Across the globe, millions of individuals go through life in complete loneliness, whether due to the absence of family ties or the distance that separates them from their loved ones. Sometimes, society is confronted with this harsh reality of the loneliness of the elderly, an awareness that usually awakens in the midst of tragedies. Such was the case that occurred in the Netherlands on November 21, 2013, when they discovered the body of Bep de Bruin, a 74-year-old woman who had died a decade ago, a discovery that occurred by chance in her home in Rotterdam. .
A surprising fact
Bep lived in the Netherlands since she was a teenager and due to life circumstances, after a traumatic experience, she lost contact with her only son. They estimate that she probably died in 2003, and from that moment on no one noticed her absence. They automatically deposited her pension into her bank account and from the same account they debited the rent for her home.
A gas company employee discovered his body. He had to enter the home to do a routine technical check and found such a surprise. The piles of letters they found accumulated on the floor of his apartment gave the police approximate clues about the date of his death.
Is it possible to avoid loneliness in the elderly?
The event aroused interest in society, and they became aware that they should do something with people who live alone. Hugo De Jonge, Minister of the Interior of the kingdom, in 2018, took the initiative to create a scheme to combat the problem. He designed a strategy in which a group of volunteers will visit people over 75 years of age, to verify their condition, needs and ties.
In this way, whoever is alone can feel accompanied by someone. The Minister of the Interior, launched its campaign against loneliness among the elderly at the national level and the numbers achieved have good prospects.
In the world, there are no statistics on loneliness. A European Union survey shows that one in eight people feels alone almost all the time. As in turn, he also points out that three out of ten only feel that way part of the time. However, the Netherlands has a very low loneliness rate, largely the result of De Jonge’s initiative.
In the Netherlands they take action against loneliness
Loneliness entails a very complex and difficult to detect social problem that leads to depression and isolation. Lonely people do not usually do physical exercise and generally do not have a good diet, which leads them to suffer from diseases.
The Netherlands initiative is called in Spanish “one against loneliness.” A team of advisors provide municipalities with action plans. They encourage society to form support networks against loneliness, involving health professionals, volunteers and businessmen.
The plan was so successful that they created the National Coalition Against Loneliness. This team is made up of different companies such as supermarkets and banks. Likewise, charity organizations and volunteers also add their collaboration. Twice a year they meet in social clubs to plan ideas and ways of working.