Senior Square - bingo for healthy aging

How can you age in a healthy and independent way?

Seniortorg Skellefteå wants to help answer this question.

It offers everything from lectures and guidance to exercise bingo.

We enter the main entrance of the museum at Nordanå. Just inside the door, where the wardrobe is usually located, you can hear the plinking of guitars. Inside is Seniortorg Skellefteå. The square is described as an experience workshop and a learning environment to inspire the elderly. Above all, it feels like a really nice place to hang out. A leisure center for grayed temples, if you will. On this particular day, "dutt-n-go" is on the program. A group activity that combines animated movements to music with bingo games.

- It's all about sharing knowledge about healthy and independent ageing.

These are the words of Kristina Nordmark. She is head of the Early Intervention Unit at Skellefteå municipality. She explains that the background to the newly launched senior square is Skellefteå municipality's changing demographics. That is, the number of elderly people is increasing as Skellefteå grows.

- When the proportion of residents of working age decreases, it means that efforts for the elderly are delayed as far as possible. We also have a challenge in that many feel lonely, and that is not good for health either, she says.

All seniors are welcome to the square. It's also great to bring your children and grandchildren.

- We try to see it as an intergenerational platform," says Kristina.

It opened its doors in February and is open Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 15:00. The first 2.5 months saw almost 500 visitors.

- "It feels great that so many people have found their way here. But we think there are more people who need to know that we exist! We know that over 18,000 people over 65 live in our municipality. But it doesn't really matter what age you are, everyone is welcome," says Kristina.

If you don't want to take part in any activity, you can just come and have a coffee for a while.

But on this particular day, there is a trial guitar course with Medborgarskolan. Collaborating with associations that organize activities for the elderly is an important part of the activities, says Kristina.

- "We are interested in lifting them up, because there you have the opportunity to continue to meet with those who have the same interest. We know that the brain is affected very positively when you try things you haven't done before. When the brain feels good, we usually feel good in general," she says.

Lectures are another recurring feature at Seniortorg Skellefteå. It can be about anything from good sleep to growing tomatoes. Everything to feel good and have a healthy and independent life for as long as possible.

Now Kristina Nordmark hopes that the business will continue to develop and be able to offer a range that the seniors themselves want in the future.

- "We are planning different theme weeks in the future, for example, we want to learn to be better at wondering about things.

Increasing accessibility is another goal.

- We hope that we will get the technical equipment to broadcast digitally, so that you can also take part in the program from home," says Kristina.