Vacations for seniors?
I was on vacation, even though I am already retired and - as is often said - "always have a vacation". Prompted by a comment from Alexis Weil, the founder of Seniors@Work, I started to think about this. Do senior citizens even need a vacation?
There are pensioners who stay at home. They appreciate remaining in their everyday lives, always knowing exactly what to expect and feeling safe in their familiar surroundings. At best, they have seen a lot of the world and now enjoy the familiar, being at home.
There are pensioners who go on vacation to the same place every year, the same hotel, the same campsite, the same hikes and excursions. You meet there, you know each other, you are recognized in the stores and restaurants and greeted with joy. A mini-challenge with definite value.
And there are pensioners who have to face new challenges, travel to new countries and find their feet in a completely different environment. The language is different, perhaps even new, the food is different, the culture is foreign. This is exhausting, but also stimulating.
Dear reader, I know it's almost a bit exaggerated. But if you're reading this: what type of vacation are you?
I'm one of those senior citizens who like to travel. I like to get to know something new from time to time. It doesn't have to be America, the South Seas or India; no, Switzerland and Europe with its many beautiful destinations are enough for me. I am in the fortunate position of being able to afford this now. When the children were small, the budget was also minimal. So we concentrated on inexpensive vacations in vacation apartments, with picnics and hikes - and we were no less happy. But now - I admit it - I enjoy the vastness that comes with traveling. New places, new countries, different languages, getting my bearings, trying out new things, soaking up culture, but also getting to know nature: all of this is very appealing to me. Admittedly, it is often a challenge. But it not only strengthens my flexibility, broadens my perspective, but also reinforces my sense of home, because I always enjoy going home, back to my everyday life.
Kind regards
Beatrice
When a person has spent a lifetime passionately pursuing a job that was not just a profession but also a vocation, retirement is certainly not easy. I can well understand the need to continue to contribute the knowledge you have acquired to society. Of course, there are various opportunities for voluntary work in different professional groups. But it also takes luck and the right network of contacts.
Seniors@Work is a platform that anyone and everyone can access. This is a fundamentally appealing approach. The idea: private individuals, companies and associations advertise work that is carried out by senior citizens. On the other hand, this is also a balancing act. As useful as the employment and appreciation of "seniors" willing to work is, it would be critical to compete with the regular labor market with free or cheap labor without complying with the legal requirements that apply to other providers. Specifically - if the offer would jeopardize the jobs of people with small jobs or older employees in the "normal" economy.
Seniors@Work is obviously aware of this danger. Founder Alexis Weil emphasizes that only jobs that would never come about in the normal job market should be carried out. We hope that Seniors@Work succeeds in this balancing act as well as possible. One indicator of this could certainly be the regularity and nature of the work.
If the separation from the regular labor market is successful, then Seniors@Work can become a success story - we wish the start-up all the best.
I meet up with Astrid Eisenhut-Sattler in her café in the town hall. It's very hot and we drink "Hahnenburger", cold tap water, together.
Astrid Eisenhut-Sattler has been running the "Stadthauscafé" at Stadthausgasse 13 for 10 years now. It's wonderful there in summer, especially when you can spend time in the beautiful inner courtyard of the listed Stadthaus (the seat of the civic community of the city of Basel). It's quiet there, you can hear the chatter of the guests, the twittering of the birds and the splashing of the fountain.
Ms. Eisenhut, you have a strenuous job. How long should you work?
For me, running my own small restaurant is a dream. I grew up in a family of restaurateurs, so nothing else was ever an option for me. And I think the advantage of being self-employed is that you can decide for yourself when you want to stop.
How do you know?
You can feel it - or at least you should! And of course, external factors such as financial security are also important components of a retirement decision. The day you say goodbye will come at some point.
How do you deal with this day of farewell?
It's not an issue for me at the moment. And after that... I need challenges, have ideas and am open to new things. Doing nothing is not for me!
Seniors@Work has many senior citizens who would like to work part-time. You also offer catering yourself. Would you need any helping hands?
I can imagine working with senior citizens at club events. However, large catering events are very physically demanding. You have to be able to carry, the operation is usually hectic and stress resistance is required. And honestly: do you still have to carry and stress as a senior citizen? Let's let the youngsters do these things!
But I can certainly imagine a project in which senior citizens get out their old recipes, bake cakes and then offer them in a coffee shop. There is something similar in Vienna called "Vollpension". There, grandmas and grandpas bake cake highlights and much more according to traditional family recipes... However, legislation here in Basel stipulates that you cannot bake cakes at home and bring them to the café. It has to be produced on site.
You can tell that Astrid Eisenhut-Sattler is undergoing a thought process. I would like to thank her very much for this interview and wish her lots of fun developing and implementing new ideas.
Beatrice
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