Alter

Ältere Menschen

Elderly people

FIE / Senioren

FIE / Seniorinnen

FIE / Rentner

FIE / Rentnerin

FIE / Grosseltern

FIE / Pensionierung

Old age 

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The information platform ch.ch answers questions about retirement in Switzerland: 
- What [preparations](https://www.ch.ch/en/preparing-retirement/ ""Preparing for retirement"") must I make for retirement? 
- I am not Swiss. Can I [retire to Switzerland](https://www.ch.ch/en/retirement-or-study-switzerland/ ""Foreign nationals without gainful employment in Switzerland"")?
- I would like to [retire abroad](https://www.ch.ch/en/retirement/oasi-pension-abroad ""Retirement abroad""). What do I need to do? 
- ...

Deutsch

German

Französisch

French

Englisch

English

Italienisch

Italian

Pensionierung ch.ch

Switzerland

 ch.ch – eine Dienstleistung von Bund, Kantonen und Gemeinden

 ch.ch – a joint project by the Confederation and cantons

Retirement in Switzerland

Lebensthemen & Alltagsfragen

Information, websites, counselling centres for subjects such as: arrival, family, housing, finances. Especially also for refugees or migrants. 


Questions about everyday life

Infobox Migration | Topic: Everyday life issues

Rechtliche Fragen

Basic information about asylum laws in Switzerland, permits, legal advice centres or the Dublin System; this content is mainly intended for volunteers. 


Legal issues

Infobox Migration | Legal questions about migration and asylum

Webportal

Internet portal

### Recognizing the challenges faced by elderly refugees
War, displacement and fleeing to a foreign country are difficult for anyone, regardless of their age. But for elderly people, this upheaval can be particularly challenging:
- A sudden change to the everyday routine is all the more difficult to handle later in life.
- Elderly refugees often cannot find jobs, or only lower-paid ones, in their new home.  
- The social status of elderly refugees can change or fall considerably in the new environment. Feeling useless has a negative effect on a person’s self-confidence and well-being. 
- Depending on their situation, elderly refugees need specific resources, professional support and medical treatment or therapy.
- Experiences of war, displacement, violence or the loss of family members can all traumatize refugees. 
### Support services
Elderly refugees are not aware of the local support services in the healthcare, social and old age sectors. Depending on their situation and needs, it can therefore be useful to know about services catering specifically for elderly refugees:
- __Security, independence and mobility, combating loneliness: __[Swiss Red Cross (SRC) – Everyday support for people of all ages](https://www.redcross.ch/de/unser-angebot/unterstuetzung-im-alltag "SRC everyday support")
- __Living with traumatized people:__ The SRC has many years of experience providing psychosocial counselling for war trauma victims. [Here](https://www.redcross.ch/de/unser-engagement/news-und-geschichten/ukraine-die-hilfsangebote-des-srk-in-der-schweiz "SRC support for Ukraine: Assistance in Switzerland") you can find out the best way to provide everyday support for traumatized refugees. Read the article or listen to the podcast. The article talks about host families who have taken Ukrainian refugees into their homes. 
- __Everyday advice__: People need to stay active to maintain their sense of well-being. They might do this, for example, by taking part in courses, sport or cultural activities for people over 65. [Pro Senectute](https://www.prosenectute.ch/de.html "Pro Senectute") can advise you. It is the largest organization in Switzerland helping elderly people and provides all its services throughout the country.
- __Old age and migration__: HEKS/EPER, the charity run by the Swiss Evangelical Reform Church, provides support for refugees over 50 making a new start in Switzerland.
In __Zurich and Winterthur,__ volunteers with a migration background help refugees to integrate in [tandems](https://www.heks.ch/was-wir-tun/heks-alter-und-migration-zuerich/tandem "HEKS Meeting and support for elderly refugees"). 
In __Aargau__ HEKS arranges [coffee chats](https://www.heks.ch/was-wir-tun/altum-alter-und-migration "HEKS Old age and migration") for elderly migrants and for refugees. 
At the Herosé care home in __Aarau__ HEKS runs an advice centre for Ukrainians who are residents there or living in and around Aarau.
In __Basel__ HEKS runs [coffee chats](https://www.heks.ch/was-wir-tun/heks-altum-alter-und-migration-beider-basel "HEKS coffee chats") for Ukrainian refugees over 55 and their relatives. 
- __When dementia makes everything difficult:__ Alzheimer Schweiz provides various [information and counselling services ](https://www.alzheimer-schweiz.ch/de/angebote "Alzheimer Schweiz services"). 
- __When care is needed in the home:__ Contact [Spitex](https://www.spitex.ch/Spitex/Einsatz-der-Spitex/PZP9s/ "Spitex") for home care services. Spitex services are available in all cantons.
You can find important information about health and healthcare in Switzerland, also in Ukrainian and Russian, at [migesplus.ch](https://www.migesplus.ch/themen/ukraine "migesplus information for Ukrainians").
### National forum on age and migration
You can find more information for elderly refugees in the [national forum on age and migration](https://www.alter-migration.ch/ "National forum on age and migration"). The site also has a specific page on [Ukraine](https://www.alter-migration.ch/ukraine "Age and migration Ukraine").
The forum’s website provides links to its [member organizations](https://www.alter-migration.ch/mitglieder "Age and migration members"). These all work in the old age, health, migration and integration sectors throughout Switzerland. 
### Emotional/spiritual connection
As they age, many people have a greater need for emotional and religious/spiritual support. Find out if the people you are hosting/accompany want to practise their religion and would like to contact a religious institution/organization in the area where you live. Help them to get in touch or accompany them on their first visit.
Find out whether there are any [associations](https://www.vereinsverzeichnis.ch/vereine/category/kultur "Association list: culture") in your area that the person you host/accompany can contact. Elderly people in particular can find emotional stability by joining a group of compatriots and taking part in activities together.


Ukraine_hidden

Ukraine

Judith Huber

SRK Unterstützung im Alltag für jedes Alter

Basel-Stadt

Zürich

Olten

Biel

Bern Mittelland

Solothurn

Freiburg

Appenzell Innerrhoden

 Bern

 Waadt

Aargau

Wallis

Neuenburg

Genf

Jura

Tessin

Thurgau

Graubünden

St. Gallen

Appenzell Ausserrhoden

Schaffhausen

Basel-Landschaft

 Glarus

Nidwalden

Obwalden

Schwyz

Luzern

Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz (SRK)

Swiss Red Cross (SRC)

Assistance for elderly refugees

Freiwillig engagiert

What do volunteers need to know? Information, counselling centres and events for volunteers in the asylum and migration sector.


Volunteering

Infobox Migration | Voluntary work in Switzerland

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Language

Region

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Source

Retirement in Switzerland

Assistance for elderly refugees