NRW attacks loneliness: Big conference in Mülheim for those affected!

NRW attacks loneliness: Big conference in Mülheim for those affected!

loneliness is a feeling that many people know too well. However, it can become permanent for some, which entails serious consequences for health and well -being. Against this background, the North Rhine-Westphalian government, which in Germany is a pioneer for combating loneliness, initiated an important event for the formation of consciousness and networking.

On September 20, an information event entitled "Confidence - strengthen knowledge and approaches" took place in the VEK community center in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Organized by the regional offices of age, care and dementia, the event aimed to convey important information on the subject of loneliness, including interested citizens and specialists. The event was carried out in cooperation with Alzheimer Gesellschaft Mülheim e.V. and the round table dementia.

The scope of the topic

The opening speech by Elke Riedemann, a representative of the regional office, emphasized the serious consequences of loneliness. Scientific studies show that chronic loneliness harbors similar health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes every day. In addition, the risk of dementia increases significantly, by around 40 percent. Such alarming numbers illustrate that loneliness is not only a social but also a health problem.

A short film that was shown during the event treated the topic in a playful and positive end. But the quota extracts, which were subsequently read out by those affected, drew a significantly more serious picture. They described the emotional and psychological effects that brings loneliness with it, and thus created an urgent framework for the subsequent discussion.

diverse offers on the "market of possibilities"

A particularly exciting part of the event was the “market of possibilities”. Peter Behmenburg, an experienced social worker, led through this exhibition, in which various organizations presented their offers and interacted directly with the participants. From visiting services to relatives to special events such as the "dance in the castle", a wide range was offered, which shows how diverse the approaches to deal with loneliness in Mülheim are.

Current research on loneliness was illuminated by Bernd Schäfer, a research assistant at the Ruhr University Bochum. He examined the causes and possible measures for prevention. The exchange during the lecture was lively and showed the great interest and the relevance of the topic. A hotly discussed aspect was the role of digitization, which not only excludes older people, but increasingly also excludes children and adolescents and contributes to loneliness.

The event in Mülheim also made it clear that the commitment in the area of female loneliness is often female. It was suggested that more men could actively participate-be it through talks on the help telephone or by participating in social events. These considerations could shape future developments on the "market of possibilities".

All participants and organizers became aware of how important it is to raise their own voice and to make themselves strong for a community in which every place finds space and has no space. The event was an important step to continue to take the topic into the public and promote new initiatives. More details can be found here.