elderly

At least a quarter of elderly people in the Netherlands have been targeted by scammers who tried to chat their way into their homes. Over a fifth of targeted people had money or other valuables stolen, according to a study by seniors' organization KBO-PCOB among 1,300 senior citizens. The organization called for measures, AD reports.

Last year a total of 74,900 elderly people in the Netherlands were treated in emergency rooms for serious injuries after a fall, an increase of 5,200 compared to 2017, according to figures released by VeilgheidNL. 

While the summer is a time of fun and vacation for many people in the Netherlands, it is often a time of loneliness for the country's senior citizens. Research by seniors' organization KBO-PCOB shows that 15 percent of Dutch elderly feel more lonely in the summer than in the rest of the year. To address this, the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport launched a campaign against summer loneliness. 

The police launched an investigation into the death of a 91-year-old woman from The Hague. The elderly woman's body was found in her home on Erasmusweg on May 8th. The police can't rule out a crime, so a large-scale investigation team as established to work on this case, NU.nl reports

The police already spoke to many of the victim's neighbors, but are still looking for witnesses. They call on anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious around the woman's home on May 7th or 8th to come forward. 

Two men were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an elderly man out for a walk Sunday morning. The victim, 80, was kicked and beaten, and he wound up in the hospital with a broken nose.

He went out for a walk near his home in Maassluis, Zuid Holland, when he exchanged words with two men in a parked car. The conversation quickly turned into an argument, leading to the attack.

Doctors, the Dutch Patient Federation and elderly union ANBO are calling on people, especially older people, to think about whether or not they want to be resuscitated. Many people don't think about this, resulting in patients having to suddenly make a decision during an emergency situation or prior to a risky medial procedure, they said to AD.

Dozens of new laws, rules, and regulations went into effect in the Netherlands at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday. Among them, a cut to the 30-percent ruling, new income tax credits, mortgage caps, a sales tax increase, expanded childcare subsides, and more rights for cities to seize homes related to the illegal drugs trade.

The Rutte III government has too little regard for the thousands of vulnerable people in the Netherlands who do not receive the care that they need, the National Ombudsman, the Netherlands Court of Auditors and social and cultural planning office SCP said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The Tweede Kamer, lower house of Dutch parliament, is discussing the healthcare budget on Wednesday afternoon, NU.nl reports.

Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code orange weather warning for extreme heat in the entire country, except for the Wadden area. The warning is in place from 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday until Friday.

The Netherlands is dealing with tropical temperatures this week, with maximum temperatures above 30 degrees. Thursday and Friday will be especially hot. Maximums of 35 degrees Celsius or higher are expected inland and in urban areas. The nights will also be warm, with minimus around 20 degrees.

The average senior citizen, 55 years old or older, currently in the Netherlands is less lonely than his or her peers were 20 years ago. They have better social contacts, more often have a partner and their networks are often larger and more diverse, according to a study by social and cultural planning office SCP, NU.nl reports.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday for robbing an 86-year-old woman in Geldrop last month. The victim sustained a serious head wound and lost consciousness during the robbery, Omroep Brabant reports.

The woman was robbed around 7:30 p.m. on April 3rd on De Bleek in Geldrop. A boy grabbed her and grabbed her handbag. The elderly women fell and hit her head. She had to be treated in hospital.