On this occasion, you have seen the EEC's coaching programme for older people (Senior Class) “a project which fosterssocial and civic participation of older people and the lifelong learning”and has therefore been included in the Seminar on Good Practices for Social Inclusion held in Madrid on 25 and 26 October 2012.
Another of the reasons why the Red Cross has opted for the coaching programme for older adults created by the EEC in January 2012 is because it is a “project that encourages older people to take a proactive attitude towards their own health and well-being.
Mavi Catalá and Luis Miró, co-directors of Senior Class, they emphasised in their presentation the importance of emotions and care at that level to prevent the social exclusion of the elderly.
“Active ageing isn't just about looking after our health, eating healthily and exercising. We need to look after our emotions, our thoughts and our relationships,” Mavi Catalá stated at one point during the Red Cross Seminar, held on 26 October in Madrid.
“We don't always know what's happening to us. How to recognise our emotions, see their usefulness, and know what to do with them is the development of emotional awareness,” continued Mavi Catalá, who leads a programme at the EEC (European School of Coaching) that brings together older people to instruct them in these types of skills.
For his part, Luis Miró, an expert in coaching and positive psychology, stated that happiness is a challenge and a learning process. “Throughout life, unforeseen circumstances arise that we can approach in different ways to adapt to changes, improve our well-being, and achieve our dreams.”.
Adaptation to prevent low self-esteem from leading older people down the path of loneliness. “How we see reality has a great influence on our self-esteem,” Miró explained in her presentation. “The way we see the world opens up certain possibilities for action and closes off others. Being aware of how we think and being able to change it will allow us to have more options.”.
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Video of Silvia Guarnieri's intervention in 2011
