Our Lord, take me away tonight’

Entertainment

#Lord #tonight

Mrs. Toos Baars and Greet van Grafhorst in conversation, in ‘The future is gray’. Image MAX

She thinks this is a worthless life, 93-year-old Greet Grafhorst from Linschoten. “It’s not necessary for me. I don’t enjoy it anymore.” As is often the case, the reality of aging only hits home when it is given a face. The face of Mrs. Grafhorst, for example, in the first of four episodes of The future is gray, a cross-media project by broadcaster Max – it also includes a podcast.

Mrs. Grafhorst has made do. She can barely see anything anymore, hearing is difficult, she no longer dares to go outside alone. All that discomfort would be surmountable if she weren’t so damn alone. Fortunately, she still has Thursdays, when her friends Roelie and Toos, who are also elderly, sit down for a game of cards. The highlight of the week, especially when they hold up a glass of Moselle wine afterwards. “May we enjoy them for a long time,” they say, but just now it sounded different.

Mrs. Grafhorst: “If they say: do you want an injection, then I say: yes.”

“Not at all.”

“Are you rid of everything.”

“No girl.”

“I mean it.”

And a little later, her friend: “Every night I pray: Our Lord, take me tonight. Not during the day, then there is a lot of noise in the street, with the neighbors, a hearse has to come, I don’t know. No, come get me tonight.”

So that loneliness. It hurts the elderly who also get into trouble when it comes to housing. There are too few seniors’ homes, the flow is slowing down and single elderly people live in family homes where they can no longer climb the stairs independently.

Also Read: That's how Victor Leksell and his girlfriend Lisa met Pleasure

Hennie Arend from Assen is a senior real estate agent. She is a fan of the idea of mixing young people with older people. She built an informal care home in her garden for her own mother – ideal, but not for everyone. A more sustainable solution must be found, it is up to politicians and the need is great: in 2040, a quarter of the Netherlands will be over 65.

Mrs. Grafhorst will not live to see it all again. Her wish is simple, if she still has to continue. When home care discusses her needs with her children, it is mainly about whether someone can come and give her pills. But what does she want? Let me think. Then, softly: “A little company.”

More TV reviews? Read all episodes of Han Lips in our archive. Also read the weekly Sterrenstof section, in which we discuss the media week. Comment? [email protected].

He Lips?

Het Parool will from now on sign the TV reviews in the Han Lips watches TV section with the author’s name. The section will of course continue to exist, but the fictional character Han Lips has retired.