Since the end of 2013, when the Dublin Declaration was signed, Kraków has systematically worked to become an age-friendly city. Krakow’s age-friendliness encompasses providing both assistance to older residents of Kraków and a wide range of activities aimed at motivating older people to take responsibility for their health, building a positive image of Krakow’s older residents, and integrating generations together.

The current Programme of Social Activity and Integration of Older People for 2021-2025 is aimed at residents of the City of Kraków who have reached the age of 60. Its goal is to improve this social group’s quality of life and standard of living by promoting activity and taking care of their health and education.

The programme promotes active participation of older people in activities that utilise participatory tools, such as the citizen’s budget and local initiatives, engaging informal groups, older people’s clubs, Older People Activity Centers, and local neighbourhoods. The primary goal of this programme is to counteract the social exclusion of older citizens of Kraków, promote healthcare and older people activity, increase intergenerational integration and promote older persons’ awareness of the actions taken by the city for and in cooperation with older citizens.

For older citizens who have the ability and conditions to continue living in their own homes, the city offers care services for a fee that is income-dependent. In 2021, nearly a million hours of care services were provided, benefiting 2,125 people. To activate older and dependent persons, the city operates 22 centers (including four clubs for older people) with a total of 850 places. More than 1,000 participants use the center’s offerings each year. The city has also launched 5 Self-Help Clubs “In the Strength of Age” with a total of 100 places, including 1 club for those recovering from a stroke, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, or other dementia syndromes. For those older people who cannot continue to remain in their homes, the city has 16 ‘Social Welfare Homes’ serving 2,500 people. To ensure successful ageing, there is a network of 54 ‘Active Senior Centers’ operating 5 days a week for at least 4 hours a day. These centers offer educational, sports, and artistic activities, and older people are encouraged to volunteer for the center, as well as for other generations participating in these activities. ‘Active Senior Centers’ organize local events for representatives of all generations. In 2021, more than 7,000 people benefited from these ‘Active Senior Centers’.