Effectives of the active aging project: Prevention as the foundation for elderly health in maintaining functional independence

Abstract

Introduction: The program (UCE) seeks to provide new professionals with holistic training in Occupational Therapy and contribute to the human development of older adults in the community. This project, specifically aimed at the older adult population, promotes Active Aging. Objective: Demonstrate the effectiveness of improving and maintaining aspects related to the functional independence of the older adult population which is part of the PUAM Central-Calderón programs, both virtual and in-person. Materials and methods: Comparative, longitudinal and observational descriptive research with a non-probabilistic sample.  It is a sample of 119 older adults from the city of Quito distributed in the northwest neighborhoods of Quito belonging to the parish of Calderón and on the Campus of the university citadel. The participants have a level of education that varies from illiterate to fourth level of education and were attended in person and virtual modalities. Results: The physical, cognitive and emotional workshops, both in-person and virtual, prove to be highly effective, being adapted to the user care modalities, and generating significant benefits for the quality of life of the participants. They promote not only physical and emotional well-being, but also social interaction and personal development, thus contributing to the general well-being of older adults.  Conclusion: With the application of the programs, the impact they had on the health and human development of the older adult community was verified, from 2022 to 2023.