The City of Kiel has been committed for decades to ensuring a good quality of life for older adults and pursues the goal of promoting and maintaining the participation and well-being of older people. To achieve this goal, Kiel regularly prepares infrastructure and care needs assessments. These assessments serve to identify needs and demands, further develop services, and ensure neighborhood-based prevention and care structures.

An important role is played by the Advisory Council for Senior Citizens, which represents the interests of older adults vis-à-vis policymakers and the municipal administration. In addition, the Kiel Care Conference provides Kiel with an expert forum for networking all relevant stakeholders.

Many of the services, networks, and projects in Kiel are coordinated and supported by the department “Inclusion and Ageing in the Neighborhood” within the Office of Social Services. In every district of Kiel, there is a Neighborhood Contact Point (anna). The anna centers promote an age-friendly city by providing local counseling, opportunities for social interaction, and support in everyday life. In addition, anna networks are being established throughout all districts, particularly targeting people transitioning from working life into retirement. These networks aim to strengthen neighborly cooperation and civic engagement.

The Kiel Home Visit Program includes the promotion of preventive measures. Furthermore, Kiel annually funds projects in the areas of social cohesion, inclusion, intergenerational work and the participation of people living with dementia.
Kiel supports inclusive and age-friendly neighborhood development and seeks to continuously evolve as a city of connected and supportive neighborhoods through the active involvement of local residents, stakeholders, and institutions. To this end, it aims to further strengthen the assessment of older adults’ needs and demands within planning processes and, in the future, place a particular focus on promoting Caring Communities as part of a dedicated project initiative.