6 tips
Anyone can take action against loneliness among the elderly. The below tips are intended to give you ideas as to how you can make life better for that elderly gentleman living in your street, the senior lady you often see in the park, the elderly residents at your local care home, or your grandma and granddad in Friesland. And remember that even a small gesture can make a huge difference.
1. Send a postcard
Send a nice card to your grandma or granddad, or put one through the letterbox of that sweet old lady living in your street. What you put on the card is entirely up to you. You can say ‘I just wanted to say hi’ or even ‘I will stop by soon.’
Especially for the children at Partou, we have designed different cards they can send to elderly people. Would you like one of these sets of cards? Make sure you let us know quickly before they run out. Send us an email on communicatie@partou.nl, using ‘Cards’ in the subject line. The first twenty persons to respond will receive a set of cards from us. Don’t forget to include your address in the email.
2. Take a seat
At the playground, the train station, or a park, you probably sometimes see an older person sitting on a bench all by themselves. Sit down next to them with your child and have a chat. Involve your child in the conversation. Have your child tell the elderly person where you are headed or what your plans are for the day.
3. Neighbourhood party
Neighbourhood parties are all the rage these days. Invitations and details are often distributed through a WhatsApp group or shared on Facebook. Bear in mind that elderly persons are often not on social media. So, go over to their houses and invite them personally. And tell them that you will pick them up when it’s time for the party.
4. School musical
Virtually every school in the land stages a musical for family members at the end of the school year. For elderly persons, too, such a musical would be a nice outing. Ask the school to put on an extra showing especially for local elderly people. Have the children, accompanied by a teacher or parent, personally distribute the invitations.
5. Digital contact
Many elderly people struggle to get their heads around a computer or a mobile phone. So, take the time to explain to them how to get in touch with people using such devices. Show them how to use Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp, and text messaging. And make sure your child, together with you, regularly gets in touch with them.
6. National Pancake Day
Friday 20 March 2020 is National Pancake Day. This day will be all about children making pancakes for elderly members of the community to put a smile on their faces. If you have a care home in your local area, reach out to them and explain that National Pancake Day is coming up, and that you and your child would like to bring round some home-made pancakes for lunch. Mind you, you can also do this on any other day.
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National Coalition Against Loneliness
As a childcare organisation that operates on a nationwide scale, we have joined the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports’ National Coalition Against Loneliness. The idea behind this coalition is to buck the trend of loneliness among elderly people. The coalition does this by getting national as well as local companies, foundations, and organisation in contact with each other to jointly take action against loneliness. Having joined this coalition in August 2019, we will be taking different kinds of action over the coming years to fight loneliness among the elderly. And where possible, we will be partnering with other organisations and companies who are also part of the coalition.