Demographic change has long since arrived in Wiesbaden. Currently, 20 percent of Wiesbadeners are over 65 years old. Municipal senior citizens' policy faces major challenges in the face of social and demographic structural change. We Greens want to promote the needs of older people in social policy initiatives: In the areas of health and care, but also education, culture and participation. Self-determination and the preservation of the independence of older people are of particular concern to us. We advocate for diverse age images and see potential for urban society in the age phase of life.
What we want to do specifically in this area
In order to systematically make Wiesbaden age-appropriate, Wiesbaden has joined the WHO Age-friendly City initiative. In this context, we want to implement further concepts for transport, housing, public space, social participation and healthcare.
We promote concepts for self-determined living in old age with a focus on communal forms of living, meeting places for seniors and barrier-free local mobility to strengthen self-employment.
Trained professionals regularly visit older people at home, identify care needs and coordinate support services on the ground, even beyond traditional care needs.
Practical trainings for the safe handling of e-bikes, the use of the RMV app or the behavior in bus and train strengthen independence and safety, especially of seniors.
We want the national dementia strategy to be implemented through support and prevention measures such as social participation, communication, exercise and special mobility services.
We want to promote life in the neighbourhood through community and intergenerational programmes that counteract social isolation and strengthen neighbourly connections. Senior citizens' meetings in the districts are to be preserved.
The network of educational institutions receives financial support for the coordination and development of age-appropriate educational offers and intergenerational projects.
Older people are repeatedly subjected to physical or psychological violence. As they often face greater barriers to accessing assistance and are more likely to be affected by poverty in the future, they need low-threshold protection, especially for older women.
What we have already achieved
With the Quartiershäuser Wiesbaden project launched in 2023, there are new spaces for encounter, participation and self-determined living in old age. Following the model of the ‘Bielefeld model’, district houses combine barrier-free living with social infrastructure – meeting rooms, advice and neighbourhood assistance. They promote cohesion in the district and prevent loneliness. This promotes intergenerational coexistence, social participation and the possibility of living self-determined in a familiar environment even in old age.
The Moritz Lang House in Dotzheim will be ready for occupation from autumn 2026 with 104 inpatient and 14 short-term care places. This creates much-needed capacities and enables modernized care according to today's standards.
We GRÜNE have ensured a significant improvement in mobility for senior citizens in Wiesbaden. Numerous bus stops have been adapted for barrier-free use – with elevated curbs, tactile guiding elements and widened entry areas. Many traffic lights now also have acoustic signals. At the main station and the market square, new tactile city maps make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to find their way around. In addition, a digital passenger information with barrier-free demand announcement at the main station ensures that all passengers can retrieve information independently. These measures make it easier for older people to have safe access to buses, trains and public spaces – for greater autonomy, safety and quality of life in everyday life.
At Kransand in Mainz-Kastel, we have comprehensively improved accessibility. A new lift connects the banks of the Rhine and the bridgehead over a height difference of six metres, so that people with reduced mobility can easily reach the leisure area. Barrier-free paths, seating and sanitary facilities allow seniors equal access to movement, encounter and recreation on the Rhine.
