More than 75% of those over 55 would prefer to be at home, despite needing help to carry out the basic activities of daily living. This is what the study carried out by the Matia Institute, promoted by the Basque Government, says. Living in Europe, like at home or at home is the philosophy that is becoming more widespread and has a wide housing offer – with less or greater support and adaptation – that responds to the needs of every moment since the age of 65, as they incorporate a culture of renting and changing homes.

In our case, the most common is to stay at home “forever” or to change to a residence, but many do not want the residence. “Traditional nursing homes are more designed to die than to live, and we don’t have enough money to end up in a good home. It is not enough to receive basic care, wash, eat and dress, we want to age differently, we want independence and a dignified life”, Asun and Fernando told us in this report, remembering that there are many ways of living old age, in this case in cooperative housing. Cooperative housing has among its objectives the mutual care, community character, self-management, quality of life and autonomy of the elderly. There are also communities that favor generational conciliation.

Caring for grandchildren

This third edition of the Study on the living conditions of people over 55 years of age in the Basque Country 2020 offers many interesting data. Almost all (91.2%) do some kind of physical activity, almost seven out of ten do it every day, and most believe they have a good or very good state of health; those who need help on a daily basis (to eat, to wash, to dress…) are 15.1%. Most of them live with their partner, have secondary or higher education and are in a retirement or pension situation.

14.1% of women take care of their grandchildren weekly and 8.7% of men.

Loneliness and mutual care

Elderly people value 68.5 per 100 their satisfaction on the subjective well-being scale designed by the World Health Organization. And at the other end, 7.2 percent feel always, almost always or many times. The study indicates that this feeling increases with age and that the pandemic has had a negative effect.

We have already said that most people are clear, they want to continue living at home, but, according to Iosu Osta, that has its risk: "Loneliness is a consequence of this social organization. We're isolating people in their homes and loneliness kills us. This situation makes more and more people come to the doctor, priest or psychologist." But the other conventional solution doesn't like it. "The nursing home is an old port and I don't know anyone who wants to live there, but they accept it because they have no choice." The solution is clear: cohousing or collaborative housing. "In collaborative housing you know that you have a network around you, people who care about you and are willing to help you. You don't feel lonely, and that's really important."