Community actions in improving the quality of life of the elderly: Zamora or “the places where nothing ever happens”

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the effects and potential that the creation of community and the promotion of bridging social capital can have on the adherence of the elderly population to projects aimed at improving their quality of life. To this end, it is based on the analysis of two practical projects carried out in the city of Zamora and which form part of the research on a model of quality of life in old age: the promotion of physical capacity and the tackling of unwanted loneliness through volunteering. The results are based on information from each of the experimental programmes and testimonies obtained from the researchers of each of these projects, fieldwork teams and participants (beneficiaries). the results show that activities that involve people in the pursuit of a common goal are effective ways of fostering social bonds and the idea of community.