CDA tackling bullying in nursing homes

The CDA in The Hague wants more to be done to tackle bullying among elderly people in nursing homes, AD reports. In 2011 the Nationaal Ouderenfonds, or National Elderly Fund in English, set up a bullying protocol for elderly nursing complexes in the Netherlands. The CDA now wants to know from the city council how homes in The Hague are implementing it. The party also wants the municipality to do more against bullying, which includes behavior like nasty comments, gossiping and exclusion from activities such as eating together. The CDA wants to no whether the municipality can take extra measures, such as appointing a counselor or extra control on the implementation of a bullying protocol, to prevent this from happening in old age homes. "Bullying in nursing homes leads to a lot of sadness and loneliness", Mohamed Mahawat Khan, the CDA spokesperson for elderly care, said to the AD. "Elderly people are excluded or exclude themselves because of bullying. As a result they do not come out of their rooms and avoid activities."