Mr. Hummel, you will retire in August 2019 after 49 years of training and working as an architect. Are you looking forward to it?

Now it's good. I took early retirement at the age of 60, but then realized that I really missed the contact with people. That's why I started again with a reduced workload.

Have you prepared for your retirement now?

No, I haven't specifically prepared myself now. I now know what to expect because I've been able to deal with it over the past five years. I indulge in an intense but lonely hobby. Now my wife and I have also started to take part in a walking group. I think this is healthy, fun and also expandable.

Would it be an option for you to take part in seniors@work? What would be important key data for you?

I don't think it's entirely fair to compete with my former co-workers. Let's stay in the field of architecture: Younger employees or architects' offices are sometimes dependent on orders. I don't want to "take" these orders away from you.

But I could imagine taking part if I can offer some form of voluntary support. Example of buying or selling a house: do not act as a broker yourself, but give the seller support in the sense of a second opinion.

What would you like to say to the creators of seniors@work?

I am concerned about the liability issue. Whatever I offer as a senior, be it building a barn, helping with the cherry picking or herding dogs... What if I make a mistake or something happens? Who is liable? I would like to have this clarified for myself. As a service provider, I have to be able to protect myself.

Many thanks, Mr. Hummel, for these interesting thoughts and – last but not least – congratulations on your birthday and toitoitoi on your retirement!

 

Holidays for seniors?

I was on vacation, although I'm already retired and, so to speak - as people keep saying - "always on vacation". Triggered by a comment from Alexis Weil, the founder of Seniors@Work, I began to think about it. Do seniors even need a vacation?

There are pensioners who stay at home. They appreciate sticking to their everyday routine, always knowing exactly what to expect and feeling safe in their familiar surroundings. In the best-case scenario, you have seen a great deal of the world and are now enjoying 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 your way around, you are recognized in the shops and restaurants and greeted happily. A mini challenge with sure value.

And there are retirees who face new challenges, travel to new countries, have to find their way in a completely different environment. The language is different, maybe even new, the food is different, the culture something foreign. It's exhausting, but also stimulating.

Dear readers, I know that's almost a bit of an exaggeration. But if you read these lines: which holiday type do you belong to?

I'm one of those seniors who like to travel. I always like to get to know something new. It doesn't have to be America, the South Seas, India; no, Switzerland and Europe with many beautiful destinations are enough for me. I'm in the fortunate position of being able to afford it now. When the children were small, the budget was also minimal. So we focused on inexpensive vacations in vacation rentals, with picnics and hikes - and we were no less fortunate. But now - I admit it - I enjoy the vastness that opens up with travel. New places, new countries, other languages, finding your way around, 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 view, but also strengthens my sense of home, because I love going home again and again, back to everyday life.

Warm greetings

Beatrice

 

If a person has been passionate about a job all their life that was not just a job but also a calling, then retirement will certainly not be easy. I can well understand the need to continue to contribute the knowledge I have acquired to society. There are, of course, various opportunities for voluntary work in various professional groups. But that also includes luck and the right network of relationships.

With Seniors@Work, a platform was created to which everyone has access. This is basically a sympathetic approach. The idea: private individuals, companies and associations advertise jobs that are carried out by the senior citizens. On the other hand, it is also a tightrope walk. As sensible as employment and appreciation is for seniors who are willing to work, it would be just as critical for the regular labor market to compete with free or cheap work without complying with the legal requirements that apply to other providers. Specifically - if the offer jeopardizes the jobs of people with low incomes or older workers 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 wish Seniors@Work that this tightrope walk succeeds as well as possible. An indicator of this could certainly be the regularity and type of work.

If the separation from the regular job market succeeds, then Seniors@Work can become a success story - we wish the startup all the best.

I meet Astrid Eisenhut-Sattler in her café in the town hall. It's very hot, we drink "Hahnenburger" together, cold tap water.

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 (seat of the citizens' community of the city of Basel). . It is quiet there, you can hear the chatter of the guests, the chirping 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 business is a dream. I grew up in a host family, for me nothing else was ever an option. And I think the advantage of self-employment 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 feel it! And, of course, external factors such as financial security are also important components of a retirement decision. The day of farewell will definitely come at some point.

How do you deal with this, with this day of farewell?

It's not an issue for me at the moment. And afterwards... I need challenges, I have ideas and I'm open to new things. Doing nothing is not for me!

At Seniors@Work there are many seniors who would like to work part-time. You also offer catering yourself. Do you need helping hands?

I can imagine working with senior citizens at club events. However, large catering events are physically very demanding. You have to be able to tow, the operation is then usually hectic and stress resistance is required. And to be honest: do you still have to carry and stress as a senior citizen? Let's let the boys do such things!

But I can definitely imagine thinking about a project in which senior citizens bring out their old recipes, bake cakes and then offer them in a café. There is something similar in Vienna called "full board". There, grandmas and grandpas bake cake highlights and much more according to traditional family recipes... Legislation here in Basel, however, stipulates that you cannot bake cakes at home and bring them to the café. It has to be produced locally.

One notices Astrid Eisenhut-Sattler that a thought process is in progress. Thank you very much for this interview and I wish you lots of fun developing and implementing new ideas.

Beatrice

Info:

http://www.stadthauscafe.ch/

fast lane?

“In old age, the fast lane is clear.” That is what the Swiss author and aphorist Kurt Haberstich says.

For me, the word "fast lane" associates speed, fast driving, competition. "Fast lane" in connection with "age" doesn't quite suit me. Because I enjoy being on the road a little less fast, a little more comfortably. Of course I don't lose sight of staying awake and interested in life. I'm active, volunteering, politically on the go, I would like to meet challenges in a way. But faster?

Getting older has shown me how I can try to keep my work-life balance. I tried to question whether everything always has to be higher, better, faster - and realized that it isn't necessary. Do I have to do everything to be able to participate? I will never achieve everything I dreamed of in my life. However, there are still many opportunities to take a deep look at old and new items in my life, try them out and enjoy them.

The attitude of other senior citizens agrees with me: they want to get involved, for example with Seniors@Work, but no longer subject themselves to the strict rules of the normal working environment, but prefer to pass on their knowledge and know-how on a selective basis. cherry picking? And if so! Anyone who has been involved in the work process for so many years can look forward to a little more freedom.

Beatrice

I have taken the trouble to find out how many of the 100 members of the Board of Directors are of retirement age. In total I counted 17 men and 2 women who are already of retirement age. So that's 19 % of the cantonal parliament.

Let's compare this to the resident population of the canton of Basel-Stadt: At the end of 2018, the canton comprised 200,256 people. Of these, 38,844 people were older than 65 years. What a surprise: these are 19.4 %!

My personal opinion on this: people of AHV age are adequately represented in the Basel-Stadt cantonal parliament - even if the proportion of retired women could definitely be increased!

Beatrice Messerli, Councilor of the Green Alliance parliamentary group, has the honor of being the oldest woman on the Council. I asked her where she saw the benefits of having a say in Parliament as a retired teacher after 41 years of service to the school.

Beatrice Messerli says that she now has more time for political work in the council and probably less operational blindness for school, even if she still has very strong ties to her former colleagues.

She admires the young Council colleagues, who, in addition to family and work, also have a parliamentary mandate under one roof. Because the work in the Great Council is quite time-consuming and a real challenge.

When I pointed out that there were not enough retired women in parliament, Beatrice Messerli said that she wished women the necessary courage to dare to get involved in politics even after retirement.

And what does Beatrice Messerli say about the startup Seniors@Work: The website makes a totally fresh impression! Excellent!

If you look around on the Seniors@Work homepage, you will see that Pro Senectute of both Basels has been named as a cooperation partner from the very beginning. Pro Senectute is THE specialist and contact point for questions about old age. Over 130 advice centers throughout Switzerland offer a wide range of assistance and services for older people and their families. The increasing number of members gives this organization the necessary background to support the interests of older people and to offer them a wide range of opportunities, from social work to educational opportunities.

But now we wanted to know: why is the Senectute of both Basels involved in Seniors@Work?

Michael Harr, Managing Director of Pro Senectute, commented as follows:

The new online platform Seniors-at-Work in cooperation with Pro Senectute of both Basels has been in operation since the beginning of November.

Thanks to "Seniors@Work" enables senior citizens to work and promotes exchange between generations. That's why we support Seniors@Work. Thanks to this offer, the professional potential of older experienced people in our society can also be better used and the knowledge and experience of older people is better preserved in our society.

Pro Senectute of both Basel is a partner of the online platform because we want to help to promote the happiness and health of seniors by making them more active in society be integrated.

We thank Pro Senectute of both Basel for the trust and look forward to further successful cooperation!

www.bb.prosenectute.ch

 

Beatrice

 

When is the right time?

An article in the Observer”Let seniors actively participate in life” points out that senior citizens can become lonely at home. He deals rudimentarily with how third parties or relatives can activate, motivate and persuade older people to join an interest group. However, the talk is of Jassen and hiking, not of imparting his very own knowledge from his long professional life.

The question remains: when is the right time to re-engage in your profession? Many a person first needs a hold or a break after retirement. How do you find your way back into an active senior life after a break?

Write us! Share your experience with us!

The Federal Statistical Office writes:

Active aging means that people have the opportunity to maintain their health as they grow older, to participate in their social environment, to ensure their personal security and thus improve their quality of life (WHO, 2002).

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has created an Active Aging Index AAI. It shows the extent to which older people's potential is being realized in three different areas: employment, social participation and independent living. The AAI also includes a fourth domain that goes beyond actual active aging experiences. It captures the differences between countries regarding the situation of their elderly population and the creation of a favorable environment for active ageing.

What does active aging mean to you, dear reader? How does that express itself for you?

My personal definition goes something like this:

  • Continued strong curiosity about everything around.
  • The need not to let the adversities of aging slow you down.
  • Empathy and openness towards people.
  • Lifelong learning.

With this in mind: let's look forward to active aging!

Beatrice

 

Interview with Hanspeter Kraft from May 7, 2019

Since the start of the "GGG Digi-Coach" project in December 2018, Hanspeter Kraft has been involved in the Gundeldingen library on Tellplatz for an afternoon once a week. He welcomes those seeking advice and advises them on computers, programs, mobile phones, tablets, online forms and much more.

Hanspeter Kraft is a retired mathematician from the University of Basel. His connection to the digital world has existed throughout his professional life. He explains that as a GGG Digi-Coach you shouldn't just have an affinity for today's technology - you also have to like people. The topics are diverse, he not only advises senior citizens, younger men and women also come to him.

It is important to him to take away the uncertainty of those seeking advice and to strengthen their confidence in their own knowledge. Sometimes he closes elementary gaps in order to get people out of a possible defensive position in the digital world. He lets everyone do it himself, only sits there in an advisory capacity. And he grins: Women are a bit braver! You dare to ask.

info

www.ggg-digicoach.ch

https://www.stadtbibliothekbasel.ch/de/gundeldingen.html

 

 

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