The article deals with the importance of the mentor and his role in the education of older adults. Older adults may be not only participants in education, or mentees in mentoring processes, but also mentors to other persons, irrespective of age. It is important that in addition to their specific knowledge and experiences they possess some knowledge of the mentor’s role, of the role of communication and mentoring as a process. These aspects are presented in the article, focusing especially on the common characteristics of mentoring in different areas. The mentee-centered mentoring paradigm is presented as vital for the development of a mentoring relationship. Along with it, the article describes the developmental phases of a mentoring relationship that contribute to the achievement of a good mentorship relationship in the education of older adults.Prispevek prinaša spoznanja o pomenu mentorja in njegovi vlogi v izobraževanju starejših odraslih. Starejši odrasli so lahko udeleženci izobraževanja oz. mentoriranci v mentorskem procesu, lahko pa tudi mentorji drugim osebam, ne glede na starost. Pomembno je, da imajo poleg svojih strokovnih znanj in izkušenj tudi nekatera znanja o vlogi mentorja, pomenu komunikacije in mentorstvu kot procesu. Omenjeno bomo predstavili v prispevku, kjer bomo še posebej poudarili skupne značilnosti mentorstev na različnih področjih. Predvsem je za razvoj mentorskega odnosa pomembna na posameznika usmerjena paradigma mentorstva. Poleg te pa bomo opisali tudi razvojne stopnje v mentorskem odnosu, ki so pomembne za dosego dobrega mentorstva starejšim odraslim osebam
