UATU Universidade Aberta do Tempo Útil: uma rede de saberes compartilhados

Abstract

This Project mentions about the impact of an extension program in continued education in the life of elderly. For this analysis it was chosen the Social Inclusion Program denominated Open University of Useful time ( Universidade Aberta do Tempo Útil ) offered by Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie/SP, that has as main goals : Giving educational activities focused to the update and knowledge‟s acquisition in many knowledge areas, develop sociocultural abilities, privileging the happiness and the pleasure of getting along with the culture and promote the integration of the elderly in many segments of the society . The project had as general objective comprehend the various aspects that implicate in the changes of the elderly‟s behavior when frequenting the continued education program. The specific objectives were: show the main contributions made by the recent studies in the area, identify and characterize in the Brazilian legislation the directives targeted to the elderly, describe the main cognitive aspects, affection and social observed in the representations elaborated by them, and analyze from these representations what the changes for social, political and economic that this new phase of the life proposes. The method used was based on descriptive and exploration qualitative analysis. As result, it was observed that the studies so far developed are related mainly to the medicine area, psychology, physiotherapy taking as main focus the chronological indicator. The program of social inclusion researched has demonstrated by itself a differential in the elderlies‟ life, giving them better quality of life, innovating and creating new friendship, as well as enriching the experiences exchange. Regarding to the public policies it still has a lot to do for the population of Brazilian elderlies mainly the aspects targeted for the improvement of quality life and education. The reports show us as well that the participation in the program of extension has demystified prejudices and terminologies before seen as exclusion by society and by the younger students as well. The cognitive aspects, affection and social have presented improvement in the elderlies‟ quality of life in many aspects, mainly the aspect for quality of life, knowledge, arts and feel them useful . The research has set up itself as an isolated action, innovating the research and presenting a reality little explored and spread, where the interest restricts only to specific demands and targeted to the interest of medicine area, moving away other possibilities that complement the improvement from the population‟s quality of life and the education, especially from the elderlies.