Check out on your mood… at the supermarket
Photo from Jumbo.nl About 50 % of older persons feel lonely in the Netherlands, a fact that triggered a national action plan to fight loneliness. This inspired the Dutch local supermarket chain in Vlijmen to launch two popular initiatives, namely a “Chat Checkout”, consisting of dedicating a checkout counter to chat with customers and a […]
Advocacy through Film – a film festival about the third act of life
As in most countries worldwide, the Canadian population is getting older. Despite this reality, older adults and ageing remain underrepresented and misrepresented in our mass media. Through film and film-based events, THIRD ACTion Film Festival in Canada works to change the narrative on ageing and guide an age-positive culture shift. The festival takes place in […]
A ‘Diversity House’ to address social isolation of LGBT seniors in France
The project ‘Maison de la diversité’ (House of Diversity) is the first inclusive housing in France that fights against the social isolation of LGBT seniors. This project has recently obtained an investment budget of 4 million euros from the Fondation des Petits Frères des Pauvres. The first House of Diversity will soon open its doors […]
Housing project addresses social isolation of older LGBT people in France
Despite some positive evolution of rights and mentalities in Europe, LGBT seniors remain much more affected by discrimination than their heterosexual counterparts: 65% of older LGBT people live alone; 90% have no children and few caregivers; the suicide rate of older LGBT people is higher than that of heterosexuals, from 2 to 7 times higher […]
Partnership to promote age-positive images
The Centre for Ageing Better has partnered with the worldwide free stock image library Pexels to increase its range of images of people in later life. This partnership aims to promote a more positive image of old age and better reflect the diversity of older people and avoid the harmful widespread stereotypes. Read more on […]
Community of citizens breaks old age isolation in Paris
‘Paris en Compagnie’ is a community of committed citizens who are engaged to promote the mobility of older people and fight against their isolation. Isolation in later life is a sad reality in Paris (France), with more than 175,000 seniors living alone and being at risk of losing their autonomy. To tackle the issue, the […]
Offbeat tea parties to recreate social bonds and have fun
Thé dansant is a bimonthly event in Belgium (Brussels) for the young old (over 65), which is not a typical senior event: an extravagant and glamorous tea party for about 100 people in an elegant setting in the heart of your community. This social event is aimed to help senior people stay active and in […]
Free family newspaper for confined grandparents
‘Des Nouvelles de chez nous’/’Vanuit ons kot’-krant (‘News from home’) aims to help families maintain a link with the oldest relatives and break older persons’ isolation during COVID-19 confinement, in particular those who are not familiar with new technologies and social networks. The principle? Every week the older persons receives a free ‘newspaper’ that keep […]
Free online platform supports community assistance & volunteering during COVID-19
The Belgian matching website for volunteering Give a day offers a free help platform for organizing neighborly help and volunteering for cities and NGOs worldwide during the COVID-19 crisis. The objective is to support current local social initiatives with the right tools to organize assistance in the community. The city of Leuven in Belgium was […]
Belgian citizen movement fights for better future living conditions in older age
The “Gang des Vieux En colère” is a Belgian non-partisan and cross-party movement of citizens who want to ensure that future generations can age with dignity. The movement, which today has more than 10,000 members, seizes every opportunity to take to the streets and makes its voice heard, drawing attention on the growing social inequalities […]
LIFT – a voluntary transport service to tackle rural isolation in Ireland
In the Irish County of Kerry, a community has set up its own voluntary transport service in an effort to tackle rural isolation. The pilot scheme, called LIFT, uses volunteer drivers to help people visit neighbours, pubs and other social gatherings free of charge. Given the success of this first inititative, they are considering extending […]
2018 Smart Ageing Prize awards 3 digital projects to combat old age isolation
The AAL 2018 Smart Ageing Prize focuses on the issue of social isolation and loneliness among older adults, rewarding digital technologies that facilitate real-world interactions to improve quality of life. During the AAL Forum in September 2018, the three winners of were announced, namely: KOMP : Launched by an Oslo-based start-up, KOM is a one-button […]
A French city ‘lends’ pets to break old age isolation
Since October 2017, the city of Cambrai, in Northern France, has launched an innovative initiative to help break loneliness in old age: allowing older people to take a dog or a cat home without really adopting it. The older person may go to a shelter and choose among all the animals waiting for adoption, for […]
Dating site for seniors in Belgium
For seniors who enjoy going out and making new friends, AGE Flemish organisation OKRA has developped a ‘dating site’ for persons aged 55+ who wish to come into contact with others for sharing activities. You can place your dating call for free and make a selection of contacts according to the activities you like and […]
Bras Dessus Bras Dessous promotes solidarity among neighbours and older persons’ social inclusion
‘Bras Dessus Bras Dessous‘ is a network of citizens based on solidarity, currently in pilot phase in Forest (Brussels, Belgium). It aims at connecting isolated or vulnerable older persons with neighbours willing to dedicate some time and attention to them on a one-off or regular basis. The final goals are to: Reduce older residents’ loneliness […]
Reading Rooms to foster older people’s social inclusion and mental health
The Verbal Arts Centre, in the UK established in 2013 ‘Reading Rooms’ aimed to improve people’s health and well-being through the literary arts. During Reading Rooms sessions, a short story or poem is read aloud by facilitators, who are all trained volunteers, or participants who are then encouraged to share ideas, thoughts and feelings. It […]
Monitoring good practices in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion – EU Report 3
This third monitoring report gathers good practices of projects across Europe dealing with working conditions, employment, social affairs and inclusion under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI). These good practice examples can form a basis for policy recommendations, which may be useful to the policy-maker designing or implementing policy interventions in this […]
French Facebook campaign ‘Messages pour la Vie’ addresses old age digital and social exclusion (in French)
Face à l’isolement des personnes âgées dans la société, l’Alliance VITA lance une campagne : rencontrer nos aînés pour recevoir leurs “Messages pour la Vie”. Lancée le 15 juin à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de lutte contre la maltraitance des personnes âgées, les membres d’Alliance VITA ont rencontré des centaines de personnes âgées, qui […]
