Intergenerational Living – Thomas Morgl, Managing Director of Silver Living, on the Challenges and Benefits of Young and Old Living Under One Roof

For anyone who isn’t yet familiar with you or the Silver Living initiative—could you briefly explain what Silver Living actually does?

Founded about 17 years ago, in 2006, the Silver Living Group is now the proud market leader in privately funded residential construction for senior living communities in Austria. To date, we have designed and implemented over 120 projects across Austria, comprising more than 2,431 residential units and representing a project volume of more than 483 million euros, including our consulting projects.

Silver Living’s primary goal is to create an environment for older adults that enables them to live their later years on their own terms. Many years ago, we were among the first real estate developers in Austria to recognize the need for new models of age-appropriate housing: Rising life expectancy, improved health, and—last but not least—the desire for independence well into old age form the basis for the development of service-oriented housing tailored to the needs of older adults.

Our expertise encompasses not only the planning, construction, and operation of our own properties but also consulting and support for projects undertaken by real estate developers, as well as municipalities seeking forward-looking housing solutions for their older residents. We take a holistic approach, ranging from market and social environment analysis to the selection of a suitable care provider, including ensuring long-term operational stability.

People are generally reluctant to think about their own aging and assisted living. When is the best time to start thinking about these issues? – Is it possible—or even advisable—to “put your name on the list” early on?

To quote our residents: “It’s never too early to start thinking about it.” In our daily professional lives, we see time and again that Austrians tend to avoid thinking about this topic. We reached this same conclusion in our 2016 IMAS study (67% of working “Best Agers” (ages 50–65) in Austria had not yet given any thought to their retirement) and in our current study, the first part of which was published in November 2022 in collaboration with SORA: A full three-quarters of Austrians aged 50–75 have no housing plans for their later years.

We therefore see it as our mission to use various initiatives—such as the Silver Living Journalist Award, the Silver Living Forum, and our market report on senior housing—to foster and promote an ongoing dialogue about aging and, as a result, to help “break the taboo” surrounding it in public discourse. It is important to us that society’s attitude toward aging shifts so that old age is seen as something beautiful—a stage of life to look forward to.

What is the process for working with your clients? What requirements (care level, placement on a waiting list, etc.) must one meet in order to be eligible for a residence at all?

In Austria, there are still too many people living in nursing homes whose care level does not actually require such placement. Our assisted living facilities have been proven to be suitable even for people with a care classification. They are particularly well-suited to caring for those in care levels 1 through 3. However, even higher care levels can often be just as well accommodated within the assisted living framework, depending on the individual’s situation, and if necessary, with the additional support of mobile care services.

In principle, anyone can apply for a spot in an assisted living apartment. However, if the prospective tenant wishes to apply for financial assistance, we must adhere to the eligibility guidelines, which vary by federal state—such as minimum age (in Styria, the minimum age is around 60), maximum income, etc. If no financial assistance is required, younger people or those with higher incomes may also move in.

Speaking of budget. Many people may worry that this type of housing or lifestyle in old age is reserved for higher-income earners. Is that really the case? What kind of costs should one expect?

We are constantly striving to ensure that housing remains affordable. Our main target group consists of so-called “median-income retirees.” However, the subsidy landscape in Austria varies widely from state to state—currently, there are different subsidy models for privately funded assisted living depending on the state. The state of Styria, for example, serves as a best-practice model by providing subsidies for both the properties and the residents themselves; this allows us to reach even those on the lowest pensions there. In addition, Styria offers subsidies—depending on income—for both rent and care fees.

Standard components of the monthly costs include the base rent, operating costs, and the care fee charged by the care provider. Prospective clients receive comprehensive information about the costs during the rental consultation, and the caregiver provides support when applying for any available financial assistance.

Perhaps a general question about your company: Your portfolio includes not only housing for seniors, but also student housing and similar projects. Are these types of housing—that is, the projects—always the same, or are there differences in their amenities? Are there perhaps even trends that you take into account?

In new construction, the current trend everywhere is strongly toward sustainability, plenty of green space, spacious outdoor areas, recreational spaces, barrier-free access, quiet zones and communal areas, the integration of alternative energy sources such as photovoltaic systems, and much more. A best-practice example of this is our flagship project in Graz focused on intergenerational living, “Das Grazl.” This large-scale intergenerational living project involves a residential complex with a total of 159 rental units (assisted-living and traditional apartments), commercial spaces, and spacious communal areas such as rooftop terraces. Green roofs and photovoltaic systems on the rooftops—whose generated energy benefits the tenants before being fed into the grid—are among the highlights and reflect a commitment to sustainability. Our beautiful intergenerational consulting project in Ebreichsdorf, featuring a pergola and raised garden beds on the roof, also demonstrates how rooftop space can be put to good use to create a gathering place—and thus significant added value—for all residents, whether in assisted or traditional living. In addition to the common room, a TV room and a private infrared sauna in the intergenerational residence are among the highlights for residents of the assisted living facility.

In the future, our homes and the services we offer will need to be tailored even more closely to the growing needs of the next generation of our customers. Assistance systems such as Ambient Assisted Living and other advanced support systems will play an increasingly important role in this regard.

Back to assisted living: Since there are always critical voices here as well regarding working conditions and so on, how does Silver Living handle this? Where do you recruit your caregivers?

We have a broad network of trusted partners, including major organizations such as the Red Cross, Volkshilfe, the Samaritan Federation, and the Sisters of Mercy Nursing Service, which we draw upon depending on the location of the respective assisted living facility. In addition, we collaborate with the nonprofit association SBZ (Social and Community Centers), with which we have close ties. Headquartered in Graz, the SBZ has been an integral part of Graz’s social services sector since 1978 and has its roots in mobile services, volunteer visiting programs, and tutoring. For several years now, the organization has also had a branch in Lower Austria, which serves as our primary partner there for care services—the Mödling Senior Residence, the Stadthaus Am Mühlbach in Baden, and the Ebreichsdorf Intergenerational Housing Complex are all successfully managed by the SBZ.

I think it’s important not to confuse caregiving with nursing. The focus of our caregivers’ training is not on nursing tasks, but primarily on their social and organizational skills. One of the main goals of caregiving in our facilities is to build and maintain a strong sense of community, which is sustainably strengthened through shared activities such as mental and physical stimulation exercises, game nights, outings, celebrations, and much more. In this way, residents are there for one another even outside of scheduled care hours.

Assisted living is thus distinctly different from nursing care, but it does not, per se, exclude the accommodation of people in need of care.

What exactly is the difference between traditional assisted living and a multigenerational housing complex, such as the Solid#1 project in Ebreichsdorf?

In terms of care services, there is no difference between the two types of housing, as the range of services offered to seniors is the same in intergenerational housing as it is in assisted living. “Intergenerational Living” is a housing model in which Silver Living facilitates a residential complex for residents of different ages. For example, a single building may house a kindergarten or daycare center as well as rental apartments for older adults with care services. Alternatively, a single building may contain apartments rented to older adults as part of the Assisted Living program, as well as apartments for (young) families, couples, or singles—the latter of whom rent the apartments without care services.

What are the advantages of this type of living arrangement? And are there any typical sources of conflict, such as differing needs regarding quiet hours? Or do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Intergenerational living under one roof is making a strong comeback, especially in metropolitan areas. Similar to the increasingly rare extended family model, it offers an effective alternative to the growing isolation found in single-person households. Both younger and older people can benefit from each other in the long term. In our experience, this arrangement fosters harmonious and considerate coexistence.

Which project in your career so far has been the most fulfilling for you?

I think that’s our senior living community in Brunn am Gebirge. The Brunn Senior Living Community is the first Silver Living project in Lower Austria to open its doors, and it’s especially close to my heart because my dear mom has found a happy home there, where she can now enjoy her golden years in the best of company.

And as a professional, what’s your final thought: how would you like to live when you’re older?

That’s easy to answer—I see myself growing old with my wife and our dog at the First Silver Living retirement community on our favorite island, Skiathos, in Greece (laughs).

A nice closing w… Thank you very much for the nice conversation!