“We want families not only to come and visit their elders, but also to share intimate moments, to play and enjoy the environment together”, said the Territorial Director of the Imserso in Melilla, Verónica Aznar, when announcing the recent actions carried out in the Polyvalent Center of Elderly People, popularly known as the Residence of Elderly.
These investments amount to a total of 25,000 euros and are part of a strategy initiated in previous years to promote coexistence environments and strengthen the physical and emotional well-being of the elderly of the Residence.
As explained by the Territorial Director, these actions respond to a comprehensive vision of the care and accompaniment of older people, placing value not only on care, but also on the importance of the environment and social relations for emotional well-being.
Cafeteria improvement
One of the main actions has been the renovation of the cafeteria space of the center, considered a key point in the daily life of the Residence and consolidated as a meeting place between residents, relatives and citizens.
The Imserso has allocated 20,000 euros for its conditioning, which has included the renovation of furniture, the installation of acoustic panels with the aim of making it a more comfortable and suitable place for conversation.
“We wanted to give a new impulse to this space, to make it more pleasant to talk, to have a breakfast or a snack. The idea is that it is a much more comfortable place and that it leads to a greater connection between the Residence and the citizenship of Melilla”, he stressed.
Creation of an intergenerational space
On the other hand, the Territorial Director has valued the investment of 5,000 euros aimed at creating an intergenerational space, including children's elements, giving continuity to the project initiated in 2024 with the installation of a Biosalute Park aimed at promoting the autonomy of the elderly.
“That park already generated encounters between adults and children. With this intergenerational room we wanted to consolidate this space as a place of family coexistence, where not only the resident is visited, but also to share endearing moments,” he said.
As he has detailed, “the idea is that families not only come to visit their elders, but share pleasant moments, play and enjoy the environment together”.
In the words of the Territorial Director, “it is about creating a playful space and coexistence that facilitates contact between generations, even when the physical deterioration of the elder can be shocking for the little ones. A leisure environment allows that relationship to take place in a natural, affective and enriching way for everyone.”
Aznar has stressed that all these actions respond to a clear objective: to transform the Senior Citizens’ Residence into a more human space, participatory and open to the community, where active aging and intergenerational connection are integrated as part of daily life.