The number of older adults in Wiesbaden is set to rise significantly in the coming years. As a result, the need for appropriate services—such as those related to social participation, health, mobility, housing, and counseling—will also grow. With its Action Plan for Older Adults, the city therefore aims first to identify which services already exist, where gaps exist, and what additional services will be needed in the future. 

Based on this, concrete measures for municipal services for older adults will be developed. The Committee on Social Affairs, Integration, Housing, Children, and Family approved the Action Plan on January 28 of this year. 

The proportion of people aged 65 and older in Wiesbaden currently stands at approximately 20 percent (60,754 people). According to population projections from the Office for Strategic Management, Urban Research, and Statistics, this number is expected to rise to 68,115 by 2035—representing an increase of about 12 percent. 

The initial focus will be on the areas of social participation, digitalization, prevention and health, as well as mobility and housing for older adults. Together with experts in municipal senior services and independent organizations, the city will examine how well existing structures meet current and future needs. The experiences and perspectives of Wiesbaden’s older residents will also be incorporated into the process. A particular emphasis is placed on preventive services that can help maintain health and social participation and delay the need for long-term care for as long as possible. 

Dr. Patricia Becher, Head of the Social Affairs Department, explains: “Together with older residents and all stakeholders in senior services, we want to further develop Wiesbaden so that older people can live independently, healthily, and actively for as long as possible. To achieve this, we need to know exactly which services are already working well and where gaps still exist. The action plan lays the foundation for responding to demographic change in a forward-looking and needs-based manner.” 

The process of developing the action plan is structured in several stages. First, the data foundations will be updated: The new report “Older Adults in Wiesbaden” is scheduled to be presented by mid-2027. Building on this, the areas of action will be further defined in 2027 and 2028, and public participation initiatives will be carried out. Starting in 2029, the first measures developed from this process are to be implemented. This approach will bring together expert insights, the perspectives of older adults, and the experiences of the participating institutions and organizations. 

The action plan builds on established structures. For more than four decades, for example, the counseling centers for independent living in old age have provided essential support for seniors. Networks such as GereNetz help foster collaboration between the municipality and service providers. The close integration of municipal senior services, nonprofit organizations, and citizen participation is intended to ensure that future measures are developed and implemented in a way that is needs-based, practical, and resource-efficient.