Paper Title
The University of the Third age – The Journey to Active and Healthy Aging
Abstract
The presented study focuses its attention on one of the severe problems of today, which is the increasingly pronounced demographic aging within the European Union and in the Czech Republic. It points to the necessity of a solution that rejects the established stereotypes of the perception of old age, which is reflected in growing ageism. On the contrary, it tries to ensure a high quality of life in the post-productive age, improve intergenerational relations, and involve the elderly more, based on the concept of "active aging," a modern progressive approach to aging generation into a society based on the principle of solidarity, respect for individuality and uniqueness. As the study shows, lifelong education is one of the most important ways to solve this problem, which is confirmed by the research results on the University of the Third Age students at Tomas Bata University in Zlín.
Keywords - Demographic aging, Concept of active aging, Post-productive age, Lifelong Education, University of the Third Age.