For professionalized housing advice in Lusatia

For many older people, living in a familiar environment is a significant and fundamental part of their biography and at the same time an important expression of quality of life. Living space and one's own "home" are associated with spatial, temporal, social, emotional and cultural aspects, which often center around the desire to remain in one's own four walls.

The interdisciplinary team of the projectProfessionalization of Housing Counselling in Brandenburg (ProWoB) , led by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Retkowski, Chair of Social Services for Structurally Weak Regions at the Institute of Social Work, and deputy professor Dr. Bettina Glunde, Chair of Nursing Science and Clinical Care at the Institute of Health at BTU, are pursuing this aim.
"The ProWob project is conducting empirical research into housing advice in Germany," emphasizes the scientist. We expect that the knowledge gained will help housing advisors to provide targeted support to those seeking advice and, based on an analysis of the supply situation in Lusatia, to develop concepts that contribute to sustainable development in this area."

As part of this project, it is possible to analyze the supply situation in Lusatia and identify quality features for housing advice. In addition, a training and implementation concept for housing counsellors will be launched in order to be recognized nationwide as a prototype for housing counselling.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF ) is providing funding of around 468,000 euros for the ProWoB project.
The project will run for three years - from November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2026.
It is part of the com(m) 2020 alliance: "Municipal innovations for healthcare in rural areas" of the Carl-Thiem-Research GmbH. The aim of this alliance is to actively shape healthcare provision in Lusatia and strengthen the healthcare industry as a value-adding sector in structural change.

The project team at the BTU is supported by cooperation partners from the Cottbus city administration, Medizintechnik & Sanitätshaus Harald Kröger GmbH in Massen near Finsterwalde, AOK Nordost and the Bundesknappschaft in Cottbus.
Associated partners are currently: the independent city of Cottbus, the district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz, the independent city of Brandenburg an der Havel and the district of Havelland, the district of Barnim with the meeting and advice center "Aufwind" as well as the district of Dahme-Spreewald and many more.

Further information can be found at
https://www.b-tu.de/fg-pflegewissenschaft/forschung/prowob