Author: leydenacademy

Is there a miracle cure for growing old with health and vitality? In a PEP talk, David van Bodegom, aging scientist at Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing and professor of Vitality at Leiden University Medical Centre, talks about the influence of moving more and sitting less still during normal daily activities. In addition, the environment you live in has a major impact on how healthy you stay.

Healthier lifestyle
Van Bodegom gained his insights during years of fieldwork in rural Ghana. In that country, age-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are rare. Because of their lifestyle, Ghanaians often grow old in a healthier way than people in the Netherlands. David explains why in this PEP talk video (in Dutch).

Our environment
Van Bodegom and Rudi Westendorp (University of Copenhagen) have bundled their most important insights about aging, health and vitality in a Dutch book (translated into ’10 years extra. A new approach to living healthier for longer’). Is it really possible to give yourself ten extra healthy years of life, as the title of this book suggests? Yes, according to the authors, who claim the key to this lies in our environment.

Towards a healthy daily routine
In the book various environments from everyday life are discussed, such as the kitchen, living room, bedroom, supermarket, work and the neighbourhood. Don’t expect raised fingers; this approach is based on seduction rather than prohibition. By surrounding yourself with smart and healthy choices, a better lifestyle can unnoticed become part of your daily routine. Swap large wine glasses for small ones, walk to the supermarket and use a backpack, walk or cycle a part of your daily commute. All these small adjustments, repeated over and over, add up to a large and lasting effect.

Four words
Van Bodegom and Westendorp introduce the readers to four leading words. The first strategy is that of ‘remove’: put unhealthy stimuli out of sight. So don’t store cookies in a glass jar but in a closed drum, and don’t put it on the coffee table but in a kitchen cupboard. That way you won’t always be tempted to grab another one. You can also ‘replace’: exchange those cookies for unroasted nuts. And place a bowl of carrots at eye level in the fridge where the cream puffs are normally located. In public spaces it is more difficult to remove or replace temptations, here it is better to ‘avoid’: if you know that you always give in to a cheese croissant at the bakery, then walk around the block. Or you ‘prepare’: eat a banana and drink a bottle of water before you go to that reception. Then you can better resist the tempting snacks and dr, wine and beer.

In July 2021, the publication Global Reflections on COVID-19 and Urban Inequalities was published by Bristol University Press. This four-part collection includes volumes on Community and Society; Housing and Home; Public Space and Mobility; and Policy and Planning, and explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (inequities in) society and people’s lives.

The first volume, edited by Brian Doucet, Pierre Filion (University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) and Rianne van Melik (Radboud University), centers on Community and Society, and includes the article ‘Following the Voices of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Crisis: Perspectives from the Netherlands’, by Leyden Academy authors Jolanda Lindenberg, Paul van de Vijver, Lieke de Kock, David van Bodegom, and Niels Bartels. In this article, we share the experiences of older people in the Netherlands through the eyes of Mbarek, Joke, Wim, and Maria, who previously shared their personal stories on our platform We & corona. We also share findings from our qualitative research into the experiences of older people in times of COVID-19.

In addition to the perspective of older people, the impact of the pandemic is also discussed in this edition from the point of view of people who live below the poverty line, (labour) migrants, transgenders and people with a visual impairment. Contributions come from all over the world: from Jamaica to Turkey, and from New Zealand to Vietnam.

You can order the publication through Bristol University Press as hardcover (GBP 36,00) and ebook (GBP 10,39).

For more information on our qualitative research into the quality of life of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, please click here.

The final of Silver Starters took place on the 25^th of March. Silver Starters is a free, Dutch learning program that Leyden Academy and Aegon have set up for people over 50 who want to start their own company. No fewer than 83 enthusiastic participants completed the program and were inspired by the modules, lectures by experts and guidance by coaches. Eventually, five participants reached the final and gave an inspiring pitch, after which an expert jury chose the most promising idea and the digitally present audience also chose a winner. Both winners were awarded a prize package.

The winning ideas
The expert jury, consisting of Tineke Abma (director of Leyden Academy), Hendrik Halbe (CEO Unknown Group), Nadine Klokke (CEO Knab) and Arjan in ‘t Veld (Bureau Vijftig), was impressed by all the finalists but ultimately chose the idea for a lung function center of the 57-year-old Karin Lammering. Karin wants to make advanced lung function research accessible and affordable. Of course, especially given the current coronavirus, that is good news for people with lung problems, but also for general practitioners, practice assistants, sports doctors, companies, etc. Not only does the jury find her plan well thought out, they are also impressed by Karin’s thoroughness, who has already quit her job. “I believe in my idea and go for it with all my heart and passion,” says Karin. 55-year-old Willy de Heer became the convincing audience winner. With the help of a serious learning game she wants to help people understand each other and thus bring about behavioral change. This could include children who learn difficult or easy, autism, ADHD, depression or discrimination. According to Willy, you can help someone better if you understand him or her better. Click here to read the interview with Willy de Heer.

Participant perspective
The program provided the participants with tools to take a closer look at their idea, adapt it if necessary and convert it into their own company. “We also see a social benefit; participants feel more active, they are better prepared for their future and their self-confidence has increased ”, says program leader Jolanda Lindenberg. The enthusiastic responses show that the participants really appreciate Silver Starters: “The Silver Starters program was a great discovery. Acquiring knowledge and looking for opportunities at my own pace. It taught me to make a choice and to focus. This is partly thanks to valuable conversations with fellow participants and an expert coach.” “Silver Starters has made me realize that I have to focus primarily on the customer’s problem and not on my solution!”

From idea to company
Older entrepreneurs are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, not only in the Netherlands but also internationally. Despite this, there are hardly any start-up programs aimed at that target group. Leyden Academy, Aegon and Hands on Innovation therefore developed the free learning program Silver Starters. During the process, the participants gained insight into customer needs and wishes, revenue models, marketing and prototyping, and worked towards independent entrepreneurship with the help of a coach.

Leyden Academy and partners hope to organise Silver Starters again in 2022.

Participant Willy de Heer talks about her experiences so far with the 2021 edition of Silver Starters, the free learning program initiated by Leyden Academy and Aegon designed to help people aged 50-plus on the road to launching their own businesses.

How are things going so far?
Willy: We have identified the company that will build the actual product for us. We will be using virtual reality (VR) technology, and our product concept is new for them, so we are working in close cooperation. It is a step-by-step process as everything must be done properly. I divide my time between our company and the Silver Starters course. It’s hard work but also a lot of fun. It has confirmed that I was already familiar with some of the skills and methods essential for entrepreneurship, but lack in other areas.

I am learning new things such as the Business Model Canvas. This a tool to chart and visualize all the building blocks you need for your business, including customers, route to market, the value proposition, cost structure and revenue streams.

The event to mark the mid-point of the Silver Starters program was inspiring as we got to hear examples from other companies. One of the speakers was Oskar Barendse, a co-founder of Knab, Aegon’s online bank in the Netherlands.

The great thing is you are never totally on your own in Silver Starters. Each participant is assigned to a small group with a mentor. The group I am in is quite interesting, we come from the same sort of backgrounds. One member of the group has already been an entrepreneur and we are learning a lot from each other.

How are you coping with the challenge of focusing your idea to create a marketable product?
Willy: My idea has certainly become more concrete. During the course you learn that you have to adapt your concept to meet the specific needs in your market. A good idea is not enough, its needs to be tailored to your market. Therefore, we will be testing our pilot at various educational institutions in the Netherlands to make sure we are on the right track.

The pandemic certainly isn’t helpful, however is does give us ample time to start identifying future markets. As we are convinced that our company Serious Learning Games® will be able to roll out this concept/product not only in the educational market, but in other markets as well.

What about the challenge of attracting customers and financiers?
Willy: We are finalizing our first scenario. This will be the script the actors use when we film the game. Subsequently the film will be edited to provide the player with an actual game experience. We are banking on this pilot to really help potential customers visualize how our product works and the benefits it offers.

It is quite a step forward to write an entire scenario for such a VR game. It requires lots of details. There has to be a learning goal, but also a game goal and it shouldn’t be too obvious. You have to explain why something is good and why not. You have to build up a bit of tension and also effects so that the player feels he can make a choice and reach new levels.

We are now paying for everything by ourselves. We participated in a challenge organized by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), but unfortunately were not selected for the next phase. We will be reaching out to potential investors when we have accomplished “proof of concept” after the testing phase of the pilot.

What do you want to learn from the Silver Starters program?
Willy: I really want to absorb all the great materials and learnings, whether that is discussing the Business Model Canvas or the pitch. Secretly, I am hoping that I will be allowed to participate in the challenge to pitch to the jury in the final. That would be really cool.

My business partner participated in Silver Starters last year. She was very enthusiastic about Start Up Plus, as the program was called last year. She advised me to participate and I am glad I did. I now understand what she was talking about earlier. The terminology makes sense now!

The program is well designed, there is a lot to do and the digital aspect is not necessarily difficult. It is a real shame though that you can’t meet up with the other participants and the mentors in person.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs?
Willy: I would definitely recommend following the Silver Starters course if you are a bit older, it is really worthwhile. The mentor group also really works, if one person sometimes has a dip, the other can offer support. Making use of the Creating a Business Model Canvas is a great starting point. As well as the valuable insights on doing interviews and pitching. Are they waiting for your product and how? This is how you test your assumptions about potential customers. These are all points to be considered and answered before you take the plunge and go out there!

Interview by Arthur van Ree (Aegon). Photo credit: VR googles by JESHOOTS.COM 

We all know that exercise, healthy eating, sleep and socializing are important when it comes to vitality, but so is stress. Ageing comes with the necessary challenges. And now with the prevailing corona virus even more so. Do older people benefit from mindfulness techniques to deal with stress? Can it make them more resilient?

Mindfulness course and research
These questions prompted Berit Lewis to research the resilience of older people and to teach them coping strategies when it comes to stress. Would you like to learn more about mindfulness and dealing with stress? This is possible via the free course ‘Thriving life’ that Berit offers in the safety of your own home (online) for a small group. The course will be based on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, the gold standard of mindfulness courses.

Specifications
Age: 55+
Time frame: eight Wednesdays from 10.00-11.30, as of 17 March 2021
Language: English
Costs: free
Experience: not necessary, but some digital skills (online course via Zoom)

More information
Check the website for more information or to sign up, or contact Berit Lewis: tel. 06-54202862, info@thrivinglife.eu. Click here for the flyer.

The course and research is in collaboration with Leyden Academy and is part of the Master Vitality and Ageing at Leiden University.

On the online platform Wij & corona (‘We & corona’), we collect and publish the stories of older people and their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, we have shared over 300 personal stories, from the Netherlands and abroad. Below, please read the story of David Stott (61), Emeritus Professor of Molecular Immunology from Glasgow, Scotland. 

Moments of happiness
Luckily we are doing fine. With Shiona, my wife, our son Alastair and dog Bobo I have good company in our house in the north of Glasgow. We enjoy the beautiful local countryside for walks, running and cycling. We are very fortunate to have some nice options close to home.

Zoom instead of face-to-face
I do miss meeting up with my close family who live elsewhere – particularly our daughter who lives in the North of England and my mother on the other side of Glasgow. Also the restrictions in meeting up with our friends are tough. We can see one other person from our locality outside, for example to do a socially distanced walk. Zoom meetings do help us keep in contact but are a weak substitute for face-face contact.

Corona is everywhere
Shiona’s dad died of Covid in a care home in November 2020. He had severe dementia and was struggling, so his passing away was not unexpected. Our daughter Katy had corona at Christmas and had to self-isolate but apart from reduced exercise tolerance she is doing fine. The bug has been very widespread and so most families now have direct experience.

Out of retirement
I’ve come out of retirement for two days a week to do ward work in the Department of Medicine for the Elderly at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. I am glad I can do a bit to help. Things are not too bad in hospitals in Glasgow at present, I can say. However we still have around 150 Covid in-patients in our hospital. It was worse in October and November, when we had a lot of deaths. We are hoping that vaccine roll-out will start to take effect by the end of February. I’ve had my first dose.

Reasonable measures
The current measures that the Scottish government are taking, in terms of lock-down and restriction of social interaction, I feel are reasonable. However the relaxation of restrictions in July last year was premature, and consequently a further wave of infection was inevitable. In addition, the approach to testing has been weak, and the UK has missed the opportunity that it had between the first and second waves last Summer to set up an effective test, trace and isolate system.

Great hope
The biggest difference between the two Covid waves is in the increased infectivity of the new UK variant. As well as the national statistics, I am personally aware of many more people who have caught the virus. However the starting up of the vaccination program gives great hope that we can get things back under control.

Extraordinary efforts
I am impressed by how communities have pulled together to support their vulnerable people, and the extraordinary efforts of healthcare workers in care homes and hospitals, and the mutual support that is being provided within health care teams. In this time of great difficulty and uncertainty, this has been a tremendous positive.

On the last day of 2020, the 300th story was published on Wij & corona (translated into We & corona). On this Dutch website, we share the experiences of older people during these trying corona times. In this way, we provide a platform for the voice of older people and support and inspire each other! For example, Willem (71) explains how he tries to stay fit at home and Maarten (77), who is a heart patient and must be extra careful.

Very diverse experiences
At the end of March 2020, Leyden Academy and the GetOud foundation started Wij & corona, to offer older people – who are relatively hard hit by the virus and the corona measures – a platform to share their experiences. We could not have imagined then that the pandemic would last this long and that more than 300 people would entrust their personal stories to us. We shared the experiences of elderly people from all over the country and from all walks of life: from a hermit to a bon vivant, from an elderly football supporter to a retired healthcare CEO. We also published stories of care givers, which give an insight into the raw reality of COVID-19.

In search of more (international) stories
Thanks to our collaboration with HelpAge International, ILC Japan, and the Leyden Academy international network, we have also been able to give an impression of how older people in other parts of the world experience the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the stories from Ume (88) from Japan, geriatric researcher Raúl from Mexico, or Klavdiya (79) from the Ukraine.

As long as this virus continues to dominate our daily lives, we will continue to collect and publish these stories. Do you have suggestions for people we can interview or do you want to share your own story, please send an email to Yvonne Koemans.

Special thanks to the funds that help(ed) to make this initiative possible: Jo Visser Fonds, Fonds Sluyterman van Loo, RCOAK Foundation and Fonds 1818.

After a successful first edition in 2019, almost one hundred participants (ranging from 50 to 74 years) started on 14 January 2021 with the free learning program Silver Starters, which was developed by Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing and Aegon. Over the course of twelve weeks, the participants will lay the foundation for converting their idea into their own company through online learning and coaching.

Online kick-off
During the online kick-off, program leaders Dr. Jolanda Lindenberg (Leyden Academy) and Mike Mansfield (Aegon) spoke about the initiators and the realization of Silver Starters. Wendy Woelders discussed the curriculum and what people can expect during the twelve weeks of online learning and coaching. The winner of the 2019 program, 83-year-old Han van Doorn, also spoke: “The advantage of this course is that it is online and that you can do it at your own pace in and your own place. During the course I learned about revenue models and marketing, among other things. This course is one of the best I have done. ” Van Doorn ended his story with the following piece of advice: “Everyone should ask themselves the question: What do I want to become after my retirement!”

Corporate social responsibility
“We have received a surprising number of applications from social entrepreneurship and around the theme of sustainability,” says Lindenberg. “That is why we pay extra attention in the program to setting up a non-profit organization.” Like the idea of ​​Marian Wezenbeek: “I think it would be nice if I could play a role in bringing seniors and starters together, with the aim of creating a nice home for both. In addition to the financial advantage for the elderly who offer housing, it reduces the pressure on the housing shortage for students and starters, and it can be nice for the elderly to have company.”

Diversity of ideas
In addition, there are ideas to recycle waste and make new products from it and to change interiors by using what is already in the house and what comes from thrift stores. Or of a completely different order: a serious game that helps people to understand each other better and that encourages behavioural change. Lindenberg: “It is inspiring to see the diversity of ideas and the enthusiasm of the participants. Just like the participants, the coaches and organizers are looking forward to this edition of Silver Starters.”

Never too old to be an entrepreneur
Many over-50s have the idea of ​​starting their own business one day, but can use a helping hand to actually do so. Silver Starters wants to help them realize their dream. In eight modules, participants learn the mindset and skills needed to start their own business and explore whether an idea is viable. Topics covered include customer needs, revenue models, marketing, prototyping and pitching.

The Silver Starters program was developed by Leyden Academy on Vitality and Aging and Aegon, and is also organized by partners in Italy, Poland and Portugal. More information can be found at silverstarters.org. Do you have questions about Silver Starters? Please contact Ineke Vlek at netherlands@silverstarters.org.