Multi-generation Living

Especially with "young" or future senior citizens, the need for alternative forms of living and care is growing. In addition to shared apartments, where people stay among themselves according to their age, the model of multi-generational living is enjoying increasing popularity in our German-speaking neighboring countries. In Austria, too, some projects show that old = " and young can benefit from living together.

navigation

Continue reading
more on the subject
Advice, downloads & tools

All under one roof
Give and take
Not for everyone

All under one roof

Multi-generation living means that older people live together with families and young people under one roof. Coexistence is shaped by a family-like situation or by the idea of neighborhood. People of all age groups live together in a residential complex with different sized (barrier-free) residential units, in a house or in a smaller apartment.

Give and take

All generations benefit from solidarity with one another: Elderly support families (especially single parents) in coping with daily challenges, e.g. through childcare. The senior citizens, in turn, have access to a social network - from driving to the doctor or shopping, eating together and socializing, through to care and support in the event of illness. For family carers, the extended family or neighborhood concept means relief, for example through discussions or practical help.

Most older people want a home they have designed themselves, a familiar environment, relatives, friends or neighbors close by. If there is a need for care, it is not absolutely necessary in multi-generational living to leave the familiar environment. This enables a self-determined life to be continued.

Not for everyone

However, not everyone is suitable for intergenerational living. Those who place particular value on quiet or feel annoyed by children playing are better off in their one-person household. People move in and out of multi-generational residential complexes too. For older people who value continuity, this can become a burden.

However: If intensive care is necessary, multi-generational living can reach its limits: Professional medical care for those in need of care is then often only possible in a nursing home or hospital.

You can find more information at www.help.gv.at or on the websites of the federal states.