In France, many older adults face loneliness and social isolation. Among them, 300,000 are in a situation of « social death », deprived of ties and the simple and essential pleasures of life. On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, October 1, the Petits Frères des Pauvres alerts the public authorities and raise awareness among citizens of the need to take action to combat the isolation of our elders, in order to enable them to grow old as serenely as possible.
On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, volunteers and staff from the non-profit Petits Frères des Pauvres all over France were in the streets to encourage citizens to take action and to make them aware of the incredible gift they hold to fight against the isolation of the elderly. Each of us can improve the daily lives of our elders and give them back a taste for life.
Indeed, there is a simple remedy for the isolation of our elders. It’s not a serum or a pill, the remedy it’s all of us, each of us. Simple actions can change everything, such as visiting and enjoying a nice chit-chat over coffee, talking to others on the street or at the bakery, taking every opportunity to chat, or asking for advice and learning from our elders through their knowledge of gardening, cooking, their life stories…
This is the new message at the heart of the new campaign of the Petits Frères des Pauvres in France and of the messages delivered since the beginning of the year in their communication. It is through a strong symbol, a revisited medicine capsule in the shape of a heart, that the organization raises awareness among the citizens about the incredible gift they hold to fight against the isolation of our elders. With the street operation on 1st of October, the idea is to affirm that all together, we can be the remedy to combat the loneliness of the elderly.
