Senior Citizens' Advisory Council bids farewell to Head of Division

The seniors' advisory council of the city of Bocholt said goodbye to Nina Kremer at its last meeting. Since the end of 2021, she has also been responsible for the concerns of the seniors' advisory council as the head of the department "Pensions, Seniors, Care and Volunteering" within the city administration.

Nina Kremer moves within the city of Bocholt and takes over the management of the Job Centre. Agnes Epping, 1st Chairperson of the Seniors' Advisory Council, thanked Nina Kremer for her dedicated work, also on behalf of the Seniors' Advisory Council and all seniors, and wished her all the best for her future career. Sarah Bußmann was welcomed as a new employee in the Seniors' Office.

Integration was the main topic of the meeting, on which Juan Lopez Casanava, Chair of the Integration Council, gave a presentation. The Integration Council represents the interests of the residents of the city of Bocholt with a migration background. Casanava emphasised: "The most important thing for people who come to us from abroad is to learn the German language." There are still many obstacles to overcome here, especially among older people with a migration background.

On the other hand, an appropriate, unbureaucratic, low-threshold offer of language courses must be created. For the first introduction to the German language, the lecturer does not necessarily have to have a degree in German studies.

The conclusion was that integration is not only an issue for immigrants, but that there are also many parallels in the field of work with senior citizens and people with disabilities. Therefore, an ongoing exchange of information between the councils is recommended.

In the field of care, reports of insolvent homes for the elderly are a cause for concern. The financial situation of many inpatient facilities is tense - also due to the (undoubtedly justified) wage increases of the nursing staff. In Bocholt there is no information about insolvent homes yet. Apparently, however, there are also free capacities in our region that are or can no longer be occupied by the operators for reasons of cost and staff shortages.

Preview of the Senior Citizens' Fair

Preparations are underway for the big Senior Citizens' Fair on Neutorplatz on 2 September 2023. Visitors can expect an extensive programme with many information stands.