Abstract (english) | The aim of the poster presentation is to present a Verbotonal Model of empowerment and improvement of the physical, psychological and social abilities of persons of the third age. SUVAG Polyclinic for the rehabilitation of listening and speech, Zagreb, has developed an integrative rehabilitation model in a collaborative setting, based on many years of clinical work with older adults (presbyopia, aphasia, Parkinson's disease etc.) to enhance social inclusion, improve physical and mental health and preserve functional abilities of elderly. The model follows the objectives of the Operational Program Effective Human Resources 2014-2020, Strategy Against Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Republic of Croatia (2014-2020), Social Welfare Strategy for the Elderly in the Republic of Croatia 2017-2020, Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy Strategic Plan for 2019-2021. The Verbotonal Model for elderly consists of 5 units within which specialized workshops are organized: The Speech Therapy Workshop is comprised of various activities aimed at stimulating spontaneous expression, enhancing self- confidence, developing memory, developing abstract thinking, improving short-term memory, and improving logical thinking. The Functional Listening Exercise Workshop is aimed at older people who have some form of hearing impairment. The aim of these workshops is to spot the auditory disorder, to direct further audiological processing and to empower hearing impaired people through a series of auditory exercises. The Assertiveness Workshop aims to raise awareness and strengthen own social skills, to practice assertive behavior in the social environment, to raise awareness of own learning abilities, and to empower oneself to learn about own progress. The Workshop of Rhetoric is intended as a set of activities during which participants will develop their rhetorical skills, improve their social-emotional, as well as strengthen their confidence. The Verbotonal Creative Workshop uses special Verbotonal procedures such as rhythmic stimulation, musical stimulation and dramatization. The Fall Prevention Workshop – Harmony Through Movement consists of different approaches to exercise to achieve overall balance, improve mobility, response speed, improve stability and reduce the risk of falls, improve agility as well as reduce muscle soreness and stiffness. The Neurological Workshop includes a presentation of risk factors for neurological aging and examples of activities aimed at empowering and improving the functional health of persons of the third age – "how to add life to years". Applying the Verbotonal Model for empowering and improving the physical, psychological and social abilities of persons of the third age with its interdisciplinary approach and multidisciplinary collaborative practice raises the quality of life of persons of the third age starting from the basic premise that puts human at the center of all activities using a comprehensive, polysensory approach for everyday life. |