麻豆社

Barcelona in Spain is famous for its beautiful streets, lined with tall apartment buildings. But the architecture is a problem for many people who have lived for years in upstairs apartments but who now find the stairs unmanageable.

In 2008, a survey found that in one district there were 300 people who could not leave their homes alone. A group of volunteers decided to do something about this and got hold of a special wheelchair with caterpillar tracks, so it can be used to take people up and down stairs. After an initial pilot scheme they launched a local service called 鈥淟et's Go Down to the Street鈥�, to help elderly residents go shopping or meet up with friends. Sixteen years on, the service is offered across the city.

Plus, we visit a home for senior citizens in an unlikely location: a university campus. The Mirabella complex at Arizona State University in the US offers its residents the chance to sample the college lifestyle 鈥� from lectures to shows and sports fixtures.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: William Kremer
Reporters: Esperanza Escribano, Anthony Wallace
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound mix: Gareth Jones