New app launched to support vital aging in Bergen: Connecting care and community
Residents of Bergen can now easily access up-to-date care and health services through the new Social Map app. Launched during a community event, the app aims to foster collaboration among organizations and individuals to promote vital aging and support local well-being.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Thematic meeting “Vitaal in Bergen” |
| Date | March 10, 2026 |
| Location | Town hall, Bergen |
| Organizers | Municipality of Bergen, De Zorggroep, Vincentius Welzijn Stichting |
| Key Speakers | Alderman Claudia Ponjee, Marjolein Dohmen (De Zorggroep) |
| New Initiative | Social Map app (digital platform for care and health services) |
| App Access | bergenhelptelkaar.nl |
| Target Audience | Residents, care providers, volunteers, and organizations in Bergen |
The municipality of Bergen plays a coordinating role in fostering collaboration between care providers, volunteers, and residents to enhance the quality of life for its aging population. By organizing thematic meetings and supporting digital tools like the Social Map app, the local government aims to ensure accessible and up-to-date care services for all residents.
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Read the full translated article below
Successful Thematic Meeting “Vitaal in Bergen”
Many different organizations in the field of care and health, as well as interested residents, gathered on Tuesday, March 10, in the town hall for the thematic meeting “Vitaal in Bergen”. It was an evening filled with meetings, inspiring conversations, and activities around the theme of vital aging in the municipality of Bergen.
How can we ensure together that living and life are pleasant in the municipality of Bergen, now and in the future? Even when you get older and can no longer do everything yourself? These questions were central during the thematic meeting. Because vital aging is a responsibility of us all. Of associations and organizations, of (semi-)professionals and volunteers, of the government, and of course, of our residents themselves!
Getting to know, inspiring, and participating
In the municipality of Bergen, a lot is already happening in the field of healthy and vital aging. During the thematic meeting, various parties shared how they support residents in this regard. These were not only care providers but also organizations you might not immediately think of when it comes to care and health. Such as Nationaal Park De Maasduinen and the veterans from our municipality.
Alderman Claudia Ponjee and Marjolein Dohmen, Director of Sustainable Care at De Zorggroep, opened the thematic meeting. Marjolein Dohmen shared more about “GeWoon Thuis” and the role of Sustainable Care in the municipality of Bergen.
The visitors could then get to know the present partners and draw inspiration on how they themselves can contribute to a vital community. Additionally, they could participate in various movement activities. For example, they received more information about the fall prevention program Stevig Staan and could participate in the exercises of Samen in Beweging in the council chamber.
Our thanks to everyone who contributed to this successful thematic meeting! Together, we continue to build a vital community where people look out for each other, help each other, and where appropriate support is nearby. A special word of thanks to De Zorggroep for co-organizing the meeting.
Social Map app launched
Stichting Welzijnsbevordering Bergen (SWB) – now part of Vincentius Welzijn Stichting municipality of Bergen – developed a Social Map last year. It contains the contact details of organizations in the municipality of Bergen in the broadest sense of the word regarding care and health. The Social Map, in the form of a colorful fan, makes it easier for professionals, volunteers, and the municipality to find each other, so they can provide residents with the best possible help and support.
Although the Social Map meets an important need for partners, the information is already outdated a year later. The physical fan makes it difficult to update the contact details. Therefore, Vincentius Welzijn Stichting has been working hard on a digital version of the fan over the past year: the Social Map app. This is a digital platform where not only (care) organizations but also residents can easily find the current care offerings in the municipality of Bergen.
During the thematic meeting “Vitaal in Bergen”, alderman Claudia Ponjee and Pierre Rutten on behalf of Vincentius Welzijn Stichting officially launched the Social Map app. You can find the Social Map app at bergenhelptelkaar.nl. Tip: create a shortcut on your desktop or phone, so you always have the Social Map handy.