Prevention and Societal Initiatives for a Healthy Dordrecht: A Focus on Mental and Physical Well-being

For the elderly, the focus in our city is mainly on fall prevention and improving self-reliance among the elderly. For example, there is a fitness program to promote exercise among the elderly. There is also extra attention for a dementia-friendly Dordrecht, to combat loneliness among elderly people with dementia.

In a poll on social media channels, RTV Dordrecht asked its audience where they think more should be focused on by the municipality when it comes to healthcare. In it, 63 people preferred improving current health care and mental resilience (86%), compared to the ten who preferred to see a focus on disease prevention and information (14%). Fortunately for our public, prevention is not the only spearhead of current policy.

Societal initiatives

A healthy life is not just about physical fitness. A lot can go wrong on a mental level as well. That is why there must be support and motivation for people from Dordrecht who are not feeling well. According to figures from the DG&J, in 2016-2017, 48% of residents over the age of 18 sometimes suffered from loneliness. That is five percent more than the national average. It is not for nothing that there has been more focus on social inclusion in recent years.

Loneliness, stress and increasing pressure to perform cause mental problems among the population, which in turn can cause physical problems. To counteract this negative spiral, the setting up of social initiatives in the city is encouraged.

For example, residents of Dordrecht can already join social neighborhood teams, there is Social Service Drechtsteden for tailor-made solutions at home and the city council supports citizens’ initiatives.

There are initiatives such as the Vogelnest, where residents of Reeland have a cup of coffee and a listening ear at their disposal for a pittance. Esle Schrauwen has been there since the very beginning in 2017: “We were still in one of the apartment buildings at the time, the volunteers also lived there. Close to each other and therefore convenient, but our current location in the middle of the bird square, with lots of light and a terrace, works a lot better as a meeting place.”