Rights of the Elderly and University Extension: Contributions of the Aurora Program at the Elisabeth Alves Ferreira Elderly Housing Complex in Jaguariaíva - PR

Abstract

The phenomenon of population aging has been growing in Brazil and other countries, posing challenges to the guarantee of rights and the development of effective social policies. This article presents and analyzes the experience of the Aurora Extension Program, developed by the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG) in partnership with the Viver Mais Paraná Program, which offers exclusive housing for older adults in situations of social vulnerability. This is an exploratory study based on the systematization of extension activities carried out at the Elisabeth Alves Ferreira Senior Housing Condominium in Jaguariaíva (PR), between April and December 2023. The activities involved fields such as Social Work, Physical Education, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, through workshops, discussion groups, home visits, as well as educational and cultural actions. The results indicate that university extension contributes to the promotion of rights, the strengthening of community life, and the expansion of social bonds, establishing itself as a strategy to address the vulnerabilities experienced by older adults. It is concluded that the university, through extension, fulfills its social role by articulating academic knowledge with social demands.