Life & Living

How can older people live independently in their familiar surroundings for as long as possible? The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) explains this in the brochure "Living at home for longer". The brochure encourages older people to make their own homes age-appropriate, whether through structural changes or technical improvements.

More and more people aged 65 and over are living in private households in Germany. According to a report by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), at least one person in this age group lived in around 13 million households in 2022. This corresponds to 32 percent of all households. Twenty years ago, only 29% of households had at least one person aged 65 or over. Over...

According to the brigitte.de portal, interest in DIY is growing steadily, especially in DIY furniture. Instead of always buying ready-made products, many people prefer to make their own creations. This trend can be seen in various ways - from upcycling old items to making your own detergent and growing your own food. Anyone who...

Ageing smart home devices can pose a threat to security and privacy, especially if they no longer receive updates. This is the key finding of a recent study conducted by Worms University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the University of Maribor. Over 500 people were surveyed for the study. The aim was to find out which factors influence the decision to use older...

According to the German Furniture Quality Association (DGM), box spring systems are also becoming increasingly popular in the living room. Jochen Winning, Managing Director of the DGM, emphasizes that box spring sofas offer the same comfort as their bed-based counterparts. The structure of such a sofa is similar to that of a bed: a spring box as a base, with a cushion on top, possibly supplemented by another mattress.

The cartographers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum use virtual reality (a so-called "Unity" game engine) to recreate urban scenarios in 3D and highlight possible structural effects. Julian Keil and Marco Weißmann from Prof. Dr. Frank Dickmann's team have developed a kind of innovative laboratory construction kit for this purpose, which creates virtual replicas of traffic and the...

The portal "schoener-wohnen.de" provides tips for the household. For example, the microwave can be cleaned using a lemon. To do this, it must first be squeezed. The juice and peel should then be placed in a dishwasher-safe container with water and placed in the microwave. This is now switched on for two minutes at the highest setting. Then...

The "Celestial Look" makes it possible to bring the heavens into your own four walls. The look is characterized by star charts, depictions of the night sky and astrological symbols. These elements can set subtle accents or serve as striking eye-catchers, and can be integrated into the living environment in a variety of ways, according to the "brigitte.de" portal. For the...

Solid wood furniture is known for its stability, durability and aesthetics. However, its lasting beauty depends heavily on proper surface care. Three conventional methods of surface care - varnish, oil and wax - each offer unique advantages. According to the Initiative Pro Massivholz (IPM), it is crucial that the method suits both the taste of the buyer and the...

People in need of care in Germany are increasingly under financial strain. This is the result of a study by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (vdek). The costs for new arrivals in care homes are rising particularly sharply. Their co-payment has risen by an average of 348 euros per month compared to 2022. Even for those who have been living in a care home for some time, the...