Loneliness among the elderly is a major problem. In the Week against Loneliness, the Welzijnswerk Hoogeveen Foundation tries to do something about it. They pull out all the stops to pull the elderly out of their isolation. And Hoogevener Henk Blokhuis is very happy with that.
Since his wife passed away five years ago, it has been pretty quiet at Henk’s house. “Sometimes I am lonely. That is sometimes due to the weather. Then the weather is sad and then you also feel a bit sad. Then you would like to have a conversation, but the family around me has completely disappeared .”
Henk, 86, looks forward to Tuesday mornings all week. Then he gets in the car and goes to Buurtpunt d’Olde Bieb in the Hoogeveen neighborhood of Wolfsbos. There he and a group of other elderly people will drink coffee and play games. Upon entering, he is greeted from all sides. “It gives a good feeling. A bit like coming home,” he says with a laugh.
It took some persuasion to get Henk to the Neighborhood Point. “They visited me at home from the Welfare Work Foundation,” says Henk. “I wasn’t really looking forward to it. But then she said: I’ll come get you next time. I’ve been kidnapped a bit, but I’m really enjoying it.”
It is sometimes difficult to admit that you are lonely. Loneliness specialist Riette Leffers also understands this. “That’s a thing. But talking about it is the most important thing. Because nobody has to be ashamed that you are lonely. Everyone suffers from lonely feelings from time to time.” According to Leffers, for example, in the municipality of De Wolden, 8.8 percent of the population is lonely. This is not only unhealthy mentally, but also physically: people who feel lonely are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and dementia, for example.
Leffers has set up a course for anyone who feels lonely for a longer period of time. According to her, it is a misunderstanding that loneliness is only a problem among the elderly. “Loneliness arises after a change in the normal daily structure. That can be when a student moves into a room or if someone loses their partner. But also, for example, with someone who has just given birth and whose life has changed as a result.”
She has advice for people who suffer from lonely feelings: “Talk to your doctor or another healthcare worker. Then they can inform me. There is certainly something to do.”
Watch the video with Henk Blokhuis, who can’t wait to go to the Buurtpunt: