In Germany, retirees have found a novel way to avoid being alone

Germany’s population is Europe’s oldest, second only to Japan globally. Today’s seniors are living vastly different lives than the previous generations. They are more likely to be on their own, live longer after retirement, and spend those years in better shape. And that has led Germany’s seniors to find creative, new ways to avoid being alone, or end up in dreary traditional retirement housing. That’s boosting demand for an entirely new type of senior housing: apartments that are affordable and accessible, but in active communities where residents can easily get together. In 2015 Germany’s family ministry supported a program called “gemeinschaftlich wohnen, selbstbestimmt leben” or “communal housing, independent living,” that provides financial support to 29 model senior community living projects around the country.