Wilfried Apel becomes the new chairman of the district seniors' advisory board!

Wilfried Apel becomes the new chairman of the district seniors' advisory board!

There is a new wind in the district senior advisory board in the Kassel district: Wilfried Apel from Vellmar has taken over the office of chairman. The 75-year-old succeeds Horst Heusner, who resigned for health reasons. Apel, who is also chairman of the senior citizens' advisory board in Vellmar, would like to create more offers for seniors in his new role and ensure that all municipalities are represented on the advisory board. The district seniors' advisory board currently has 24 members, which means that municipalities such as Breuna, Helsa, Calden and Reinhardshagen are currently not represented. There is still a need for action to strengthen representation, especially in view of the challenges that digitalization brings with it for many older people.

Lonely seniors are a topic that is also close to Apel’s heart. The new chairman points out that many older people often live in large houses where they feel lonely despite all the space. In addition, their children often live far away, which increases the feeling of isolation. Apel is committed to supporting the district's initiative to develop a senior plan that shows opportunities in senior work. The goal is for every municipality to have a senior representative, similar to youth work. He will focus on the importance of social participation and try to bring the district seniors' advisory board together once a year.

Digital remedies for loneliness

Another topic that Wilfried Apel addresses is the digital world. Digitalization can be perceived as a risk factor for loneliness in old age, but Apel and many experts agree: it also offers huge opportunities. Many seniors have difficulties with the new technologies, especially very old and educationally disadvantaged groups, as was evident from a recent workshop at the “connect! – Municipal initiatives for less loneliness in old age”. It was emphasized that digital media such as video conferences and virtual support groups can be used to maintain contact and thus combat loneliness. An approach that Apel would like to take up to support seniors in the district.

The national program “connect!” aims to identify digital and hybrid approaches to create better social cohesion for seniors. Claudia Kessler, the head of the program, emphasizes that it is important to expand municipal offers for older people in combination with digital solutions. Apel would like to work with other municipalities to promote such hybrid offerings in order to counteract the challenges of the digital divide and reduce the isolation of seniors.

A forward-looking team

With Wolfram Meibaum from Baunatal, the district seniors' advisory board also has a new deputy chairman who, together with Apel and the rest of the board, which is elected every five years, will remain in office until 2026. It is clear that there will be a lot of work to be done in the coming years to implement the touted changes. Apel is optimistic and brings a wealth of experience to give seniors in the Kassel district a voice.

The problems of loneliness and the challenges of digitalization require a creative and integrative approach. The District Senior Citizens Advisory Board has the opportunity to take a pioneering role and bring about real changes to the quality of life of seniors in the Kassel district. If you would like to find out more about digital approaches in old age, you can find further information on the [Digital-Pakt Alter] website (https://www.digitalpakt-alter.de/).