Life in old age

Life in old age then and now

Urahne, Großmutter, Mutter und Kind
In dumpfer Stube beisammen sind;
Es spielet das Kind, die Mutter sich schmückt,
Großmutter spinnet, Urahne gebückt
Sitzt hinter dem Ofen im Pfühl. –
Wie wehen die Lüfte so schwül!

(Forefather, grandmother, child and mother
Are gathered in a musty parlour;
the child plays, the mother primps,
Forefather, hunched while Grandmother spins,
Sits behind the stove in bed –
how the air here blows humid!)

So it says in a poem by Gustav Schwab. But more on that later.

In ancient times, notions about age were very different. The Spartans held the elderly, or more precisely, elderly men, in such high esteem that only those over 60 were admitted to the political council of elders.

The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) saw the benefit of old age as well. Getting older brings advantages, he claimed - more serenity, for example, and the ability to focus on higher values, of which one has little understanding in one’s youth, being driven by more basic instincts.

Plato's pupil Aristotle (384-322 BC), on the other hand, could not quite warm up to old age. He was of the opinion that all elderly people were difficult to bear. He considered them selfish, capricious, suspicious, stingy and small-minded.

As soon as we get older and have to deal with our diminishing strength or even being in need of care, we develop romantic ideas of old people being cared for by their families. In earlier times, many believe, the aged were not lonely and isolated, but respected.

But this romantic ideal, as it turns out, is simply wrong. On closer inspection, the much-extolled unity of the extended family turns out to be an illusion. After all, the average family in previous centuries consisted of at least five people living in very cramped conditions; privacy was almost non-existent and individual family members were subject to a strict set of rules according to gender and generation. Living together was by no means harmonious. Nevertheless, the myth of the good old extended family persists.

Social structures have changed and improved significantly in many respects. Today, we have a higher life expectancy. Elderly people can remain self-reliant and independent for a long time. The fact that this is possible in most cases is thanks to the social security system, even if the system is gradually reaching its limits.

High life expectancy is one reason why the number of generations within families has increased. But most of them no longer live under the same roof, preferring to cultivate their family ties at a distance. The number of households in which "forefathers, grandmothers, child and mother are gathered in a musty parlour" – as in the first stanza of Gustav Schwab's poem quoted at the beginning – are steadily decreasing.

However, options for the "best ager" generation are constantly being expanded. Retirement homes, serviced apartments, senior residences - there is something for everyone, and that goes for Altmünster too. After all, we want to enjoy the many positive sides of old age for as long as possible.