The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

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What you mighty call a stellar day for our home yesterday: one stroke, one broken hip, and one near-asphyxiation on a butter cookie. The ambulance came and went three times in a single afternoon. Mrs. Sitta, seeing the toing and froing of ambulances, asked in bingo would be canceled. “Those of us who are fit shouldn’t have to suffer on account of those who are not,” she brazenly declared. You’d almost wish that at her next bingo game she would have a stroke, break a hip AND choke to death on a cookie. While the work has its own share of moving and sad moments but the main message it shows is that despite octogenarians having a short life expectancy, they can still enjoy and live life to the full. The book, written in the form of a diary, holds acutely astute observations on what it is to be 'old'. Rendered in a direct and simple way, without artifice, the book just works. This country has some of the most progressive inclinations of any modern-day society. It is also an inclusive place where people of all colors and beliefs reside peacefully, for the most part. Among them are the kind hearted and thoughtful, Eefje Brand, who recently moved into a room Mrs De Gans "vacated" and to whom he strikes up a sweet, close and heart warming friendship. His cheeky and mischievous friend Evert Duiker, who lives independently around the corner in sheltered accommodation with his dog Mo who farts a lot. Whenever Everts grout plays up Walter visits and takes his dog for a walk, helps him out with things or just enjoys an afternoon chat and "a glass of something or other" - usually wine, gin, brandy or whisky.

Hendrik Groen - Penguin Books UK Hendrik Groen - Penguin Books UK

When this book was published the author was anonymous which may well have had something to do with the criticisms of how the Dutch elderly are treated. Mind you Australia does not do much better! In the book Hendrik and his friends take matters into their own hands and form the Not Dead Yet Club. No matter how old, people need friends they can relate to and occupations which are worthwhile and enjoyable. Together this group create outings which they all enjoy including things people may frown on such as visiting the pub. It's definitely not a depressing read, don't let the thought of a book about residents in a care home deter you. There are tons of witty funny moments with Hendrik and his friends getting into all sorts of trouble and fun to pass their days. Such as the time Hendrik is invited in for a cup of tea with Mrs Visser which resulted in Fish Gate- three slices of cake, 6 pink fondant fancies and two fish tank massacres. Their day trips out with the Old But Not Dead Club which results in the other residents feeling a bit bitter, a few pet catastrophes, souped up mobility scooters as status symbols, dribbling and horse meat lasagne. I really enjoyed this book; it's funny, I laughed out loud in a few parts, moving, poignant, uplifting, thought provoking and makes you appreciate, understand and have more of an insight into old people and their day to day lives and obstacles. It reminds me of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole which I read while at school, albeit with the protagonist being from a different generation.When one of the residents passes away, the room is taken by Eefje. She is a quiet, thoughtful woman – and Hendrik is smitten. He smartens himself up, nervously hosts a get together over cups of tea with both Eefje and Evert and wishes he’d met her half a century sooner. Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon. Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he has to visit his doctor more than he'd like. Technically speaking he is...elderly. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums?

Hendrik Groen Series by Hendrik Groen - Goodreads Hendrik Groen Series by Hendrik Groen - Goodreads

Pored niza duhovitih primedbi, anegdota i zabavnih komentara, ovo je knjiga o svim užasima starenja i društvenoj nevidljivosti ljudi u gerontološkim centrima. Uvek mi je zanimljivo kad čitam u popularnim časopisima o 'tabuima u kulturi' i uvek nekako izostave da pomenu da smo postali kultura koja se baš užasava starih ljudi i juri da ih skloni što dalje. Holandija ima zakon o eutanaziji i njemu je dat ogroman prostor u Hrunovom dnevniku, i premda se pominje usputno i ovlaš, jasno je da je to centralna etička dilema mnogih stanovnika staračkog doma, a i njihovih porodica i lekara. Hendrik Groen resides in a Nursing Home funded by the state in North Amsterdam. He decides to start writing a diary. He has two people he can rely on. One being Evert also a resident of the home and Anja the assistant to the Administrator for the home. And some of their ideas ARE bright and inventive. The "Club" gets up to all sorts of things. Hendrik was not a fan of aids and equipment, from incontinence pads to mobility scooters, but as he sees what others are dealing with (and how much fun the scooters are), he does learn to adapt and look forward. After all, if he wants to get out and about . . .And here’s another to how the Dutch have made use of their cycleways which Australia can only envy. Sigh . . .

Hendrik Groen - Book Series In Order Hendrik Groen - Book Series In Order

O Diário Secreto de Hendrik Groen" é um livro sobre um velho que detesta velhos, e que aos 83 anos e 1/4, optou por um bravo pontapé na velhice! The first part of the book seems to be mostly anecdotes and descriptions, which certainly ring true from my experiences with family and friends and community service organisations, but they didn’t interest me. Been there, done that (well, as an outsider, for the time being). But I persisted. I really liked this book and it was great to enter Hendrik’s world on such an intimate and personal level. Even if you do not have an elderly relative living in a care home, it is great read in the way that reality television fails to capture. It is a very good reading experience that I will vote the top score of 5 stars because it is entertaining, informative and rather witty. This is a somewhat honest account, written by an 84-year-old man (or not); his reflections on residing in a nursing home in Amsterdam.Highly entertaining, utterly convincing. A delightful and touching saga of one man's way of coping with old age' Daily Express Conversely, Hendrik displays a charming personality and is more caring and gentle which has become a rarity in today’s society. Hendrik pledges to try to be more assertive but he cannot help but be a more giving and thoughtful person.

Hendrik Groen - Wikipedia Hendrik Groen - Wikipedia

Determined not to be a whinger, he forms the Old But Not Dead Club with a few like-minded souls. Together they escape the confines of the home to take trips to cookery classes, Pixar movies and golf clubs, expeditions that ensure the resentment and anger of others who are not allowed to join their exclusive society. The man lives in a nursing care home in Amsterdam and tells a blow-by-blow account of the lives of the many eccentric characters living at the home. He also documents the many stupid rules that they are forced to follow in his diary. In doing so, he developed a reputation of being an octogenarian in the mold of Elena Ferrante, even though no one still knows if he is a man, woman, or even an octogenarian. Hendrik discovers that pranks are a lot of fun, and his disposing of some unwanted cake in an aquarium stirs up more than a few dead fish. It's a major incident, and the authorities seek to investigate! Only trivial annoyances still matter. “If Greece goes bankrupt the bingo prizes will probably get smaller,” was Mrs. Schouten’s analysis of the eurozone crisis.”neyse kitap hakkında söyleyebileceğim tek şeyim, çok tatlısın Hendrik Groen! sen beni güldürdün, ömrün kendine bakabildiğin kadar çok olsun. Ovo je beskonačno tužna knjiga, posebno jer imam iskustvo bliskih ljudi koji umiru teško i dugo, a medicinski radnici ih otpisuju jer su 'stari' i 'vreme im je'. I really must make a point of asking my geriatrician next time if there’s anything that can be done about the leaky part or if I’ll just have to resign myself to wearing diapers. Not so long ago I used to think that was when one lost one’s last shred of dignity, but I realize that I have now lowered the bar a bit. The frog in the cooking pot, that’s me.” Netherlands & Fla...: Ended - Groupt Read #26 : Pogingen iets van het leven te maken van Hendrik Groen