Abstract
Extensive processes of aging naturally should arouse interest in local social policy wizards older people and keeping them in good health what undoubtedly contributes to physical activity.
The aim of the study: The aim of the study was to assess the extent of physical activity of older people is of interest to local government decision-makers in the process of programming of local social policy.
Research methods and materials: The research was conducted on the basis of local social policy program documents, which should be compulsorily developed in each commune long-term strategies for solving social problems and (non-obligatory) local senior policy programs from the area of the Silesian Voivodeship. 155 strategies for solving social problems were analyzed (167 communes in the voivodship).
Results: In the documents dominated inclusion of seniors in the diagnostic part (94 cases) and planning (85 cases) and only in the case of 11 local governments developed a separate program for senior citizens. Despite a number of indications regarding the physical activation of older people resulting from program documents undertaken at the European and national level, local documents deal with this issue marginally and it is clearly underestimated at the level of program declarations.
Conclusions: Deficits in the activity of seniors at the level of program declarations seem to result from two basic factors, the lack of knowledge among the creators of local social policy, incl. social workers, who should be made sensitive to the above issues through properly profiled training, and the lack of effective lobbying which should be carried out by senior councils and non-governmental organizations.