For the last five years, many Spanish universities, alone or with the assistance of other organisations -- town halls, foundations, social organisations - have started up various home help programmes. The aim is to give the students a home in which to live during the school year and to provide the elderly with the emotional support they require.

Main aims
Although all differ slightly, nearly all the collaboration agreements are similar in basic structure. The student pays nothing to live in the home of the old age pensioner (OAP), and vice-versa, although sometimes the university or foundation in question provides money for the student or householder to meet unexpected payouts. The OAP provides a room where the student can study and the student in turn helps in daily tasks, errands and above all provides the security and company of another person under the same roof.

Some programmes have other types of limitations, such as giving the student a timetable during the week, establishing, for example, a specific time to return at night. These norms differ depending on the programme, but can be negotiated with the OAPs.

These home help programmes improve communication between the young and the old and serve to highlight a generational problem. The students discover the pleasure of helping those most in need, while the elderly become aware of the needs of the students which they experience first hand, thereby improving their understanding of the youth of today and assisting their adaptation to a modern mentality.

Selection process
To join one of these home help programmes, students and OAPs must first register and second meet some requirements: the elderly must own a house in a decent condition and the students must be taking a course at the corresponding university. If there are many student petitions, they will be selected according to economic necessit.

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Once registered, a team of professionals will interview the parties to select the most suitable student/OAP pairings. In addition, during the 10 months that the programme usually lasts, they will be visited to ensure the coexistence is working well, that there is a good atmosphere in the home and to solve small problems that may have cropped up.

Anyone interested in finding out whether their community or province runs these programmes should contact the information office of the local university or else the OAP help service of the local town hall. You will then be informed of the requirements in order to participate.