220 citizens over 60 have enrolled in the Center for Healthy Aging

In just two weeks, 220 senior citizens have enrolled in the newly opened Center for Aging of the Centar Municipality, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The center opened on January 18, and the municipality invested half a million marks.

Immediately after the opening of the Center, senior citizens began gathering in the premises, spending time socializing and getting to know each other. In addition to socializing, friendship, education and acquiring new knowledge, members of the Center should improve their quality of life, exchange experiences and spend their free time in the best possible way.

- Namely, all interested citizens aged 60 and over, exclusively from the area of the Centar municipality, have the opportunity to join us. The application form can be obtained and filled out at the Center. Such a large number of enrolled people actually speaks volumes about how justified the implementation of this project was. Mayor Bećirević did not hesitate for a single moment and really liked the idea. This is supported by the fact that the Center for Healthy Aging is located in the largest available space, and at one of the most attractive locations in Sarajevo - pointed out Varja Nikolić, coordinator of the Center for Healthy Aging.

When filling out the application form, citizens also have the opportunity to fill out a survey sheet in which they choose the activities they want at the Center. The survey sheet lists potential activities such as: corrective-recreational gymnastics, art workshop, creative workshops (crocheting, knitting, point lace, wire work, work with recycled material, Turkish embroidery...), computer course, English language, culinary section, music section, recycling section, educational workshops on healthy lifestyles, medical counseling, board games (chess, cards, darts, table tennis...), and in addition to the listed activities, the possibility is also left for members to declare if they want something that is not listed. 

Based on the summarized survey results, the most interest so far has been expressed for recreational-corrective gymnastics, around 170 people, and the volunteer of the Center for Healthy Aging, Aldin Ferić, offered to lead this activity.

- I am a professor of physical and health education, soon to be a master of sports sciences. I come from the Association "Partnership for Public Health", and I volunteered for many years at the Center for Healthy Aging in Novo Sarajevo, so I can say that I have the necessary experience in working with senior citizens, and I hope that this will help in the work of this Center. After people declared that they want to engage in recreational-corrective gymnastics here at the Center, I came up with the idea to offer to lead that activity. We made eight groups, and now we have to coordinate the schedules with our members. Starting this week, we will begin implementation every working day, said Ferić.

Based on the survey that is continuously conducted at the Center, it was concluded that the members of the Center have shown great interest in art workshops, 90 of them, 110 people are interested in a computer course, and 80 people in learning a foreign language. From the very beginning, many volunteers have been coming forward who want to be part of and contribute to this humane, beautiful and useful project.

- The Center for Healthy Aging also has a code of conduct because we should all treat this space like our own home. This is a place where people should free themselves from everything, surrender to their activities, and feel comfortable. That is the main goal. The most important thing is that we all respect this space, respect each other, and nurture good communication, added Nikolić.

The members of the Center show with their satisfied facial expressions how much they enjoy the pleasant ambiance. They socialize, talk, exchange experiences, play board games...

- I am very glad that this Center has opened. There are many senior citizens who gladly meet here. I think it's the right move, congratulations to our mayor Dževad Bećirević for deciding on this step. I am especially pleased by the fact that this is just one in a series of such Centers that the Municipality will open in the future. The staff is friendly, the ambiance is pleasant, and I really have the desire and need to come here almost every day, said Center member Zumreta Muharemagić.

In the Center for Healthy Aging of the Centar municipality, with an area of 324 square meters, senior citizens have a free, content-rich full-day stay, with a living room, kitchen, board games section and library at their disposal. The Center also has equipped rooms for various types of training and a room with computers. Toilets are adapted for the elderly and disabled. At the entrance of the Center there is a reception desk and a room for a psychologist.

The working hours of the Center for Healthy Aging are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every working day.