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New initiative in Cottbus: Actively help shape aging well!
BTU Cottbus opens a practical research center for healthy aging on September 9, 2025. Participation is free for everyone interested.
New initiative in Cottbus: Actively help shape aging well!
Many people face health problems as they age. These can make everyday life significantly more difficult. Common problems such as joint pain, failing eyesight and hearing problems affect seniors' independence. In addition, loneliness and depression affect many older people. In order to meet these challenges, the Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) has launched a new practical research center that is specifically aimed at the needs of older people in the region. b-tu.de reports that this initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Catholic University of Social Affairs Berlin and the Heinersdorf Practical Research Center.
The target group includes older people from the Spree-Neiße district and the city of Cottbus as well as the German-Polish border region. A central concern of the practical research center is to promote social and ecological sustainability and to improve the quality of life in old age. A key aspect of the initiative is the active participation of older people in the change process in order to better understand and take into account their needs.
Event “Shaping (or helping to) age well”
As part of these efforts, an event entitled “Shaping Aging Well” will take place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This offers a platform for networking between science, civil society and practitioners. Participation is free of charge and open to anyone interested. The event location is the foyer in the starting block B2, Siemens-Halske-Ring 2 in Cottbus.
The practical research center is part of the AlterPerimentale transfer initiative, which aims at socio-technical innovations to improve the quality of life of older people in the German-Polish border region. This initiative is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Transfer Spaces for the Future of the Regions (T!Raum) funding line, with a term until 2026, which could be extended by a further six years. The transfer area includes the districts of Oder-Spree, Spree-Neiße, Görlitz and the city of Cottbus/Chóśebuz.
Health and living situation of older people
The health situation of older people is also the focus of comprehensive studies, such as the “Health 65+” study conducted by the Robert Koch Institute. The surveys in this study, which were carried out from 2019 to 2024, have now been completed and the analysis of the data has begun. Loud rki.de One in five people in Germany is older than 65, and the number of people over 80 has also increased.
The study examines various aspects of older people's lives, including their quality of life, care conditions and support in everyday life. It will also analyze what specific needs this age group has, especially with regard to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, seniors have been the focus of political and public attention, but there is still insufficient research on the long-term consequences for their health and living situation.
The results of this study could potentially contribute to developing targeted measures to improve healthy aging in Germany. Researchers show that vitality and joy of life in older people often go hand in hand with chronic illnesses and mobility restrictions as well as loneliness. It is therefore important to specifically address these challenges through projects such as the practical research center and the events based on it.