The demographic decline of rural areas in Germany is associated with loneliness, empty properties and a lack of social care facilities. Most people want to grow old in their familiar surroundings but the organisation and financing of home care poses real problems for many of those affected and for their relatives. Local authorities are called upon to develop practical solutions that respond to these challenges.

This is the case in the municipality of Quirnbach, where almost a quarter of the approximately 500 inhabitants are over 65 years old. The limited infrastructure, along with the reduced mobility of many senior citizens, makes life in the village more difficult. There are not enough outpatient care services and facilities in the region, nor are there sufficient counselling centres to help initiate, organise and finance support services directly on site.

The initiative for the Quirnbach inTakt LEADER project came from the local mayor, who, since 2014, has been trying to address the issue of how to provide permanent support for the older citizens of Quirnbach.

Against the background of progressive demographic decline and failing infrastructure, like-minded citizens came together to seek a collective solution to the provision of care for the elderly in the village in order to delay the need for them to move into care homes and to support them with everyday life.

The Quirnbach inTakt LEADER project was financed by the LEADER Local Action Group (LAG) Westrich-Glantal and it consists of two core components: Support in Everyday Life and Market Day.

Support in Everyday Life – The employees involved in the project (approx. 30 people) support elderly or care-dependent people (approx. 60 people) in the patient’s own homes. They also provide them with company and accompany them to medical or administrative appointments, events and outings. These ‘helpers’ are women and men from the region who have experience in nursing and caregiving or who have completed the appropriate training. Some came to Quirnbach as refugees in 2015 and are now well integrated into community life.

The coordination team is essential for the success of the project. A project office has been established in the town hall, where two employees can be reached every day. They identify the need for support and initiate help. Since the coordination of such a service was not possible on a voluntary basis, the LEADER funding came into play here and the Westrich-Glantal LAG supported the project.

Market Day – After the last shop closed in 2017, it was clear that some form of replacement was needed, not just to provide a local point of sale for food and supplies, but also to facilitate the day-to-day socialising of village life. The Quirnbach inTakt project responded to this need by organising a market day. Taking place every Thursday, regional suppliers sell baked goods, meat and deli foods, fruit and vegetables, eggs and pasta, as well as other household products on the Market Day. Around 150 people shop there regularly – including many who had previously withdrawn from socialising.

The Market Day is a weekly highlight for the whole village. The village’s community volunteers run a coffee and cake morning in one of the nearby municipal buildings and these are enriched by short lectures (on topics such as long-term care insurance, healthy nutrition, exercise, patient disposition, etc.), performances (a children's choir, a local dialect poet, a barrel organ player, etc.) and participatory activities such as physical exercise, singing, quiz games, etc.