Nursing home trend

Gerhard Mosser: Dementia parks as a new bestseller

Because people are getting older and older, special architecture and care is helping the "forgetful".

As an entrepreneur, Gerhard Mosser started a company to renovate older buildings at the age of 27: he became a specialist in façades and insulation. In the meantime, he built a prefabricated parts factory in Macedonia, before taking off in Austria with the construction of care homes: the enterprising Gerhard Mosser had discovered "his" profession.

He has already completed 30 care homes in Austria and five in Slovenia, but the absolute bestseller now are the very special "dementia parks" of his Mavida Group (a family business).

Gerhard Mosser told "Krone": "Caring for the elderly is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The number of dementia cases will triple by 2050. People with dementia cannot adapt to their environment. We therefore see it as our duty to adapt the environment to people with dementia."

Special architecture, e.g. with a tour guide, and residential groups of a maximum of 17 people create security for the residents. Many medical examinations can also take place on site in this Mavida Dementia Park.

Waiting times of up to a year for admission show that this concept is popular. In Villach, "maxpalais" is another senior residence with special quality standards. Gerhard Mosser: "There is not much money to be made from these care facilities, but there is great satisfaction in seeing the people who feel at home there."

He himself is active in many different areas: his specialization in lakeside properties in Carinthia, where he is one of the largest providers, is far more lucrative than the dementia parks. He has also invested in a small vineyard and a high-altitude fish farm and shrimp farm.

Even the wood chips for the homes come from his businesses, which employ a total of 2000 people.