Activities of extensión with elders: the experience of the Life History group

Abstract

Aging is a natural process accompanied by some alterations. In old age, some elders may have pictures of emotional changes. Activities and groups can promote elders’ mental health and feeling of welfare. This paper reports the experience of masters and academics in the "History of Life" group among elders who attend a daycare center. This experience is part of a project an extension project of the Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro (FUTM), Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This activity aimed to promote the mental health of the elderly, stimulate interaction between them and rescue their stories and identity, during the second half of 2013. As a result the group, besides having strengthened bonds of friendship, had the opportunity to share experiences. Through activities that stimulated autobiographical memory, seniors shared experiences, strengthened their bonds of friendship and relived events of the past, giving new meaning to their lives.