Aging, learning, and cognitive maintenance: a qualitative study to assess learning needs of Armenian seniors

Abstract

Nowadays, globally population is facing the aging phenomenon, which means that the share of people aged 65 and over is growing faster than the share of people in any other age category resulting in demographic transition. Among health issues, cognitive decline (CD) in old age is a major concern, hence there is need to think of strategies, which might prevent CD. Learning and education in later life have been identified as preventive factors for CD. The learning process may contribute to the increase in neuroplasticity, as it prompts creation of new neuronal connections by their repeated activation. Our project is aimed to find out what are the learning needs of Armenian seniors. Data was collected through 13 In-depth Interviews (IDI) and 2 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) until saturation was reached. For grouping and retrieval of the data Qualitative software QDA miner lite was applied. The Results of the study revealed that most of the seniors in Armenia have a need for learning, in addition to a broader set of needs as well, which during further analyses was linked to educational needs. Five global teams emerged from analysis, one of which related to Aging experiences of seniors in Armenia and the rest related to their needs: needs for Socialization, Financial protection, Social and Self-acceptance of old age image, Learning and Engagement. Participants were not familiar with the concept of “active aging”. New skills that people needed to obtain were technology management and language learning followed by playing a musical instrument, singing, pottery, painting, sewing, recitation, roleplaying. From the new activities most of all they preferred to participate in mentored group discussions, volunteering, playing table games , concert watching, and organized city walking tours, cooking, and gardening. Overall, the findings of our study were congruent with the results of studies done in other countries.