Being around people in old age makes you feel better. Tips from our eldercare expert.
Loneliness in old age is more detrimental to health than physical ailments. "It is interesting to see how little influence physical health has on life satisfaction. I also observe this in my work," says J�rgen Griesbeck, eldercare expert at pme Familienservice.
J�rgen Griesbeck: That is indeed a pleasing result. It shows that enjoyment of life and quality of life do not necessarily decline with age, as is often assumed. Surprisingly, in the underlying survey of 3,600 people with an average age of 73, the vast majority reported a very high level of subjective well-being.
It is particularly interesting how little influence physical health has on life satisfaction. I also observe this in my work: many people develop a maturity in old age that enables them not to let the physical limitations of old age put them in a deficient mood. On the contrary, they make the most of the opportunities available to them and stop chasing an ideal physical state. In this sense, researchers also confirm that even so-called multimorbidity - i.e. when several illnesses exist at the same time - has little impact on well-being.
That is true. Things like anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disorders or a low income have a significant impact on well-being. Above all, loneliness has a negative impact. This is because we humans need a meaningful anchor for our existential satisfaction, something we can take care of. Be it another person, an animal or a task such as decorating flowers in church. We need to be able to deal with something that has to do with more than just our own limitations and illnesses. It is �as Heidegger also writes �concern that makes people human. It is astonishing that this can now also be proven empirically! Even if you accompany another person in your thoughts and worry about their well-being, this has a relieving and beneficial effect on yourself. Conversely, it is not only important for older people to be seen by others and for others to care about how they are doing. However, this should not tempt us to act lovingly just to make ourselves feel better. That would pervert the idea of love.
Fortunately, there are now many offers for older people. But it depends on your inner willingness to make use of them and, for example, to visit a senior citizens' club even if the title initially puts you off and you can't identify with the target group. I often hear the objection: "They're just old people". This unwillingness to engage with others is often the reason for loneliness. At the end of the day, we humans are always faced with the lifelong question of keeping our own hearts open and widening them and not walling ourselves in with prejudices, judgments and fears. This applies not only to my closest relatives, but also to other people. The major theme of the seventh report on the elderly is the caring community. Everyone is invited to care for others and to open themselves up to other people caring for them.
People in need of care are entitled to up to 125 euros a month for help in the home if they are cared for in their own home. This could be someone from a care service, for example, who comes once a week to clean the home or go shopping. But it can also include going to the doctor together, talking, playing games or going for a walk. However, many people don't know that the care insurance fund pays for these services without any reduction in care allowance. This is why the respite services are often not used in the first place. And then the contribution simply expires.
For the publication, the researchers from the Helmholz Center and the Technical University of Munich drew on data from around 3,600 test subjects with an average age of 73. They were asked about their well-being as part of the Augsburg population study KORA-Age.
Source: idw online
A new federal program aims to protect older employees in particular from social isolation. Various pilot projects have been receiving financial support since October 2020. The program is primarily aimed at older employees (over the age of 60) who are at risk of or affected by exclusion from the labour market and thus social isolation. The aim is to prevent social isolation and strengthen financial security in old age.
Older, socially isolated people are to receive professional support directly on site. The services on offer include digital training as well as neighborhood assistance and the identification of prospects when transitioning from working life to retirement.
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