Wilfried Apel becomes the new chairman of the district senior advisory board!

Wilfried Apel becomes the new chairman of the district senior advisory board!

In the district of Kassel there is a new wind on the district senior advisory board: Wilfried Apel from Vellmar has taken over the office of chairman. The 75-year-old follows Horst Heusner, who resigned for health reasons. Apel, who is also chairman of the senior 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 senior 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 digitization brings with it for many older people.

Lonely seniors are an issue that is also important to Apel. The new chairman points out that many older people often live in large houses, where they feel loneliness despite all the premises. In addition, their children often live far away, which increases the feeling of isolation. Apel is committed to supporting the district's initiative, developing a senior plan that shows possibilities in senior citizens' work. The goal is that every municipality has a senior representative, similar to youth work. He will be looking at the importance of social participation and try to bring the district senior advisory board together once a year.

digital remedy for loneliness

Another topic that Wilfried Apel appeals is is the digital world. Digitization can be perceived as a risk factor for loneliness in old age, but Apel and many experts agree: it also harbors huge opportunities. Many seniors have difficulties with the new technologies, particularly high -altg and far -educated groups, as from a recent workshop for the conference “Connect! - Communal initiatives for less loneliness in old age. It was emphasized that digital media such as video conferences and virtual self -help groups can be used to maintain contact and thus to combat loneliness. An approach that Apel wants to take up to support seniors in the district.

The national program “Connect!” pursues the goal of identifying digital and hybrid approaches in order to create better social togetherness 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 campaign together with other municipalities for such hybrid offers in order to counteract the challenges of the digital gap and reduce the isolation of seniors.

a forward -looking team

With Wolfram MeiBaum from Baunatal, the district senior advisory board also has a new deputy chairman, which, together with Apel and the rest of the board, who is elected every five years, remains in office until 2026. It is clear that there will be a lot to do in the coming years to realize the advertised changes. Apel is optimistic and brings a wealth of experiences to give the seniors a voice in the district of Kassel.

The problems of loneliness and the challenges of digitization require a creative and integrative approach. The district senior advisory board has the chance to take a pioneering role and to make real changes for the quality of life of the seniors in the district of Kassel. If you want to learn more about digital approaches in old age, you can find more information on the website of the Digital Pact Age