Rzeszów – Suitable for all ages

Rzeszów offers programs and activities for several generations. The mayor of the city, Mr. Konrad Fijołek attaches great importance to the essential elements of high quality of life in the city. Many initiatives are focused on the needs of older citizens.

Public Nursing Homes – provide 24-hour services, such as running daily errands. They ensure that the safety and dignity of older adults are upheld. Services include occupational therapy and the meeting of religious and cultural needs.

Care in the home is another enterprise. It provides help with grocery shopping, cleanliness, preparing meals, laundry, purchasing medicines, or assistance in getting to a doctor. It significantly affects the physical and psychological condition of older citizens.

Rzeszów’s Cultural Center organizes cultural life for citizens of all ages and also runs a website with an “Active Senior Citizen” tab where older adults can find useful information and event notifications. Furthermore, they have prepared a special offer for citizens over 60 years of age which includes fitness classes, backbone exercises, English and French languages classes, acting studio, therapeutic relaxation dance, as well as singing groups. In 2019, Rzeszów’s Cultural Center was awarded for its activity in the national “Adamed for Senior Citizen” competition. Most of the events organized by this institution are free of charge to help increase participation and foster inclusion and accessibility.

Comfortable public transport allows older adults in Rzeszów to stay active and independent. To meet the needs of citizens with disabilities, the city invests in intelligent solutions in the field of urban transport. In 2018, 50 low-floor buses were purchased, and in 2019, 10 electric buses were purchased. They are low-floor and adapted to serve the visually impaired and hearing impaired (equipped with audio and video passenger information systems with remote controls distributed free of charge). In the second quarter of 2020, 20 natural gas-powered buses, adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities and older adults, were purchased. This year, 40 more buses of this type will be delivered.

Age-friendly service at city hall is possible thanks to the following devices: portable magnifying device (making it easier to read documents), voice-over device, SyKoMi Sign Communication System-
(the device enables communication between a deaf person and a clerk using software and a camera recognizes the movement). UrbanLab, a city laboratory, implements ideas that are helping to diagnose problems in the city. The goal of the UrbanLab is to bring together the best scientists, investors, teachers, and ingenious citizens to create urban spaces for joint discussions. All initiatives are made for regular and long-term plans in the region. Special teams are analyzing the needs of older people and correlating them with the needs of youth. The UrbanLab brings together many people from different areas of interest and age.

Our annual event “Senior in the city” workshops offer meetings, fitness, Nordic walking, foreign languages, singers groups, and dance parties. The event is an opportunity to gain valuable skills and knowledge in many areas of everyday life.

The Council of Seniors in Rzeszów. The Council’s activities are of a consultative and initiating nature. Older adults work cooperatively with the authorities of Rzeszów in expressing opinions and helping to solve problems concerning the needs and expectations of older people.

The Strategy for Solving Social Problems (2016 – 2022) was also created. It is a reflection of the current situation and challenges in the city of Rzeszów. The document meets the requirements for a modern and comprehensive base for the development of various activities in the next few years, with the strong emphasis on the needs of older citizens.