Carers of people with dementia are put in the spotlight

KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds and Alzheimer Nederland organize Easter lunches for carers

In the coming weeks, 700 informal carers of people with dementia will be treated to an Easter lunch in football stadiums of Eredivisie clubs. The KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds, in conjunction with Alzheimer Nederland, is inviting them for an unforgettable lunch, giving them an afternoon out and putting them in touch with other informal carers. That is necessary, because informal carers of people with dementia are almost twice as likely as the average Dutch person to experience loneliness. The lunches are being facilitated by 650 KPN staff who have volunteered to come and sit for a while at the tables to chat with the guests.

The Netherlands has five million informal carers, of whom 800,000 care for people with dementia. The majority of informal carers feel a lot of pressure. They care for their loved one for an average of 40 hours per week, comparable with a full-time job. “An informal carer’s task is tough. You don’t choose to do it, you aren’t trained to do it and you are almost never free of anxiety,” says Gerjoke Wilmink, managing director of Alzheimer Nederland. “But informal carers are indispensable for people with dementia. If overworked informal carers drop out, people with dementia are left out in the cold. We need to look after our informal carers properly and make sure they are not forgotten. That’s why I’m so pleased with this initiative! The Easter lunches will allow the informal carers to relax, make social contacts and connect with fellow-carers.”

The KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds has dedicated itself to fighting against loneliness for the last 15 years. In conjunction with social organizations and projects, the fund facilitates a reduction in the feeling of loneliness among vulnerable groups so as to stop them from ending up in social isolation. Mark Versteegen, director of the KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds, explains. “Informal carers of people with dementia are almost twice as likely as the average Dutch person to experience loneliness, because caring for their partner makes them virtually housebound. In the next few weeks, the KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds is organizing Easter lunches across the whole country and we are inviting these informal carers to join us for a wonderful afternoon at which they will be able to connect with other informal carers. A day out where they are all the center of attention, for a change.“

In 14 football stadiums of Eredivisie clubs the fund is organizing an Easter lunch, which will also feature a club icon and entertainment. The first lunch will be held on March 28 in Het Kasteel, the stadium of Sparta. The last in the series will be on April 21 in the Philips Stadium, PSV’s home ground. Secretary of State for Health, Welfare and Sport Maarten van Ooijen will attend that lunch to chat with the informal carers. Informal care is one of the subjects in his portfolio.

KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds and Alzheimer Nederland
The Mooiste Contact Fonds is a KPN initiative. The fund was established in 2007. With the fund, KPN supports initiatives by various social partners that are aimed at stimulating social contact for vulnerable groups in society. For various reasons, some people have less connection to the world around them than they would like. Consequently, they face the risk of social isolation. The KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds deploys ICT, resources and people to do something about this.

The fund has been working with Alzheimer Nederland for a long time: in 2020 the platform dementie.nl was revamped with the help of the fund. Dementie.nl is the platform for anyone who is dealing with dementia, whether you are an informal carer or are suffering from dementia yourself. This platform gives you tips and information about living with dementia. You can also read stories there, share your own experiences and ask questions of experts and peers. In 2020, almost 1.3 million informal carers, people with dementia and healthcare professionals visited the website. With support from the KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds additional ways of making contact have been developed for the platform.