Education of Older Adults in Communities with Varying Levels of Well-Being

Abstract

This article deals with the education of older adults in communities with different levels of well-being. We are interested in whether the educational offerings for older adults depend on the well-being of the local community. We also examine how the educational offerings differ depending on whether the community is primarily rural or urban. In the research, the case study design was used. Municipalities were selected with respect to their level of well-being and compared regarding the educational offering for older adults. The analysis of the selected municipalities shows that the offering of educational opportunities for the older adults is more connected to the degree of urban and/or the rural character of the community than to the well-being of the community. One of the main obstacles for access to education of older adults appears to be geographical distance. In this research, we establish that the providers of education for older adults and the community's organizational cohesiveness in Slovenia do not cooperate with each other as a rule. There is also no in-depth consideration by education organizers for how to attract the older adults who don't take part in educational activities.