“Appetite often decreases with age, which is why it is even more important to make food tasty and varied,” explained Minister Nonnemacher. She emphasized that eating together not only improves nutrition, but also promotes social contacts. This is an essential aspect in the fight against loneliness. The Senior Nutrition Networking Center has been doing valuable prevention work here in Brandenburg for four years by showing seniors how a health-promoting diet can be successful.
The state representative for senior citizens, Norman Asmus, also took part in the expert dialogue and also emphasized the social importance of meals: “For many older people, meals are the highlight of the day and one of the few opportunities for social contact.” He referred to successful examples such as the monthly seniors’ breakfast in multi-generational homes Golßen, in which up to 80 seniors regularly take part. These local initiatives, organized in collaboration with the local seniors’ council, would not only promote nutrition but also improve well-being.
Laura Behrens, contact person for senior nutrition at the networking center, explained that such initiatives – such as communal lunches or cross-generational cooking campaigns – make a valuable contribution to the healthy diet of older people. “Our experience shows that there are many committed projects in Brandenburg, but they need technical support and exchange with each other,” said Behrens. This is exactly where the networking center comes into play by building networks and linking actors with one another.
Since 2019, networking centers for senior nutrition have been set up nationwide, which, in addition to providing advice, also promote knowledge transfer and network stakeholders in senior citizen work with one another. The Potsdam networking center is an important part of Brandenburg’s senior citizen policy and works closely with the state senior citizen representative and other partners to sustainably improve the nutrition and well-being of older people.
