People, who retire, become cut off from an important part of their previous social environment. Many live in one generation or even single households. Lack of social interaction is known to have adverse effects on physical and mental health. But social inclusion can not only improve the health conditions of the elderly, it also offers seniors the opportunity to actively contribute to society through taking up work or through civic engagement. The social inclusion of elderly citizens depends to a large extent on neighbourhoods and local communities. They offer opportunities for social interaction and civic engagement, and they often organize the voluntary support for elderly citizens in need of care.

The first session of this conference will look at how German and Japanese communities achieve the social inclusion of elderly citizens and the role of civic engagement by and for elderly citizens. The issue of social inclusion has become even more urgent under the current COVID pandemic. The second session will therefore address the impact of the pandemic on the living conditions of elderly citizens in Germany and Japan.

Language: German-Japanese with simultaneous translation

The event is fully booked.