Honor for senior -friendly communities: commitment in Lower Austria

Honor for senior -friendly communities: commitment in Lower Austria

In Lower Austria, special attention has been paid to the concerns of the older population since 2002. The annual award for senior -friendly communities and initiatives took place this year on September 23 in the Aknö's ballroom in St. Pölten, on the occasion of the international day of the older generation. The Horn district was strongly represented, with communities such as Brunn an der Wild, Meiseldorf, Eggenburg, Gars am Kamp, Horn, Sigmundsherberg and Röschitz, who are actively involved in the needs of their older citizens.

The event attracted great interest and the organizers emphasized that the initiatives were continued in a proven form. State Councilor Sven Hergovich, together with other important representatives, presented the trophies to the municipal representatives and social combinations. "This award initiative is essential for social support," said Hergovich, pointing out that the social combinations work as an important source of information for seniors to clarify them about aid and funding.

monthly social consultations for seniors

All excellent communities and initiatives have been offering regular information events on social issues since 2023 and carry out monthly free social consultations. These consultations are organized by the social combinations on site. If this was not carried out by the community, but by a personal initiative, they are recognized as a "senior -friendly initiative". The background to this award is the cooperation between the Association of Social Democratic Community representatives in Lower Austria, the Pensioners' Association Lower Austria and the Volkshilfe Lower Austria.

The importance of these initiatives is underlined by NÖ GVV President Andreas Kollross: "Senior-friendly communities take care of the weakest in our society. It is crucial that we pay particular attention to the older and children who need our support. The communities are closer to the needs of people and thus convey a direct help."

Analog support for the older generation

The need for analog information was particularly emphasized. PVNÖ President Hannes Bauer said that many support offers are often only available digitally, which is a challenge for many seniors. "We rely on analogous offers to ensure broader access and give the seniors the opportunity to experience help in personal contact," said Bauer.

Die Volkshilfe Lower Austria, supported by committed volunteers, plays a central role in these social initiatives. Ewald Sacher, President of Volkshilfe NÖ, emphasized that the social combinations are continuously trained in order to always be up to date and to be able to help effectively. "We have offered sustainable support in the communities in the past 15 years and are currently working more for those affected by the floods," added Sacher.

The continued support of the seniors through analogous opportunities and the active information on social issues are a step in the right direction for a senior -friendly society. More information about these initiatives and how you will be launched, you can find in a detailed report on www.meinbezirk.at .