Old age as in quarantine
Minimal personal contact, no culture, no movement and the same every day. After retirement, the elderly often experience a similar feeling to lockdown. Loneliness among seniors is growing, but the non-profit organization Elpida is trying to change that. Elpida is currently building the largest modern and educational cultural centre for seniors in the Czech Republic in Prague's Smíchov district, including an online programme for seniors from all over the country.
According to experts, loneliness causes psychological and physical pain, serious health problems and greatly reduces life satisfaction and resistance to stress. The topic of loneliness is one of the most common issues that people contact the Senior Crisis Line at 800 200 007. According to the head of the Senior Citizens' Crisis Line, Kateřina Bohate, this topic appears in 10 out of 40 calls a day.
"Loneliness is very common among the elderly, with more than 50% of people over the age of 75 across Europe living alone and without a loved one with whom they can share their daily joys and sorrows. Around a quarter of the over 75 population is in contact with a loved one on average once a week," says Kateřina Bohatá. "Any contact with other people is healing. Even one phone call can mean a lot. Recently, a senior said to me while saying goodbye on the Senior Citizens' Line handset: Thank you for listening to me, I feel like a human being again," adds Bohatá.
The situation has been exacerbated by the coronavirus epidemic, when computers and telephones have replaced social contact. Elpida also managed to switch the programme to online mode. Now, seniors from all over the Czech Republic are in online contact, and occasionally someone from abroad joins in. Some clients prefer to meet virtually. Among them there are several clients from abroad who are grateful for the contact with their home country.
"Even online is a fight against loneliness. During the coronavirus epidemic, we managed to connect remotely to 1,200 of our clients. This is great for those who, for example, cannot participate in face-to-face activities due to a disability or the care of a loved one," says Jiří Hrabě, director of Elpida o.p.s.
Elpida's clients have already adopted technology to the extent that they have started to meet online just for fun. "It was getting really long for some of the girls, so we said we would meet every Thursday evening online. We chat and knit. I don't have a net on my house, so I go and sit outside a café with my mobile phone," says Marie, a knitter from the Socks from Grandma project.
Expanding the activities, including online learning, will allow Elpida to use the premises of the old school building in Anděl. The organisation plans to gradually renovate the building, returning it to its original splendour and emphasising its historical spirit. Some modifications are necessary to facilitate the movement of clients. Together with the café, the plan is to build a community kitchen and a garden, which will also be used for intergenerational meetings with neighbours. Elpida is now trying to raise funding for all of the above through a public crowdfunding campaign at hithit.com/Elpida, which will run for another 30 days.
Media contactIvetaČížová ~ iveta.cizova@elpida.cz ~ +420 773 480 505
Elpida means hope in Greek. But it is also the name of an organization that helps seniors become a confident and respected part of society. In the spirit of the motto Old's Cool, Elpida is changing the way people look at old age - it runs the Elpida Educational and Cultural Centre for seniors fromPrague and the Senior Crisis Line, founded the brand Socks from Grandma, publishes the magazine VITAL, and organises the intergenerational Old's Cool festival. In short, she is trying to make Czech seniors lead a full & happy life.