Loneliness is a public health issue, which has become an even more serious concern since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it affects many older people, surveys have shown that there have also been high levels of loneliness among young people.
In April 2021, the euPrevent Foundation started a 2.5-year project entitled euPrevent PROFILE, for the prevention of loneliness of older people, in the border area of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR), which is a member of the WHO Regions for Health Network.
The PROFILE project
Loneliness is generally defined as a discrepancy between a person’s preferred and actual levels of social contact. It can vary in severity, pervasiveness and persistence and result in a range of health-related issues. The PROFILE project is focused on preventing and combatting loneliness in older people living in EMR and increasing awareness of its effects.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people, especially those in the older and younger target groups, experienced an increase in feelings of loneliness and isolation, illustrating that, in times of crisis, intergenerational solidarity at all levels – family, community and neighbourhood – is very important. Young and old came together to support each other, creating new relationships, building trust and respect, and strengthening communication across all age groups.
Ongoing and planned activities
During the summer of 2022, the PROFILE project will organize small dialogues at the regional level during which older and younger participants will discuss ways of combatting loneliness and isolation in an age-friendly environment for all generations.
The project is also looking into new ways of offering everyone the opportunity to discuss the topic of loneliness. These include a theatre-based package aimed at conveying a message on positive inter-neighbourhood connection. The project has also launched a questionnaire to gather information on current loneliness-related action. It is hoped that this will lead to exchanges between the relevant organizations, increasing their development and promoting good practice in this field.
Ultimately, the project is committed to establishing and developing solidarity networks between generations in neighbouring regions, highlighting the role of active citizenship, and promoting an exchange of knowledge and resources in EMR.