Have you ever wondered why this little grandma tries to strike up a conversation with you every day? Only then will you be in a hurry and very often end the exchange. And if you were his only contact of the day? In France, 2 million people over 60 have no contact with their family or friends. 530,000 are in a situation of “social death” “, according to the association’s latest barometer Little Brothers of the Poor that fights against the isolation of seniors. That’s twice as much as in 2017. What if you could help them?
“Social Death”. The word is hard, but the reality is just as hard. When we talk about people in a situation of “social death”we are talking about women and men who never or almost never meet other people “in different circles of conviviality”, such as the family circle, friends, the neighborhood or even associative networks, according to the association’s barometer, published in September 2021. If the health crisis and successive incarcerations have probably played a role in the deterioration of their social abstinencethe barometer points to several other factors:
- The loss of autonomy. Dependent elderly represent 14% of the elderly in a situation of “social death”.
- Digital exclusion. Even as the digital divide narrows, 3.6 million older people are still excluded.
- Insecurity. The most precarious elderly are more affected by social death.
Apart from the social consequences, isolation can have an impact on the psychological and physical health isolated elderly. Sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, increased stress, depression, decreased sense of well-being, weakening of the immune system, decline in cognitive functions, many can affect their health. Faced with this risk, the Little Brothers of the Poor accompany our elders to find a dynamic of lifethe social link the core of his actions.
Find the salt of life
Whether it iscreate a presence at home or by phone,organize activities collective ofacting against vulnerability elderly, the Little Brothers of the Poor strive to recreate moments of life and conviviality in the daily lives of our elderly. For example, Roger, 65, was able to see the sea for the first time during a stay organized by the Little Brothers of the Poor in Le Touquet (62) in the summer of 2021. Living in a nursing home and with a serious disability, he had during his life had very little opportunity to go on holiday “active”†
On July 5, 2021, the association also celebrated Ivana’s 100th birthday by organizing a surprise birthday party with a gypsy orchestra, speeches, poems, songs and even the Marseille Opera. And how not to talk about the story of Jacqueline, 91, who, in September of the same year, was able to see her daughter again, years ago, thanks to the volunteers of the association. They tracked her down and staged a touching mother-daughter reunion. And for good reason, “sharing experiences, finding solutions together to their problems, rediscovering joy, being yourself, being free to choose, dreaming and daring to realize your dreams, [ou encore] dare to project yourself again », these are the keywords of the association, which wants to encourage society to change your view of old age†
Know more about isolation of the elderly † find all advice of the Little Brothers of the Poor for break the loneliness of the elderly daily on the website of the association and change your view on old age!