In the second week of September 2019, the canton of Basel-Stadt published its "Basel 55+" guidelines. What does is meant by such a paper?

Why "Basel 55+" 

Let's start at the beginning: In the canton of Basel-Stadt, the Department of Health (GD) implemented the proposal in 2013 for senior citizens' organizations to work with working groups to find solutions to problems affecting the elderly population. 

The key topics were care and nursing, securing livelihoods, health promotion and prevention, information, integration and migration as well as intergenerational relationships, potential and skills, safety and mobility, networking and new technologies, security of supply and housing. 

Considering the diversity of the older population group 

In September 2019, it was explained that modern ageing policy encompasses different generations, but also the diversity of the older population group with its different needs. The current guidelines cover individual topics such as autonomy, subsidiarity and cooperation. Each individual keyword first states what the canton promotes or advocates. For each keyword, the canton also explains the topic and provides relevant background information. 

Guideline no. 11, for example, is entitled "Potential and skills". It states that the canton supports "local self-help and neighborhood assistance". And: "It develops measures to recognize post-professional and post-family voluntary work." Among other things, the explanatory text addresses the post-retirement phase of life. The latter frees up new time resources. 

So far so good. 

Ambitious goals 

When examined somewhat critically, these guidelines are first and foremost commitments to the various issues - no more and no less. I believe that each individual point has certainly been analyzed in depth. However, the goals are ambitious and there are many ideas in the room. One way or another, it will become clear in a few years' time whether the canton of Basel-Stadt has achieved its newly defined goals or whether it has been overrun or overtaken by history. And let's hope that the ideas don't become paper tigers. 

Have I whetted your appetite to study the guidelines? To www.aelterbasel.ch you will find a lot of information as well as the new compilation of the above-mentioned keywords in the brochure "Basel55+".