The person you care for may no longer be able to leave the house alone. This makes it difficult for them to have contact with people. This can be tough, as everyone wants to socialise sometimes. This may mean that, as a carer, you have to give a lot of attention to your loved one. If you want to share that attention with someone else, help is available for social contact.
Buddy
Buddy Network is an example of an organisation that supports adults and children with a chronic and/or life-threatening illness. Older adults who are lonely and/or in the early stages of dementia can also sign up. You will then be paired with a ‘buddy’. This is someone who drops by, has a chat and gives some attention to the person you care for. This gives you as a carer some time to do something for yourself or get some rest.
For more information, visit the Buddy Network website.
Telephone circle
You can sign your next of kin up for a telephone circle. All participants then call another member in a fixed order. The telephone circle provides that extra bit of attention. Is someone not picking up? Then a volunteer will drop by to make sure everything is okay.
The telephone circle is kicked off every morning by a volunteer. The last participant calls the volunteer again. Then the circle is complete. The telephone circle is for older adults who live alone in The Hague, or who have difficulty getting out of the house. In The Hague, there are telephone circles in Mariahoeve, Bezuidenhout, Morgenstond, Transvaal, Zeeheldenkwartier, Laak, Loosduinen, Centre and Scheveningen.
Find a telephone circle via the Support Map.
Haags Ontmoeten (The Hague Meets)
Haags Ontmoeten is a place in the neighbourhood where all older adults and their carers can drop by any time. It is a place to meet people, share experiences and relax. At each location, various activities are organised in which older adults from The Hague can participate. A number of Haags Ontmoeten locations focus on older adults with a shared cultural background. If you have any questions about this, you can contact one of the coordinators or use the contact form on the Haags Ontmoeten website .