Impact of barriers and limited resources of the local environment on the elderly people’s lifestyle in small towns and their marginalization and social exclusion – a case study

The subject of the article is the analysis of the situation of elderly people functioning in their local environment, on the example of Żabia Wola. Presentation of the results of own research is preceded by a review of important theories regarding old age, including the characteristics of styles of functioning of seniors and the presentation of the most important studies regarding their situation. In the empirical part, a diagnosis of the local community of Żabia Wola was carried out. The research was aimed at finding out about friendly places and offers addressed to seniors, identifying barriers in accessing them, looking for resources and recognizing attitudes and styles of functioning in old age, presented by elderly in the studied environment. Triangulation was used for the purposes of the research, i.e. a combination of research methods: analysis of existing data, participant observation, interviews and questionnaires. The research hypotheses were confirmed only partially: the hypothesis that seniors are passive was not confirmed and that the attitude of dependence on the family and immediate environment prevails among them. The research shows that elderly people are rarely included in offers and services addressed to all residents. The studied elderly people, however, have a lot of potential that they could use, taking part in events prepared specially for them and using dedicated offers that currently do not always meet their expectations and needs. The conclusion from the research, which is also a recommendation for local authorities, is the need for intergenerational integration in order to sensitize the entire local community to the needs of older people.