Residents of a nursing home in Hamburg have suffered from alcoholism for decades.
The setting is remarkable.
In the nursing home for alcoholics in Hamburg, beer, wine and spirits are served three times a day: after breakfast at 8 am, after lunch at 1 pm and after dinner at 6 pm.
“They drink themselves to death under supervision and care”, headlined a German newspaper that visited the nursing home Der Spiegel.
You don’t come to the Öjendorf nursing home to get sober. The residents have been suffering from alcoholism for decades, and many of them have tried to get sober without success.
Hoivakoti is a kind of final disposal place. A large part of the residents die within 6–7 years.
Surrender or humanity?
It is easy to criticize the provision of alcohol. That’s how we help an alcoholic to drink.
However, the expert interviewed by Der Spiegel sees the situation differently: a nursing home improves the quality of life of alcoholics and extends their lifespan.
A Hoivakoti resident talks about winning the lottery.
– I would have died outside a long time ago, 64 years old Thomas Z. says to a German magazine.
Queues at nursing homes are long. Those who are left without a place often end up homeless on the streets.
The Öjendorf nursing home, which accommodates 146 men and women, is unique in Germany.
There are similar nursing homes in other states, but they are much smaller. For example, a nursing home in Düsseldorf accommodates only 33 people, and all of them are over 65 years old.
The youngest resident in Öjendorf is currently 41 years old.
There could be demand for more. Germany has a total of approx 1.6 million alcohol addicts people, and an estimated 62,000 people die annually to the consequences of alcohol consumption.
Will there be disturbances?
Residents usually pay for accommodation in a nursing home from their pension income. They have 150 euros in pocket money per month.
The money is significantly less than what the residents are used to spending on alcohol, and it is about to run out. At the end of the month, the atmosphere often gets tense, and thefts and arguments increase.
Hoivakoti has developed a solution to the situation.
Residents can leave pocket money at the nursing home if they wish. In return, they are offered three times a day enough alcohol to curb their addiction.
The majority of residents choose the arrangement.
There are also rules in the nursing home, for example the use of drugs is prohibited. Repeated violent or offensive behavior also leads to exit passes.