Elderly people and students share the same flat: a shared flat with a large age difference

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“I think this kind of life is great and I feel at home here,” says Nicola Rupf, 23, after serving drinks on the terrace. Since the beginning of June, the young physics student has been living with Hans Trentini (90) in a five-and-a-half-room terraced flat just outside the city of Zurich.

The condominium belongs to Trentini. He had lived here since 2002 with his wife, who passed away in 2021. The two were a couple for more than 71 years, raising two children and being grandparents and great-grandparents.

The death of his beloved wife dragged the retired engineer into a life crisis. “I gambled, didn’t eat properly, and sat alone in my apartment in my bathrobe most of the time. Until I pulled myself together and realized things had to change,” says the well-read and well-traveled veteran.

Strangers became friends

Instead of dead silence, there is life again in Trentini’s apartment. ETH student Nicola Rupf from the canton of Grisons moved into the 20 square meter bedroom with en-suite bathroom.

Tip from grandchild

During a meeting with his daughter and one of his grandchildren, Trentini got the tip about the intergenerational shared apartment and “Housing for Charity” project from Pro Senectute Zurich. Retirees participating in the project receive support from their roommates instead of rent.

Trentini’s first positive experience with “Housing for Help” was with a student teacher who lived with her boyfriend for 1½ years before moving in with him. The two remain friends to this day. “I was on a river cruise with him and his partner,” says Hans Trentini.

Nicola Rupf lived with her cousin and a student in a shared flat in Schwamendingen, Zurich. “It was unclear what would happen next in the shared flat. “That’s why I wanted to look for a suitable alternative early on and found out about the Pro Senectute project on the Internet,” says the student. Like Trentini, he also filled out the questionnaire about his preferences for suitable life partners and living conditions.

First visit with escort

Shortly thereafter, project coordinator Andrea Ziegler contacted both men and informed them that a suitable person had been found for a shared apartment. Nicola Rupf and Andrea Ziegler visited Hans Trentini’s apartment.

“I liked the young man right away,” the senior says. The same thing happened to a student who wanted to try the route to ETH using public transportation before deciding. “His reaction shows me that Nicola is a thoughtful and sensitive young man,” the widower said. After another phone call, the two men agreed that they would be suitable as living partners and signed a lease and employment agreement.

Instead of paying rent for his accommodation, Rupf would have to work approximately 16 hours, calculated based on the square footage of the room size for the senior citizen. “But I don’t need any help at all. I do my own shopping, I have a private chef and two cleaners. For me it’s all about the social contact through the shared flat,” says the cheerful 90-year-old man, who even pays the student’s AHV.

Prerequisites for a good coexistence

There are no office plans or rules in the Rupf and Trentini family. “Initially I was a little annoyed that I didn’t have to do any work, but we agreed from the beginning that if something wasn’t going well we would both speak openly and honestly,” says Nicola Rupf.

Trentini also believes that openness and trust are prerequisites for living together for work, adding: “Also, my apartment has optimal spatial conditions, so that we can both still have enough privacy. I want to have my bathroom to myself.”

In addition to its own bathroom and bedroom, it also has its own office. The kitchen, living room and dining room are used by both. Visitors and Rupf’s girlfriend are also welcome at the social senior. “Of course, Nicola’s girlfriend can also spend the night here. “I was young once too,” Trentini says with a laugh, and Rupf laughs along with him.

The two get along very well, even joking and laughing a lot when Blick visits. “We also have in-depth conversations about everything,” the senior says. The interaction between the two men is warm, respectful and appreciative. They agree that this kind of life is a win-win situation. Especially considering the tense situation in the housing market, where there is a lack of affordable living space.

Increase in search queries

Social worker and project coordinator Andrea Ziegler confirms a corresponding increase in requests for the intergenerational housing project of Pro Senectute Canton Zurich: “We are receiving significantly more requests from students. But not everyone can be hired because some don’t realize they have to work in return.”

Ziegler hopes to get more information from seniors. “If we can make a good arrangement like we did in this shared apartment, it’s a win-win for both parties,” says Ziegler.

Young and old advantage

Trentini has a living space available to him, where Rupf spends some of his time alongside his studies and also goes on trips with the widower, looks after his cat when he is on holiday, and becomes a caring and engaging conversation partner.

Nicola Rupf: “I can benefit a lot from Hans and his life experience. “Whether it is from his professional work, from his experiences with other cultures during travels abroad with his family or during professional stays.”

The 90-year-old man suspects that traveling and experiencing other countries and cultures is one of the reasons why he remains open-minded despite his old age; This now makes life in the new shared apartment easier for him. He also learned a lot from his teenage roommates. “Me and my family have always been well off financially. This is not something to be taken lightly, and it is only in my old age and after conversations with young people that I see and appreciate more the challenges that many young people face today,” says Trentini.

Joy of living again instead of loneliness

If all goes as planned, Rupf could stay at Trentini until the end of his training. Even if the student regularly visits friends and family in Graubsunu, goes on holiday or returns from ETH late in the evening, being alone is not a problem for the widow.

Even though his late wife left a huge void, he no longer feels alone. “It makes me feel good to know someone is coming home. With Nicola, laughter and life are back in my home.”

Source : Blick