As of: April 9, 2024, 8:00 a.m
By: Gerda Gebel
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Has found her dream job: Senior representative Silke Hörold-Ries at the Haus der Treffen. Older people are looking for contact. Guests are between 50 and 92 years old © Peter gebel
Erding - Silke Hörold-Ries reports on her work as a senior representative and the offers at the Haus der Treffen. She describes her job as a dream job.
Five years ago, the then city councilor and senior citizen representative Jutta Harrer had the brilliant idea: “We need a senior citizen representative in Erding”. Silke Hörold-Ries took on this task, at the time in addition to her work as deputy head of the city library.
She has now set up an extensive range of activities for seniors with the weekly activity meeting and numerous activities in the Haus der Treffen am Rätschenbach. For Hörold-Ries, the additional task of advising seniors represented a new challenge, she says. The Erfurt native has lived in Erding since 1997. After studying to become “management of socio-cultural institutions”, the specialist found a job in the Erdinger city library and took over as deputy manager just three years later.
When the position of a senior citizen's representative with an initial ten-hour weekly position needed to be filled, the suitable person was found in Hörold-Ries. “Through my work in the library, I was in a lot of contact with older people and was well connected to the various contact points,” reports the 53-year-old. The original plan was to provide senior citizens with advice on all issues, which was very well received.
But Hörold-Ries quickly realized during the consultations that there was a need for regular meetings among the seniors. “Many older people live alone and are looking for contacts,” says the consultant. The seniors' active meeting started in August 2019 and takes place every Monday in the House of Encounters. The house ran for five years under the sponsorship of the BRK, and the city has been running it itself since mid-2023. The active meeting place is open on Monday from 9 a.m. for general exchange and coffee chats, before changing events are on the program at 11 a.m. “This ranges from lectures to guided tours, but also memory training or an excursion,” explains the senior representative, who can now devote herself fully to this task from February 1st. “We started with ten visitors, currently there are a good 20 people having coffee and up to 33 people at the lectures, then the lecture hall is full,” reports Hörold-Ries of the successful development.
The city of Erding provides a budget for speakers, so everything is free for visitors. The director also has a free hand in choosing speakers. She enjoys working freely. The connection to the ducal city of Erding is also important to her. “We have a cooperation with the Catholic Education Center and the adult education center and have already hosted the garden district advisor, the beaver representative and the moor advisor,” reports Hörold-Ries, who also likes to use the network with the city library.
She attaches great importance to the inclusion of seniors and wants to promote social engagement among older people. The voluntary work of some seniors in catering or offering courses creates a win-win situation, says Hörold-Ries. The activities are based on the ideas of the leader, who also includes suggestions from the seniors. Offers such as e-bike training or lectures on digital participation were enthusiastically accepted by participants, who are between 50 and 92 years old.
The offering in the Haus der Treffen has been gradually expanded and offers different courses from Monday to Friday, such as origami or live reading, but also a games morning (Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.), the Ratschcafé (Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and the Schafkopf round ( Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.). A cell phone consultation, a writing workshop and a self-defense course are still being planned.
For the senior citizen representative, her work is “fulfilling,” as she enthusiastically explains. “It’s great how well the offers are being received,” she says. Contact with colleagues in the city library is also maintained, because the building has a passage to the library to enable visitors with walking difficulties to use the elevator there.
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It is a dream job for Hörold-Ries, who also enjoys art and literature in her free time. “Life is so diverse and you’re always learning,” she enthuses.
Older people are looking for contact
Guests are between 50 and 92 years old