Ageing and Care

Due to the demographic structure of our society and medical advances, for several years we have had many more older people requiring assistance. We need appropriate concepts and qualifications for this.

Individual nurses have already made initial innovations possible regionally, locally in their contexts.

Various member organizations have responded to the demand with new housing offers.

Can we disseminate this expertise further and develop more offers based on these prototypes?

At the Section’s 2024 autumn conference, there was a forum on the topic and the people in this group are taking the initiative further and can work together on it here in this working group.

In the Section context, there will be a thematic focus on this within the small autumn conference from October 1-4, 2025. To this end, we are trying to start an intersectional collaboration with the Medical Section and to organize workshops with various practitioners to make the day lively. This summer, the Medical Section also founded a new care group on the culture of aging as part of its annual conference.

At the same time, the topic is being made visible by German colleagues in the committees of the German Anthropoi Bundesverband. A time slot will be allocated for this for the first time at the association council in March 2025.

We are also in contact with the Swiss association Anthrosocial, because they have had a commission on aging for several years.

Topics from the perspective of the initiative group – always with the question: What are the needs of the target group and the organizations?

• Physical and mental changes and their effects in old age, geriatric disorders
• Double and multiple diagnoses
• Social participation and inclusion in old age
• Housing offers – inclusive? (Gent)
• Care for people with increased care needs affects all age groups.
• The need for rhythm, variety and cultural offerings – how can this be fulfilled?
• Mourning and end-of-life care
• …

Initiative group:

Jacquelyn Bieringer (Camphill Gent/USA), Jutta Christian (Supportive Community Kirchhain/DE), Dagmar Fröder (Lebens- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Lautenbach/DE), Meg Henderson (Camphill Viilage Copake), Elisabeth Martin (Village Community Tennental/DE), Christian Raasch (LebensOrte Berlin/DE), Elke Zech (DE)