I am Warsha Jagroep, working at Pharos in The Netherlands and I am a member of ENIEC.
I have worked as a care provider in home care and nursing homes for older people, including those with dementia. I noticed that there was too little attention paid to issues concerning people with a migration background. I completed my master’s degree at the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing. The master’s programme is called Vitality & Ageing and was offered by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Even during this program, these issues remained underexposed. The title of my PhD research is: ‘Older Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands: neighbourhood age-friendliness, health behaviours and well-being‘.
I currently work at Pharos, the Dutch centre of expertise focused on reducing health disparities. There, I am involved in various projects on dementia and loneliness among older adults, including those with a migration background.
I’m new to ENIEC. My colleague Carolien Smits told me a lot about ENIEC, which sparked my interest. That interest grew even more when I looked at the ENIEC website. I believe that in such an international network, we can learn a lot from each other and draw inspiration from one another. What is happening in the Netherlands is also happening in other European countries.
I found the 2025 Annual Meeting very inspiring. I was a bit nervous beforehand, because I went on my own, and for three days! But I was warmly welcomed from the very first day. Members of the board immediately came up to me to greet me. I felt at home right away.
For me, the field visits on Friday stood out. They were very interesting, although besides the presentations, I would have loved to look around the location and talk with people on-site. The dance night was a lot of fun. It was lovely to see how everyone enjoyed themselves. I enjoy observing people.
I hope to collaborate with other ENIEC members shortly. I will be exchanging information on loneliness among older people with Siiri Jaakson of MUKES in Finland. I would like to make use of my ENIEC membership in my work at Pharos.
