These are trying times. With many people either in lockdown or under the conditions of the virus measures, this is a major drain on our mental health.
Even when life hasn’t changed that much, like Tom’s and mine, it is obvious that the mere fact we can’t do as we please causes discomfort and confusion.
Is true happiness possible in times like this? I think it is, but let’s be honest and realistic – it asks for more effort.
Effort? Isn’t being happy not just something you are or are not?
Does vaccination protect the herd in case of infectious diseases?
This is open for debate. We, for instance, dodge vaccination against seasonal influenza. This can lead to hilarious situations.
At some point, our GP’s system failed and we were called by mistake for the yearly flu jab.
When I asked the assistant ‘How come?’, she responded: “Oh, that’s right. You’re flu refusers”. And yes, that’s how it is, we dodge the flu.
Reliable information on the Internet is at the moment a much-debated topic. Not the least on the Internet itself. This is quite rightly so.
There are all sorts of individuals, organizations, companies and governments on the Internet that only serve their own extremely limited concerns.
How to deal with such devious sources?
However, more importantly, where can you find reliable information on the Internet?
I guess everybody does it; sitting on a terrace and watching other people’s behaviour? I love it, especially when something happens of which you know the outcome before it occurs. 🙂
I knew when I heard the elderly couple arguing about which way to go, he would have it his way and she would be right in the end.
So she reluctantly followed him and after 100 meters plus another argument, they turned around and passed us again going in the opposite direction.
It wasn’t very effective communication between couples. He didn’t want to listen to her and was only focused on having it his way. She was obviously not capable of talking to him in a way that would convince him without giving him the idea he was stupid.
Neighbourhood care is booming in the Netherlands and Germany. More and more citizens participate in social networks in their neighbourhoods to ensure care support.
Such shared support compensates for the rise of social, physical, psychological and cognitive shortcomings when ageing. Neighbourhood care is a clever choice when ageing.
With this type of self-organization, citizens compensate for the shortcomings of ageing and for the shortcomings of public and commercial care services.
Particularly given the current health crisis, these initiatives are more than welcome. However, how to organize neighbourhood care?
In the past, I have been a caregiver. The last 10 years of my father’s life for both my parents. And after his passing another 10 years for my mother. The periods after their deaths were intensive times of reflection.
What is the meaning of a personal legacy? What do I remember most about my parents? And as a consequence: what do I want to be remembered for later?
We probably all want to be remembered for great deeds, but are we actually setting anything in motion that indeed is great? How big are our dreams and what efforts do we take to accomplish them?
Does our identity change when we age? Why is this a relevant question? The sympathetic Belgian psychiatrist Paul Verhaeghe is very precise about this (from his book The end of psychotherapy): “Without identity, we are no more than our body.”
What is the core of our identity? What makes our identity so important? The answer Verhaeghe gives is very surprising: we have an identity because we share an enormous amount of human traits with other humans. The Latin identitas means similarity.
The battle against the covid-19 virus was from the beginning not centred on the problems of the people really suffering. Everybody hoped a vaccine would solve their personal problems. Such as not being able to go to work or to school or the theatre or a bar or restaurant.
The way the virus behaved though puzzled me: Why do we concentrate on a vaccine when most people do not suffer from the virus, even when they are infected? Why vaccinate everybody, when most people do not suffer from the virus? Why close all businesses, schools and public gatherings? Why wear masks? Why wreck the economy?
Nobody seemed to ponder the most fundamental question. Why don’t we focus on the perspective of the end of the pipeline? This end is that only a limited number of affected people suffer proportionally much more than the majority. Nobody suggested the end of the pipeline as the strategic focus of pandemic policies.
Independent living senior housing is a common practice around the world. Senior citizens decide to join hands, hire or buy a house together, and appreciate each other’s company. For them, it’s also a way to economize. When required they together hire care or other services.
Examples of such practices are the Village-to-Village-Network in the USA and Trabensol near Madrid in Spain. The Seniorengenossenschaften in Germany are also an excellent example of intense collaboration between senior citizens.
It is good to take a closer look at the discussion to better understand the complexities of independent living senior housing initiatives. From a recent example in Belgium, I explain the discussion. This example shows how important it is to timely start such an initiative and pay close attention to the rules.
The question “What is the best long-term care plan?” is not discussed much. We tend to leave the preparation of this plan to care professionals. Whether this is the best choice though remains to be seen. Our long-term care deserves more consideration.
A good starting point for the debate about our personal long-term care plan is the way long-term care is funded at the moment. From there I will discuss our options to prepare for the best personal long-term care plan.
The maintenance of dignity and independence, access to care services and quality of life are the goals of long-term care. People want to live in their own homes and neighbourhoods for as long as possible.