90-year-old Zita keeps dancing and caring for others

Zita Joana Jančiauskienė, a 90-year-old community organiser in Druskininkai, says she is still too busy to retire. She leads activities for the town’s Bočiai senior association, writes scripts for celebrations and helps care for older people and people with disabilities, LRT reports.

Jančiauskienė, a long-serving chair of Bočiai and an honorary citizen of Druskininkai, says the association is her work, leisure and source of joy. “No, no, no, I definitely haven’t retired. I just never get around to it! There are so many activities. If only there were more hours in the day,” she said.

When she received her honorary citizenship, she joked: “Don’t think I’m going into eternal rest now. I haven’t even gone into temporary rest yet!” Her children have asked her to finish the family tree, she said, but she plans to do so only when she retires.

Bočiai members currently support 48 people, helping with shopping, trips to doctors and visits for company. Some volunteers look after two or three people. “Whatever people ask for, our members never refuse,” Jančiauskienė said.

She also leads rehearsals for other seniors, dances, exercises and hosts Advent gatherings. Back pain has made long walks harder: she and a friend used to cover up to 20 kilometres with Nordic walking poles. But she still dances. “When I dance, it doesn’t hurt. When I stand by the stove, it hurts,” she said.

Jančiauskienė says she has been active and enjoyed organising celebrations since childhood. She also looks after her health, drinking fruit and berry smoothies in the mornings and taking supplements.