Students present neighborhood analysis at the conference on ageing and care in Hagen

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Michael Boecker (FH-Dortmund) and Mr. Meinhard Wirth (City of Hagen, Caritas Hagen), four students from the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences carried out a neighbourhood analysis in the Altenhagen district on behalf of the Hagen Conference on Ageing and Care. The project, which was carried out over the last seven months, focused in particular on

• analyzing what old people, people in need of care and/or people with disabilities need and want in the neighborhood,
• exploring the district with regard to barrier-free living space,
• reviewing cooperation with social and healthcare facilities
• and discussing potential development opportunities in the neighborhood.

On 2 June 2016, the results were presented at the conference for ageing and care in Hagen town hall and discussed with representatives from health insurance companies, charities and other local stakeholders. One of the main conclusions of the seven-month research project was the great loss of trust among citizens in the district. "Many offers already exist and there are also plenty of ideas. Now is the time to act and enter into a joint process of change with the citizens of the district." The results and the students' assessments were well received. Ms. Gleiß, as the responsible coordinator for social planning and disability coordination for the city of Hagen, promised to incorporate the results of the analysis into the political process and to push them forward.