Supporting an active old age

Life in big cities is not only attractive for young people. The cultural events on offer, good public transport and healthcare facilities are also a reason for older people to like living in a city. So demand for nursing care and assisted living is increasing there, too. Deutsche Wohnen is therefore continuously expanding its offering in the Nursing and Assisted Living segment and in 2019 acquired the established provider PFLEGEN & WOHNEN HAMBURG GmbH. Anja Twardy is one of around 2,000 employees at PFLEGEN & WOHNEN HAMBURG and leads the Social Support team at the HEIMFELD facility in Hamburg-Harburg.

Actually Anja Twardy didn’t intend to become a care assistant but rather a registered nurse. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, however. In her case, “thank goodness”, as she says today. Because now she has been working happily and energetically for 37 years in the well­maintained Rennkoppel home, taking care of the more than 200 people who live here. “Our residents are currently aged between 80 and 101, but sometimes we have people who are younger, and some weren’t even past forty”, she explains.

Nowadays Anja Twardy no longer works directly as a care assistant, but manages performance targets, team meetings, volunteers, staff rosters and many other things. One very important area is the events that take place in the home. The programme of activities, day trips and parties encourage social interaction between the resi­dents and give them the opportunity to stay involved with the life of the home. One highlight is the annual meeting with trike fans, who come to visit HEIMFELD. Trikes are three­wheeled motorbikes, with long, chopper­style front forks. “It’s wonderful to see our eighty-year­-olds being driven through Harburg on the motor trikes”, says Anja Twardy with a laugh.

Other fixtures in the HEIMFELD event calendar are the disco party, when a live band comes to play, or the Oktoberfest. Then there are the annual cultural themes. For 2020 the theme “Laughing is good for you” was chosen, and Anja Twardy is busy preparing a photo ses­sion with the residents and children from the neighbouring nursery school. The pictures will later be put on display in an exhibition and give the residents a good laugh, thanks to Anja Twardy.

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