‘I was thinking about death’: With solo living on the rise, Belgium worries about loneliness epidemic in seniors

BRUSSELS: Mr Daniel Mittevoy is 76 years old and has lived alone for years – first on the streets, then in two care homes.

The senior was miserable and lonely, saying the nursing homes felt like “places to go to die”.

“I cried. I cried. I was old, crying, sick, unwell. Yes, I cried, I won’t lie about it,” Mr Mittevoy told CNA, as he recalled his days at the homes.

“These are absolutely places where people go to die. In both of the retirement homes I lived in, I cried. I was thinking about death, to be honest. Not to end my own life, just thinking I would have liked to die, maybe of a heart attack.”

For Mr Mittevoy and others like him in Belgium, where an increasing number of people are living alone, there is a glimmer of hope – a new and more social way for seniors to live.

CO-LIVING FOR SENIORS

Mr Mittevoy has since moved to Les Griottes, a co-living space for people over 65 years old in the heart of capital Brussels.

The relatively new social living concept for seniors was set up by a local real estate promoter whose own father struggled to find suitable accommodation.

Located in a former care home, it was renovated to accommodate 40 studio apartments, with big communal spaces which the residents share.

There, everything is accessible, including the cost. Rent is subsidised by the government and bills are kept low. Residents pay around US$500 a month – nearly half the average rental cost in the area.

“I’m so happy here. I can’t even tell you. I’m so good. And, I’ve stopped crying,” said a beaming Mr Mittevoy as he showed CNA around his apartment.

The building has three chickens residing in the garden, which provides the residents with fresh eggs.

During CNA’s tour of the facilities, residents were making salad and omelette for communal lunch, playing ping pong, and dancing.

They were also celebrating the 94th birthday of one resident, who wanted to be known as Ms Anne, with cake, coffee and a game of cards.

Ms Anne said that as soon as she found out about the building, she did not think twice about moving in.

“I had choices, I could have signed up for a retirement home, but this was really everything I had been dreaming of,” she said.

Neighbours from the local area sometimes drop in to chat with the residents, and the community has been likened to a big student dormitory where everybody chips in however they can.

Residents described the co-living space as a big family, and said they are happier and healthier staying there.

LONELINESS IS DAMAGING TO HEALTH

Projects like Les Griottes are still the exception in the nation, with solo living on the rise. Some 36 per cent of Belgians live alone, with the largest group over 65 years old.

The country's Planning Bureau said that by 2070, half of the population will be in single-occupancy households.

This trend is primarily driven by Belgium’s ageing and solitary population, said experts, who are worried that a loneliness epidemic could be damaging to the well-being and mental health of the country’s seniors.

"Psychologically, loneliness can lead to distress, depression as well as anxiety,” said psychologist Sarah Schroyen, who researches elderly mental health at the University of Liége.

“In terms of physical health, we see bad sleeping patterns, cardio-vascular problems and an increased risk of death.

“We are concerned, because the numbers keep increasing. Older people are feeling increasingly lonely, and that is a real concern for the future because we don’t see any counterbalance to it. We feel like things are just getting worse.”

International studies also show that living alone and loneliness in older people can increase the risk of dementia and lead to low self-esteem, sleep disorders, memory loss and loss of emotional regulation.

RETHINKING HOW SENIORS LIVE

While the number of people living in Belgium’s care homes has decreased since 2019, there are still about 130,000 elderly residents across the nation.

Charities and businesses have started to find creative ways of rethinking how the nation cares for its older population.

A study by the University of Cambridge found that co-living not only improves the mental and physical health of seniors, it also reduces the pressures on public health services.

Mr Thomas Delens, whose father set up Les Griottes, hopes that the success of their project will inspire others to replicate it on a larger scale.

“We’re addressing part of the problem. We’re trying to replicate Les Griottes elsewhere, and also show authorities that this model can work to house people in an affordable way,” he said.

“We have waiting lists, people ask us very regularly (for rooms), but unfortunately, we can’t house everyone as our building only has 40 units.”