Abstract
In the Decade of Healthy Ageing, healthy and successful aging can also be promoted through social services and care provided to the elderly. It is necessary to support and develop those functional abilities that allow the elderly to meet their needs in their own environment. Since the 1960s, models of healthy and successful aging have continuously shifted in a positive direction, expanded, and coexisted. Today, the lives of older people can be supported in very complex ways along the dimensions defined by these models. It has also become increasingly emphasized that the expected lifespan in good health can be extended to later ages, but chronic diseases and the decline of functional abilities cannot be avoided. For the oldest elderly, who often require social assistance, the process of adaptation to changes is the most necessary and feasible to support. Both adaptation and the maintenance of abilities can be best supported through education and learning. In social institutions, didactically grounded learning programs tailored to the abilities of elderly residents can be integrated into their daily routines as part of therapeutic care. The involvement of professionals working with the elderly is essential for the development and practical application of these programs. The strategy of action research provides an opportunity for learning programs that can be effectively applied in the social sector to develop and be implemented in a collaborative, action-oriented process. In my study, I present the theoretical foundation of this conceptual framework.