The news about the deceased resident of a house on the Oosterparkstraat in Zandvoort has caused quite a stir in the neighbourhood. He was only found after weeks. Local residents say that several attempts have been made to contact the ‘hermit’ in their street. In vain.
NH News announced the death of the older man earlier this week worldwide. Our message received many reactions, including from the neighborhood itself. As a neighbor reports on Facebook:
“Sorry to read some of the responses. Know that this gentleman has been called very often with the care that was there for him. Know that people have been at the door several times to convince him that he needed care, but this since a lot has been done to prevent someone from dying alone in his house. But at some point things also pass you by. Since there was certainly some regular care at his door, it was likely that he would probably have been taken in and that is why you are no longer surprised if you no longer see someone who already had a hermit life for a long time.”
Unfortunately, this happens more often, says Marieke Steutel of the Social Neighborhood Team in Zandvoort. “We sometimes get signals from neighbors or a GP about people who are very lonely. Then we can visit someone in consultation with the community police officer or the GGD. But: you can still offer so much help; if someone doesn’t want to, you can continue do little.”