Looking back at the 2023 meeting

Messages from Arkin

The program opened with messages from Arkin:
High score in the survey "Great place to work", TOP GGZ certificate, Care Performance Model and CLA increase, these were the themes of the Executive Board. She was followed by Marjan Holla and Pim van Dongen (Mentrum) who presented the Virtual Reality innovation project. They showed that digitization is reaching the treatment room, but it is still under development to choose the relevant therapeutic setting for the VR glasses and to practice and treat effectively. The Digital Care project is supported by research. The participants were invited to experience for themselves what VR glasses do during the break. There was a lot of interest in this.

Then three external speakers Aletta Winsemius, Wies Verbeek and Frits de Lange were on the program, each with their own perspective on "we change with us":

Aletta Winsemius – Council for Public Health and Society

We were somewhat surprised to hear from Aletta Winsemius that the social allegro "own fault big bump" from the 90s will be revised in the coming years. The adagio for the coming years is "togetherness, acceptance and solidarity". According to the Council, that is the tone. Apparently, lessons have been learned from the lockdown due to the coronavirus. For us retirees, that is balm on our soul. Soon, 1 in 4 people will be needed for healthcare. The emphasis will be on caring communities. So prepare for the future in the living environment by making room for meeting and working together with local residents. In other words: taking care of tomorrow.

Wies Verbeek – Journalist and writer

Wies Verbeek enthusiastically presented revolutionary research findings. Every 10 years, 2 to 3 years of life expectancy are added. It has been found that 30% of genes and 70% of lifestyle determine how old you get. Becoming a parent can be an enjoyable journey. That means moving a lot, staying curious and aging meaningfully. These are just three findings of her long scientific research that she presents clearly and with practical examples in her book. Wies comes up with 101 proven tips for a healthy body and a healthy mind through: healthy aging. Cherish aging. Afterwards, the participants received her book: 'A Little Fun Aging.

Frits de Lange – University of Groningen

Finally, Frits De Lange explained that from an ethical perspective, three almost contradictory schools for the older can be distinguished: active and resilient versus deterioration and isolation versus wisdom and ego-transcendence. In his book Finally Mature, Frits opts for the third school. As an ethicist, he explained that as a society we do not yet have a good scenario or school for a meaningful old age. How do we round off our lives with pleasure and dignity?

The three speakers gave the participants a brief piece of advice for the future: Stay curious. Go vote on November 22. Be positive about old age.

Together with pianist Richard Hengeveld, Joseff Iping (chairman of the day) closed the afternoon musically with a beautiful self-written and recited song. The forty participants concluded: the atmosphere was very good and the organization in the KGK was perfect. The cozy drink was a networking event, similar to the Arkin Festival last June, although this was on a smaller scale and a bit quieter. The participants went home inspired, captivated and surprised. There was still a lot to think about.

A survey was also conducted during the meeting. This was used to make an inventory of how the meeting was experienced by the retirees. You can read the results of this survey here.

A visual impression of this meeting can be found here.