Meeting each other and receiving attention is an important concern for seniors. Even more so perhaps in rural areas. Frans Verhegge of Familiehulp confirms this: “the message is that many people are obliged to stay at home longer due to a lack of resources and staff. The average age in home care is over 80. This means that many people are looking for alternatives to to meet each other. A lot of people are alone, especially in the countryside.”
A day care home or NOAH is trying to do something about this. NOAH organizes all kinds of activities such as playing board games, cooking and crafts. There are also occasional trips and there are always caregivers available, to help with washing, for example, but also for extras such as nail care or a massage. There is a real need for these types of small-scale initiatives.