{"id":80455,"date":"2017-09-15T17:01:32","date_gmt":"2017-09-15T15:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=80455"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:51","slug":"date-eens-met-een-senior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/09\/15\/date-eens-met-een-senior\/","title":{"rendered":"Date a pensioner some time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Stichting SeniorenStudent brings senior citizens in touch with interested students. For example, every two weeks medical student Saskia van Grondelle takes 71-year-old Rosa Kelderman on a new outing. \u201cThere\u2019s always something fun to do together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fact that Saskia and Rosa can be found together on this sunny afternoon is thanks to Stichting SeniorenStudent. This national foundation brings senior citizens who would like some help and company in touch with students who want to make a contribution to society (see the sidebar). Similar to a dating platform, both the student and the senior citizen fill in a profile that lists their favourite activities, and which qualities they are looking for in their partner. This can lead to an ideal match. Well, ideal\u2026 \u201cActually, I had asked for a nice young man,\u201d Rosa says with a smile.<\/p>\n

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Glad to have contributed<\/h3>

And that\u2019s how Saskia and Rosa teamed up. For almost three months now, the two set out every two weeks for a Sunday trip, to destinations like the Hilton Hotel and the World Museum. And they have a full calendar for the months ahead too: museums, cooking together, cycling and a trip to the seaside town of Scheveningen. In addition, Saskia occasionally drops by to support Rosa in the brave new world of digital communication \u2013 helping her send a WhatsApp message with her new smartphone, for example. Saskia came in just too late for another \u2018troublemaker\u2019, Rosa\u2019s computer. Rosa: \u201cIt has crashed for good. Dead as a doornail.\u00a0Muerte<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Saskia has picked the destination: Erasmus MC, her main beat as a medical student and a place she knows like the back of her hand. For Rosa, this is unknown territory: \u201cI always tear past this place on my scooter when I\u2019m heading over to the World Museum.\u201d After a cup of coffee in the lunchroom, the two head over to the education centre, which can count on Rosa\u2019s approval. \u201cThe roof! What a lovely sight. And they even put up art. I\u2019m glad to have contributed to this place with my taxpayers\u2019 money.\u201d After this, Saskia and Rosa pay a short visit to the Park near the Euromast: Saskia on her bike, Rosa behind the wheel of her mobility scooter. At the end of the afternoon they say goodbye, off to lead their own \u2013 and markedly different \u2013 lives.<\/p>\n

Compliments and appreciation<\/h3>

According to Saskia, she learns a lot by seeing the world through Rosa\u2019s eyes. For example, Rotterdam turns out to be incredibly inaccessible for people driving a mobility scooter. Even accessing the first floor of the education centre proves a hassle for Rosa\u2019s vehicle. \u201cPeople always assume no one\u2019s disabled,\u201d she says with a sigh. And thanks to Rosa, Saskia now knows there are only 32 places in Rotterdam with a public toilet that admits scooters. \u201cAs a student, you tend to be completely unaware of issues like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cNever go out with a cripple, because it takes you six months to get anywhere.\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

In addition, Saskia is always learning from her elderly companion how to put things in perspective \u2013 regardless of how bad you feel inside. For example, after Rosa has some trouble navigating towards her spot in the EMC lunchroom, she has a laugh at her own expense: \u201cNever go out with a cripple, because it takes you six months to get anywhere.\u201d And Rosa showers \u2018her\u2019 student with compliments and appreciation: \u201cI think it\u2019s very sweet of Sas to do this. I mean, my own daughter doesn\u2019t even make this kind of effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Gluten-free pasta<\/h3>

Saskia heard about the foundation through a fellow student in her rotation group. \u201cDuring my rotations, I meet a lot of lonely people. This is a problem in our society: older people who have no one left to talk with.\u201d Rosa learned about the foundation from an article in the paper. \u201cI may act as if I never feel lonely, but I do, actually. I used to have an excuse for staying cooped up indoors, because I could talk to my cat. But now, I would actually be talking to the furniture. So Saskia really came in the nick of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the platform, Saskia described herself as a medical student who would enjoy drinking a cup of coffee with a senior citizen and doing fun things like visiting a museum and cooking. She also indicated that she is allergic to gluten. \u201cThe first time I came by, Rosa had gotten gluten-free biscuits from the shop for me. I thought that was really sweet of her.\u201d And it didn\u2019t stay at that one time. Today, for example, Rosa has saved a recipe for Saskia from the Allerhande<\/em>: gluten-free pasta.<\/p>\n

One in a million<\/h3>

According to the medical student, her contacts with Rosa enrich her life. \u201cI wanted to do volunteer work for some time already, so that I could contribute to society in some way. And this allows me to really develop a close relationship with someone.\u201d For example, Rosa tells her about what the world used to look like. It doesn\u2019t take them long to name their best outing so far. Rosa: \u201cWe had breakfast at the Hilton one time! That was fun.\u201d Saskia nods in agreement.<\/p>\n

Saskia\u2019s fellow students think it\u2019s very nice that she works as a volunteer. \u201cBut a lot of people in my circle say they don\u2019t have time for this kind of thing. What\u2019s more, many fellow students prefer to go to their own grandparents.\u201d So why is it that Saskia, who also has grandparents of her own, does find the time to do volunteer work? Rosa says it\u2019s simple: \u201cShe\u2019s smarter than they are.\u201d A smiling Saskia disputes this claim: \u201cIt allows me to grow as a human being. And I hope that in the process, I can mean something for Rosa.\u201d Rosa doesn\u2019t hesitate to agree: \u201cYou definitely do. You\u2019re one in a million.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clingy<\/h3>

Besides, it\u2019s not as if it takes up loads of time, emphasises Saskia. \u201cThe foundation asks you to put in six hours a month.\u201d Nor are the requirements particularly exotic. \u201cYou need to enjoy interacting with senior citizens. Apart from that, you can have any kind of profile \u2013 after all, there are all sorts of different senior citizens too.\u201d For example, one elderly music lover only wants to spin records, while another pensioner enjoys being read to.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate how clingy old people can get. But we were simply matched very well.\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Although Saskia can imagine that the senior member of the pair has more time on his or her hands, and would like to make more appointments than the student. That\u2019s why she has agreed with Rosa to make their contacts as \u2018equal\u2019 as possible. For example, the two always confer to check whether a date fits in Saskia\u2019s schedule \u2013 to avoid her studies being impacted by her volunteer work. In other words, Rosa takes care not to claim Saskia\u2019s time outright. \u201cAnd I really like that about you. Because there\u2019s a risk of that happening sometimes. But Rosa never does anything like that.\u201d Rosa agrees: \u201cDon\u2019t underestimate how clingy old people can get. But we were simply matched very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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About Stichting SeniorenStudent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saskia and Rosa were brought in touch with each other through the project \u2018Jong + Oud = Goud\u2019 (\u2018Young + Old = Gold\u2019), organised by Stichting SeniorenStudent. In this project, which currently runs in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, a senior citizen and a student spend at least 6 hours a month with each other for a minimum of one year. This way, the senior citizen gets help and some pleasant company, and the student a new \u2018grandpa\u2019 or \u2018grandma\u2019 in his or her student town. The foundation acts as a matchmaker for the different senior citizen-student pairs. The programme costs EUR 5 per month for senior citizens; students are paid EUR 25 per month for expenses.<\/p>\n

Read on about \u2018Jong + Oud = Goud\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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