When my father died, my mother went to live in a home for the elderly. Since we wanted to have her nearby, the Ottobrunn “Hanns-Seidel-Haus” seemed a good idea. To be sure, it does not come cheap, but it is a home with a nice atmosphere; the employees do their best for the people living there.
Initially, the financial situation did not look bad at all. The comfortable civil servant’s pension and the small retirement money were considerably higher than the costs for the Hanns-Seidel-Haus. Consequently, there was quite a bit left for spending on daily costs, a little pocket money and the private extra health care insurance.
After only 2.5 years, that time is now over.
Now, the home, the extra health care and the few small everyday expenses are a lot higher. And even though my mother lives very frugally and has not spent any money for things like clothes, electronics, vacations and similar things in a long time, she now needs extra money, which she takes from her savings.
This situation arose regardless of the raise in civil servants’ pensions. The costs simply grow faster. Even though, nominally, we only have little inflation.
These are the kinds of experiences that show me how the social gap grows. Both in small matters and big matters. I am afraid many people in the countryside are a lot more affected by this than my mother.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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