The City of Hagen together with several sub-partners is working with seniors to set up a set of smaller projects with the active involvement of seniors that will enable seniors to be socially and technically included in Hagen's community life:

• The senior's city map will supply information for younger seniors, by focusing on ways of participation in the different quarters of Hagen and on places to be.

• Shortcuts, voicemail, short messages, ring tones using a mobile phone can be very confusing at times, especially when you grew up at a time when there was not even a telephone in every house. This intergenerational project will offer a free course in handling a mobile phone. These two actions will be coordinated by the volunteer agency of Hagen.

• Deaf people are cut off from the existing assistance systems for seniors. They have no access to information and consultation for hearing people due to a heavy deficit of intelligibility, especially in this group of age. As we have in the city of Hagen a big increase in the percentage of old people in handicap group the welfare organisation “Paritätische” will give support and advice referring to illness and care of deaf seniors.

The senior city map will bring together all the locations and places for participation in a quarter that may interest an active senior. It can also be a guide for new citizens. And it will be designed by the target group itself, more precisely by volunteers around the age of 65.

The idea of the inter-generational mobile phone training is quiet simple. While seniors may have difficulties dealing with their mobile phones, it appears to come natural to teenagers. This projects simple brings them together. Furthermore, the younger will teach the elders.

Simple!

Deaf seniors shall be integrated to the already existing assistance systems. Two brochures will be designed:

a)a barrier free information brochure for affected people in simple language with the help of images and additional gestics;

b) an information brochure for professionals in the health care and welfare system including health care management with worth knowing information about how to cooperate with the target group, their culture and originalities and the opening of their supporting system.

Senior's City Map:

A group of five volunteers worked on the different topics of the seniors city map that should go into the printed version .They also met with local partners, some of whom where involved in Hagen’s map for children and the youth. The experience they gained from this project made the first steps a lot easier. In addition we got in contact with a local school for graphic design and won two students over, who are going to help with the design.

Mobile phone training:

To our surprise it was rather easy to mobilize the teenagers for the inter-generational mobile. All we had to do was contact one local school. They even added new ideas to our concept, such as collecting different manuals. Finding a location and local partners was likewise unproblematic. At the moment we are preparing the first course and communicating the project to the seniors.

Information for deaf seniors:

The deaf seniors´ project is built up in steps.

Step 1: investigation of the specific need in connection with organisations of affected people; investigation of partly already existing material in the regionally involved relevant scene.

Step 2: classification, arrangement, conception and testing of the usability.

Step 3: final layout, print/copy, positioning in electronic media, distribution and promotion

Step 4: transfer of knowledge to our project participants (European partners)