefit and the feeling of
belonging, generating relational ties.

8
- CONFLICT RESOLUTION DYNAMICS: resolving conflicts cooperatively and
creatively through empathy and communication. They can be real or imaginary
conflicts.

-AFFIRMATION DYNAMICS: developing each person´s self-esteem and their


recognition in the group. Improving self-determination and personal aspects such as
increasing group cohesion.

4. SUPPORT ING LEISURE AND FREE TIME


The support needs that each person
requires appear within the individualized
action plan. This plan encompasses the
needs you have, in which activities you
need support and which professional(s)
should be in charge.

Accompaniment tasks can be very diverse,


individual or group in nature. Depending on the degree of autonomy the support can
be:

• Intermittent: it is a type of episodic support, which occurs when necessary. It is


about providing short-term support at specific vital moments and at the intensity
required by the user. It can be high or low intensity and require more than one
professional.

• Limited: it is carried out for a limited period of time, intensively and constantly
during this period.

• Extensive: it is characterized by being regular (for example, daily), in some


environment and without time limitation.

• Generalized: it is a support consistent over time and of extreme intensity, provided


in diverse environments. You may need several professionals.

These are some aspects to take into account when developing accompaniment:

• Transfers and displacements

9
– When the activity is carried out outside the habitual residence, the person must be
accompanied so that they can arrive calmly, comfortably and safely to the place
where the activity takes place.

– During an outdoor activity, cultural visits, excursions or exhibitions, to help the


person move safely, you must act as their physical support.

• Search, orientation and information on the range of existing leisure and


leisure resources and activities adapted to interests and needs.

– You must also inform them about access and help them.

• Contacts and visits to existing resources to learn about them first-hand.

– The user can choose the resources that he prefers and those that are most
rewarding and appropriate.

• Course of leisure activities and free time, if the person needs it.

• Support for the person to facilitate adaptation to the chosen resource and the
group they have joined. There are times when people in a situation of dependency
may feel insecure at first when they arrive at a new resource where they do not know
anyone. Having a trusted person by their side (in this case, the care technician for
people in a situation of dependency) can help them feel comfortable and safe and,
therefore, integrated.

Some key aspects to take into account when accompanying a person in a


situation of dependency are:

• Respect for her will in her preferences and decisions.

• When transmitting information, be faithful to the meaning of the words and do not
reinterpret.

• To know how to foresee limitations.

• To meet the needs.

• To instruct and help in choosing activities.

• To accompany during leisure activities using the necessary supports and resources
appropriate for each person.

10
• To resolve any problems that may arise throughout the entire process, allowing
them to enjoy leisure in a full and rewarding way.

5. LEISURE RESOURCES
As it has been developed in this teaching unit, leisure time for people with
dependency constitutes a valuable tool that brings them multiple benefits, such as
socialization, increased self-esteem, stimulation and cognitive development or
improvement of the state of spirit, among many others. There is a wide range of
leisure resources for people with dependency, which we can group into: resources
with games, festivities, physical activity and sports, tourism, outdoors, art and culture
activities, training resources, new technologies and volunteering.

5.1. GAMES

Although playing is usually associated mainly with the childhood stage, playing is a
need present throughout life and allows us to relate to others and to the environment,
motivating oneself, escaping from problems and worries, and learning while Its
enjoyable.

Games allow fundamental learning such as:

• Motor coordination

• Cognitive development

• Relationships

• Emotional management

• Language

Games have an educational, therapeutic and stimulating purpose. They allow people
to express their feelings and release tensions to regain emotional balance and, in
addition, they stimulate the spirit of resilience and personal improvement when
facing challenges.

Playing is a way to relax, it helps put the imagination in motion and socialize. As with
children, it keeps adults active and creative. At each life stage the ways of playing
may be different, but they are always interesting and motivating for the person. Play

11
for older people and people with dependency is equally important and essential for
their physical and mental health. Remember that playing has no age.

The benefits that play brings to the mental and physical health of people in a
dependent situation are:

• It reduces feelings of loneliness.

• It improves mood and internal motivation.

• It increases perceived social self-efficacy.

• It improves communication and cognitive skills.

• It enhances sensory perception.

• It increases self-esteem.

• It improves the maintenance of healthy habits.

• It facilitates adaptation to the environment and current life circumstances.

5.1.1 Play therapy

A leisure resource for people with dependency is the application of play therapy.
Play therapy is those organized activities based on playing games. They are used as
a tool to maintain and preserve the abilities of people in a situation of dependency
and to improve or acquire new skills, interacting with others and benefiting the mood
or emotional problems. They aim to influence the improvement of their quality of life.

5.1.2 Creation and adaptation of recreational


resources

It is very common for professionals caring for


people in a situation of dependency to adapt
standard games according to the needs of people
in a situation of dependency, or even to create
the games themselves from scratch. Creating a
game together can be a fun, creative and motivating activity to do with users. To
create and adapt games and playing materials (such as pieces, board, supports,
cards or timers) some generic criteria must be taken into account:

12
• To avoid slippery materials that make it difficult to pick up.

• To use materials that facilitate tactile recognition.

• To include audible time warnings that allow the response speed to be adapted to
the preferences of the different players.

• To incorporate volume control in sound games.

• To avoid using complex vocabulary that users may not know.

• To use saturated colors that facilitate tactile recognition and distinction of color
ranges.

• To make tokens that are easy to pick up.

• To use easy and simple language for instructions.

• To use large letters and drawings.

• To make sure there is adequate contrast between the background of the cards and
the content to facilitate viewing.

ONCE y CEAPAT

There are public and private organizations, foundations and/or associations that offer
resources and guidance to professionals in the educational field and families on
special recreational resources adapted to the needs and characteristics of people in
a situation of dependency.

Two of the most notable are:

• National Organization of the Spanish Blind (ONCE): it has a large number of


resources and materials adapted and specific for people with visual problems.

• State Center for Personal Autonomy and Technical Aid (CEAPAT): it offers advice
to families and professionals who request it.

5.2. PARTIES

Parties are meeting spaces where several people get together in order to celebrate
an event with the aim of having fun and having a good time. Parties are a
recreational resource with great potential for pleasure and joy, since the emotion of

13
enjoying can range from the initial moments of planning and preparing it to the
moment of celebration of the party and the subsequent moments of memory and
remembrance of the situations experienced. .

There are always reasons to hold festive celebrations, from users' or workers'
birthdays, to welcome new people to the association or residence, to celebrate
religious holidays (Christmas, Three Kings, Easter, Holy Week) or popular and
traditional festivities ( Carnival, Fallas or Book Day) and solstices and changes of
season (welcome of summer, autumn) among others.

The festivities can be celebrated both inside the home or residence and outside the
center, encouraging participation in neighborhood festivals, major city festivals or
other festive events in squares, streets or entertainment venues. Organizing a party
or celebrating a holiday, such as Christmas, is a very good opportunity to do
workshops and related activities. Some examples:

• To create Christmas decorations.

• To make a Failure.

• To set up a manger with recycled materials.

• To prepare a Christmas carol recital.

• To make carnival costumes.

When a festival is organized it is interesting to be able to invite friends and family of


the users and other entities or associations and members of the community.

5.3 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT

The practice of sports and physical activities adapted to the level of performance that
the person with a dependency situation can carry out helps maintain motor functions
and their rehabilitation, providing multiple benefits:

• It promotes the development of balance.

• It contributes to the prevention and avoidance of falls and injuries.

• It improves coordination.

14
• It contributes to the development of joint mobility.

• It allows the acquisition of motor skills.

• It tones and strengthens muscles.

• It improves flexibility.

• It contributes to the development, maintenance and improvement of physical fitness.

• It improves orientation.

• It promotes the establishment of social relationships.

• It promotes acceptance of oneself and others.

• It improves autonomy.

• It provides well-being.

• It promotes the acquisition and consolidation of healthy habits and body hygiene.

• When practiced in a group it encourages collaboration and teamwork.

There is a wide range of resources and sports offers aimed at groups in situations of
dependency that include options as diverse as aqua gym, yoga, maintenance
gymnastics, bowling, boules(petanca), swimming, athletics or basketball, among
many. others.

People in a situation of dependency can practice sports activities in various ways:

• Activities of specialized sports centers.

• Activities offered by your association or residence

• Freely, on your own, without joining any entity or directed class.

An example of inclusion in sport:

Share your energy: volunteer initiative for sports support of people with visual
disabilities

15
The online platform Share your energy is created jointly by the energy company EDP,
with the collaboration of ONCE and the Spanish Federation of Sports for the Blind
(FEDC).

Its objective is to facilitate contact between people with visual disabilities and sports
fans so that they can act as guides to go running, cycling or any other sporting
activity for which they need help.

This digital resource also shows guidelines and tutorials for the different profiles of
runners and facilitates their understanding. You just have to register, fill out the
profile and see the runners that best fit the geographical area and competition times,
which makes it easier for dependent people who access this resource to be able,
thanks to the work of the volunteers, to train properly. amateur or even participate in
races and marathons.

Links to go deeper and learn more about this initiative:

bit.ly/35MMYPZ • www.compartetuenergia.com

When scheduling a physical activity for people in a situation of dependency,


the technician must take into account a series of recommendations and
advices. The most important are the following:
• Preparation for physical exercise. The basic rules for prescribing physical
exercise for older people will always be respected:
– Previous warm-up is always mandatory. It must be complete for all joints.
– Activities must be ended gradually by doing relaxation exercises.
– The pace of work and the intensity of the activities must be adapted to each
participant.
-It is essential to choose and adapt the exercises to avoid injuries or accidents.
• Sports equipment. Breathable and comfortable clothing is recommended,
with flexible sports shoes. Street shoes should not be used.
• Material equipment of the work space. Music and materials serve as
motivating elements of the activities. Adaptations must be made according to
difficulty, pace, intensity and the individual needs of the participants. The type

16
of material to use must be manipulative, safe, to avoid accidents, light and
transportable, motivating and original.
• Nutrition. You have to follow some tips:
– To hydrate during physical activity, before and after.
– To eat fruits, nuts or a snack one or two hours before starting exercise.
– To avoid exercising during the hottest hours.

5.3.1. DANCING
Dancing is a resource to maintain good
physical condition while the person
enjoys and has fun. It allows us to
develop psychomotor skills such as
balance, muscle tone, posture,
orientation, sense of rhythm,
coordination, and it also strengthens the
joints.

The fact of learning choreographies, remembering them, practicing them and


learning new steps and rhythms, whether alone, as a couple or in a large group,
helps to exercise memory.
Pictograms are a good tool to help dependent people remember and learn the steps
and choreographies. The sequences can be placed on the floor or attached to the
wall, and thus serve as an easy guide for everyone.
Dancing helps people relate and increase social contact. Dancing allows us to
remember the melodies, songs and rhythms of life, childhood, youth. It also
introduces current styles and successes, promoting inclusion and social relationships.

5.4. OUTDOOR AND TOURIST-TYPE


LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Outdoor and tourist-type leisure activities


allow users to come into contact with nature

17
and the cultural and heritage environment that surrounds them and enjoy while
learning. Professionals must ensure that the spaces where they want to carry out
outdoor leisure activities with people in a situation of dependency are accessible and
ensure that the entire group can arrive, access and enjoy the activity. For example,
taking a trip to the museum, to the mountains or to the urban space, or even to the
beach.

The accessibility of natural spaces is increasing thanks to the resurgence of


initiatives that make nature increasingly available to everyone. There are more and
more accessible beaches with adapted supports, more adapted trails and nature
routes and more inclusive places to sleep (hotels, hostels, camp houses). Outdoor
activities encompass a wide range of possibilities.
Tourism activities allow people to travel, and discover and visit places of historical,
cultural, environmental and heritage interest that allow them to learn while enjoying
new, shared, pleasant and rewarding experiences.
One of the best-known leisure resources are the Imserso plans for retirees, older
people and people in a situation of dependency. Provincial councils and town
councils also offer interesting inclusive tourist leisure plans, with discounts and
advantages to enjoy excursions, thermal spaces, vacations, and other activities.

5.5. ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Artistic and cultural activities allow people in a situation of dependency to develop


their creativity, increase their motivation, disconnect from everyday life, abstract
themselves and develop motor, cognitive and emotional skills.

The technician can propose workshops and non-professional artistic activities based
on the users' preferences, such as goldsmith workshops, craft workshops such as
painting, sculpturing or DIY (do it yourself), dancing workshops or music workshops.

People in a situation of dependency can enjoy cultural and artistic resources adapted
to enable their access, such as museums, exhibition halls, theaters, movie theaters,
and guided tours. In relation to the individual needs of the people who access the
resource, the dependency care technician must take into account aspects such as:

• To ensure the adaptation of the rooms and ensure the availability of individual
auxiliary aids required by users. For example, devices for access to auditory

18
information; in some movie theaters for people with visual functional diversity there
are audio descriptive systems.

• When traveling to cultural and artistic resources, take into account to reserve
places for people with reduced mobility, so that there are no difficulties in enjoying
the performances in the venues and they can be established in reserved and pre-
established locations that provide equality conditions.

5.6- FORMATIVE RESOURCES

Professionals caring for people in a situation of dependency must promote and


encourage people in a situation of dependency to participate in training activities.
Some examples are:

• Reading and writing workshops.

• Workshops for learning the use of new technologies.

• Workshops based on the interests arising from user proposals.

Example: University Extension Classrooms for the Elderly


The University Extension Classrooms for the Elderly, such as those offered by the
University of Valencia or the Polytechnic University of Valencia, welcome people
over fifty-five years of age with an interest in obtaining new knowledge and who feel
the need to continue being useful to society.

5.7- DIGITAL RESOURCES

Thanks to the adaptations and tools accessible to new technologies such as the
screen reader, voice recognition or the touch screen, among others, people in a
situation of dependency can access the digital world and its advantages in the face
of difficulties focusing on the screen, display the letters on the keyboard or the
precise handling of the mouse. In relation to accessibility, currently the work carried
out even extends to make the design of web pages more flexible so that those
people who suffer from some type of disability can adequately perceive and
understand the contents to be able to navigate. It is about providing equitable access
that equalizes the opportunities to access and interact with information.

19
The use of new technologies provides some of the following supports to people in a
situation of dependency:

• Communicative and social support: as a communication and interaction tool for


exchange and social participation. People in a situation of dependency can use
email or videoconferencing to communicate with family and friends.

Entertainment support for leisure: as a tool for participating in games or organizing


trips.

• Training and learning support: activities and games to maintain and prevent
cognitive functions or to stimulate memory and attention or access to distance
training through digital platforms which allow the acquisition of new knowledge.

• Normalization and inclusion support: as a tool to participate in online card games,


virtual sports games (with opponents), simulation games.

• Support for access to information: as a means to read the newspaper or carry out
procedures with official organizations.

• Support for access to knowledge: search for information on any topic that becomes
of interest and obtain diverse information.

In general, access to new technologies allows people in a situation of dependency to


be updated and active and reduces social isolation.

5.8 SOLIDARITY ACTIVITIES

Investing free time in participating in solidarity activities and initiatives is a type of


leisure that helps people with dependency feel useful, fulfilled and valued. Dedicating
free time to others is a positive and satisfying experience that directly affects the
community.

There is a wide range of volunteer activities in which you can collaborate and
participate. Some of the most common are:

• To collect food, cook it or distribute it in soup kitchens or food banks.

• To help and support in leisure activities in senior centers.

20
• Activities about the environment such as working in the garden or going on outings
to replant trees.

• To dedicate a few hours to attend and manage tasks in charity stores run by NGOs
or associations.

• To collect clothes and basic necessities.

• To provide workshops and courses on a voluntary basis.

Professionals must inform users of the solidarity volunteer resources that exist in the
territory and guide them in the activities in which they want to participate voluntarily.

21

You might also like