Page 18 - Adelaide Journal of Social Work

Subjective Wellbeing/136
The above table depicts demographic details of respondents. Out of the 49
respondents 65.3 percent of them were female and 34.7 percent were Male.

Among the respondents, the married group constitutes 91.8 percent while 8.2 percent
of the respondents were widows. Of the Age friendly students, 71.4 percent live in
the urban sector and 28.6 percent in the semi urban sector. 98 percent of the
respondents were dealing with life as a retiree and only 2 percent of them belong to
the self-employed sector. The percentage of respondents who belong to the income
group of Rs. 20000-25000 is 53.1 while 18.4 percent belong to the Rs. 15000-
20000 group. 14.3 percent of them belong to Rs 25000-30000. Out of the remaining
respondents, 12.2 percent belong to the Rs.10000-15000 group and just 2 percent
of them belong to the below Rs.10000 category.

Follow up

The senior citizens that pass out from Age Friendly College have reduced social
isolation due to their participation in social media, where they build and maintain
relationships. 5 motor skills are being developed by the use of mobiles and computers
and they are updated with the latest news. In the process of being self-reliant,
senior citizens have access to various resources, especially online sources. Age-
friendly colleges enhance volunteerism among both students and the
participants.There are several job opportunities awaiting these seniors in response
to the Age friendly colleges.

Implications for Social Work Practice

Growth and physical maturation continue throughout the life cycle. Social workers
who specialise in working with old adults (Geriatric social worker) should be sensitive
to changes that are typical processes of growing old. Social isolation and loneliness
often appear to produce maladaptive behaviours. This project shows that many
opportunities exist for creating a more responsive opportunity structure for the
aged at the community level.

Conclusion
Age friendly college is based on the concept of “life-long learning” as a means of
reducing negative impact of ageing. It was found that a group undergoing such an
experience is likely to experience and increase in well-being. The researchers observe
that one-to-one teaching methods of great significance in producing the desired
effect. It is also observed that the process can be mutually enriching for both
learner and the teacher, especially when the teacher is a college going student.
Every student should master the practices and behaviour towards the aging society

Adelaide Journal of Social Work, 4:1 (2017) : 136-137