PRevention OF Loneliness older people in the Euregio

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The median age of the population living in the European Region is the highest in the world (WHO, Strategy and Action plan 2012-2020). Demographic changes due to this ageing poses significant and substantial social and economic challenges not only for Europe, but also for the EMR. It is estimated that nearly 20% of the inhabitants of the EMR is older than 65 years (euregionalhealthatlas.eu), and this number is expected to increase in the upcoming years. Ageing can be associated with loneliness and other (mental) health related conditions such as depression of old age. Loneliness can be defined as a subjective feeling that may be the result of a perceived lack of social contacts and relationships, caused by for example social isolation. The impact of the worldwide COVID-19 crisis and how this affects vulnerable older citizens due to e.g. the necessary precautionary measures, once again emphasizes the importance of addressing loneliness. There is a high need for improving the social inclusion of vulnerable older citizens, and thereby reducing loneliness or preventing risk of becoming lonely.  Cross-border cooperation is needed to foster knowledge and best-practices exchange between and within communities. We therefore propose the cross-border project PRevention OF Loneliness older people in the Euregio, or PROFILE. PROFILE will stimulate cross-border cooperation with the general aims to prevent and combat unwanted loneliness in older people, promote knowledge exchange, best practices and implementations, increase awareness on effects of loneliness, and last to connect people, experts and organizations who have already been active in this field.  Examples of activities will be the organization of a citizen summit to stimulate intergenerational exchange, development of audiovisual material to elicit awareness, or development of guidelines and trainings on what to do when an older person feels lonely. These activities center around three main action points: 1) promoting intergenerational exchange, 2) creating awareness in professionals/ citizens, and 3) guidelines and best-practices. These actions and its activities involve several target groups, including the vulnerable and older people at risk, local public authorities, healthcare professionals, non-professionals (such as volunteers), social movement associations for older people, and the general public. Addressing loneliness is a delicate matter. The concept of Healthy Ageing, (described by the WHO) that focuses on wellbeing in older age, will serve as a framework, together with the assessment results from the previously successful Interreg Senior Friendly Communities project (SFC). PROFILE will combat loneliness in vulnerable older people living in the EMR by taking social, societal and cultural differences into account.

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