Demographic change is a buzzword in Germany. It describes the country's predicted population development: fewer births and a sharp increase in the proportion of older people. More than half of Germans will be over 60 by 2030.

But how do older people live in Germany? Many people associate old age with eventually moving into a retirement home. Most people, however, would prefer to stay at home and die.

Few people consider aging as early as politician Henning Scherf. In his mid-40s, he and his wife planned a sort of "retirement community." He realized his vision when he was only in his early 50s: eight parties moved into one house. Despite the fact that they lived in different apartments, they had access to each other's keys. They shared a car and ate together on a regular basis. The real test came when one of the roommates fell gravely ill. The housemates looked after her until she died. As Scherf says, in retrospect, it was a difficult but important time – and evidence that the retirement community is a practical living situation for older people.