Calls as a lifeline

DW (English)

Loneliness affects many people, especially the elderly and especially at the holidays.: The German helpline “Silbernetz” has assisted nearly one million people most of them over 60, since it was founded in 2018.

Transcript

00:00It's not only a hotline to tackle loneliness. For some, it is a lifeline.

00:04They have it. And that's what they have done.

00:08And that's where they hit the shoulder.

00:10SilverNet translates to SilverLine.

00:12It's a free, confidential and anonymous helpline for people aged 60 plus who self-identify as lonely.

00:17This just talk is what many people, at all ages, but especially older people, fehlt.

00:24In Germany in the 65 plus age group, a third of the population lives alone.

00:29And among those aged 85 and above, it's more than half.

00:33It's around Christmas and New Year's that the feeling of loneliness hits many the hardest.

00:37That means high season for Elke and her team of mostly volunteers.

00:40If you go out, you'll see these lighted walls,

00:43behind which people probably celebrate happy with each other.

00:48And you don't have that.

00:49So you'll notice that what you're missing is much heavier than the sun.

00:53The 81-year-old launched the helpline in 2018 partly because of her own experience.

00:58Her neighbor had died alone at home and was not found until weeks later.

01:02And then I saw how this black black black bag was thrown out.

01:06It was a moment, not a moment, but a moment where I thought, so does no one die.

01:12Elke says more and more people are reaching out to SilverNets,

01:15with some of them becoming regulars, contacted by her team proactively to check in.

01:19For her, feeling isolated is also a result of age-based discrimination.

01:24I wish her a lot more value for the young people and the young people.

01:29I wish her a lot more value for the young people.

01:31And that's what she did with her.

01:36It's a lot more careful, isn't it?

01:37I wish her a lot more value for the youth.

01:40I wish her a lot of folks there are not.

01:42I wish her a lot more value for the youth.

01:44I wish her a lot more value for the youth.

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