Berlin Transforms into a Senior Living Facility

Berlin Transforms into a Senior Living Facility

In the heart of Europe, Berlin is gearing up for a significant demographic shift in the coming years. As the baby boomers born in the 1960s reach retirement age, the need for care and support will become increasingly important. Recognising this, the Senate administration is taking proactive steps to address the challenge, focusing on prevention and early intervention.

One of the key initiatives is a home visit programme for those aged 70 and over. Trained guides will visit elderly residents, providing them with information about care offers and prevention options. This personal approach aims to reach those at risk of needing care directly, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

The Senate administration believes that by focusing on prevention, they can at least slow down the increase in the number of people in need of care. To make care support points more visible, a new public relations office will be set up. The next step is the creation of a state care law to better structure the offers as a state.

The increase in the number of older people is expected to be significant in the next decade. Currently, approximately 212,000 people in Berlin require care, representing 5.5% of the population. This number is nearly double the 2013 figures, a testament to the growing need for care services.

However, the Senate's care administration is not predicting a specific future number of people in need of care due to a wide range of care dependency projections. The number will depend on factors such as advancements in medical research.

In this regard, Berlin is at the forefront of biomedical innovation. Initiatives like AI2M, funded with €30 million, are encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations to harness AI for mining vast biomedical datasets. This promises earlier detection of diseases through novel biomarkers and the development of targeted therapies to prevent disease progression before symptoms arise.

Other advancements include single-cell and spatial multi-omic approaches, expansions of high-throughput screening platforms, and innovations in drug delivery and pharmaceutical formulations. These developments, combined with improvements in diagnostics and precision medicine, are likely to reduce the future number of people requiring intensive or chronic care in Berlin.

To further improve the care landscape, the state care law is expected to be created in the near future. This law aims to provide a better foundation for steering the offers structurally. The expansion of the home visit programme to all Berlin districts is planned by 2026.

The state care plan also emphasises the importance of improving participation and advice infrastructure for older people in all districts. The home visit programme, initially started in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district in 2021, is now planned to be expanded to all Berlin districts by 2026. Care support points, offering free advice, are to be the central point of contact and are not expected to face cuts.

As Berlin navigates this demographic shift, these initiatives promise a brighter future for its elderly population, fostering health, independence, and a higher quality of life.

1. The focus on prevention and early intervention in Berlin's care initiatives extends to various medical conditions, including chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, COPD, type-2 diabetes, and cancer.
2. The home visit programme, aimed at those aged 70 and over, provides information about various health matters, including digestive health, eye health, hearing, and skin care.
3. Recognising the rise in neurological disorders, the state care plan also includes initiatives to address conditions like Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and migraines.
4. In the realm of immune systems, Berlin is addressing autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
5. As part of the comprehensive approach to health and wellness, fitness and exercise play a significant role, with initiatives promoting regular physical activity to maintain cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing.
6. The Senate's initiatives also address mental health, striving to provide support and resources for those struggling with stress, depression, and other mental health issues.
7. Berlin's biomedical innovations are not limited to aging populations; they also encompass research on biomarkers for early detection of diseases like breast cancer.
8. Therapies and treatments, such as CBD, are being explored for various health issues, including managing chronic pain and alleviating symptoms of conditions like psoriasis.
9. The state care plan emphasises the importance of nutrition, encouraging a balanced diet to promote health and manage conditions like chronic kidney disease.
10. As part of the prevention strategy, Berlin is investing in medical research to slow down the progression of chronic respiratory conditions like COPD.
11. The expansion of the home visit programme will reach all districts by 2026, ensuring that all older residents have access to health and wellness resources.
12. The creation of the state care law will better structure the care offers, ensuring that services like care support points offering free advice remain accessible.
13. The advancements in biomedical research aim to reduce the number of people requiring intensive or chronic care, transforming the care landscape in Berlin.
14. The state care plan stresses the importance of improving infrastructure for older people in all districts, to ensure equal access to health and wellness resources.
15. With these initiatives, Berlin aims to improve the quality of life for its elderly population, supporting their health, independence, and overall wellbeing.

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