Project goal:
Sesam aims to strengthen social networks among elderly individuals and their relatives while fostering dialogue on ageing and caregiving roles. The initiative works to enable more meaningful and inclusive conversations between elderly people, relatives and professionals, addressing both opportunities and challenges.
Who benefits:
For the elderly, Sesam contributes to strengthening their resources by creating communities where they build relationships with other elderly people. This promotes their well-being and helps them to better understand their rights and opportunities, which increases their agency and ability to navigate public, voluntary and private elderly services.
For relatives of the elderly, Sesam offers a community where they can share their experiences and challenges with other relatives. The community reduces the feeling of responsibility and isolation that many relatives experience. In collaboration with professionals, they develop the framework for future services that can benefit themselves and future relatives.
For professionals, the initiative offers a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges of ethnic minority elderly people and their relatives. Sesam creates a space where professionals, together with elderly people and relatives, can exchange knowledge, articulate dilemmas in their encounters with each other, develop solutions and adapt elderly and relative services.
How it works:
Sesam facilitates community-based groups for elderly individuals and their relatives. In Copenhagen, three elderly groups - based in Amager, Nørrebro, and Sydhavnen - meet monthly. These groups are participant-led, with members taking active responsibility for planning and facilitating activities, reinforcing ownership and recognising the resources within the community.
In parallel, relatives’ groups provide structured spaces for peer support and dialogue. Two groups are currently active in Copenhagen, including one focused on relatives of people with dementia and one general group. Together, they engage approximately 25 participants and meet bi-monthly.
Following recent funding, the initiative is expanding with four additional relatives’ groups planned across Zealand, Odense, and Aarhus, further extending its reach and impact.
- Start date
- 1 Jan 2024
- Project locations
- Denmark
- Project website
- Fonden for Socialt Ansvar
- Migration status
- Newcomers
- Topic
- Service provision
Results
As a recently established initiative (2024), Sesam is in its early implementation phase and long-term outcomes are still emerging. To date, approximately 70 elderly participants are actively engaged in the community groups, indicating strong initial uptake and interest.
Evaluation:
The project has not been evaluated externally.
Funding and resources:
Sesam operates on a project-based funding model, making the annual budget variable. The estimated cost of maintaining current activities is approximately DKK 2 million (EUR 270 000) per year. The initiative is delivered by a team of 3 staff members and does not rely on volunteers.