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5.2 Exchange with the Eating Group.

We asked the working groups if they knew of examples of housing experiments in their countries. Experiments aimed at supporting the independence and autonomy of the senior citizen.
We received four captivating examples from the working group in Ulm.A project on ¨Betreutes Wohnen¨ was mentioned. Senior citizens who are moving into sheltered accommodation adjoining the old people’s home already receive aid from the home, included in the rent, but if necessary can ask for more help.The project shows elements of what is called District Home Care in the Netherlands. This District Home Care entails that a small-scale service centre in a housing estate will also be equipped to offer basic domestic care and nursing care to those living in special sheltered homes close to the home, but also to those who are living further away.
The second example concerns an ¨Altepflegefamilienheim¨. A married couple, both nurses, accepted four senior citizens into their family.
There are also examples to be found in Germany of communal dwelling for the aged, which often appeared to be a distinct private enterprise. The fourth example is a charming project by combining forces of the older and younger generation in an organisation called: ¨ St. Anna Hilfe¨.

Figure 23. St. Anna Hilfe. Old and young.

This organisation builds building complexes and rents and sells those apartments to both young and older inhabitants expecting them to contribute to the idealistic motives of the organisation. The inhabitants are expected to partake in voluntary work or in joined activities or even initiate these. Because of the fact that inhabitants help one another in matters of care, these can be organised much cheaper.
It is also important that inhabitants are guaranteed a place in one of the homes for the aged belonging to the same organisations when more increasing care is needed.
 

These four examples confirm that senior citizens gain most from housing situations which facilitate the possibilities of social contacts and are offering both security and basic care. In this way the well-being of the older people is being advanced.

The last three examples, which also show that inducing activities contributes to well-being too, confirm the thesis of the Arnhem self-study group that well-being is not only based on conditions but also on an active personal attitude.