Mom cared for for 26 years

After a hard life came great hardship in old age

Are consolation: At 77, the Styrian couple must be afraid of being kicked out of their home and having nothing left.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

A Styrian woman cared for her mother for 26 years, was unable to find a job after her death at the age of 61 - and now, at the age of 77, is panicking about losing her rented apartment and having nothing to live on. We can help!

There were times when she had three cleaning jobs at the same time just to somehow make ends meet with her husband, who had worked all his life. And the example of this Styrian couple is a stark illustration of how quickly you can slip from a reasonably "normal" life into a downward spiral that leaves you in great fear in old age.

Back then, in her 30s, the wife worked as a sales clerk. It "was a normal life, without big jumps, but we were content". Until she and her husband were abruptly torn from this everyday life by a shock: Her mother had suffered a stroke. "Her doctor told us she had one year to live. My husband immediately agreed that I should stop working and care for her so that we could give her another half year and be there for her."

Well - that one year turned into 26! In which the wife was there for her mother around the clock. Without any income. As a result, she has no pension today! "When my mother died, I lacked five years of working time to receive the minimum pension later, to buy back time, that was unaffordable."

"I only heard that I was already too old"
When her dear mother died, the woman looked around desperately for a job. "But all I heard was that I'm too old, I'm about to retire anyway and I have no experience." It was tough, she kept her head above water with every odd job she could get.

"Someone advised me to get a divorce, because then I would have received support. But I couldn't have divorced my beloved husband for any money in the world. That's wrong and dishonest, that's not us."

Here we are looking at the cemetery, directly at her grave. We can't leave here.

Die Steirerin (77)

Rent increased to 900 euros - unaffordable!
Somehow we kept going, even if a vacation trip was perhaps as far away as the moon for others. "It's so nice here too." But now it's breaking their back financially. The rent for the 80 square meter apartment with the old kitchen has been increased to 900 euros - without electricity and heating! "That's almost 1,200 euros in total. Then there's insurance, everything that's mandatory. My husband's 2000 euro pension doesn't leave enough for food."

Then there's the thought of settling down in old age: "We've lived there for 50 years. Mom always sat there. Here we can see the cemetery, directly onto her grave. We can't leave here." Perhaps you would like to help. 

Account: "Die Krone hilft - Steiermark", account number: AT152081500044569523. KW Seniors. Your donation is also tax-deductible.