The Chair of Social Gerontology and the GAT Institute network with the European nursing umbrella organization. HSZG Institute Director elected Vice Chair Research.
In Germany, as in the European average, 80 to 90 percent of people in need of care are cared for at home, the vast majority of whom are cared for by family members alone. The European care network Eurocarers sees itself as a representative of the interests of caregiving relatives, i.e. family members, friends or neighbors who care for people close to them.
Based in Brussels, Eurocarers coordinates the network, which consists of 76 care organizations and research institutions in 26 European countries, and advises the European Commission, the European Parliament and political interest groups in the 27 EU member states, most recently on the development of the European Care Strategy.
After Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoff, Professor of Social Gerontology and Director of the research institute "Health, Ageing, Work, Technology" (GAT) became a member of the Board of Directors of Eurocarers in 2022, he was appointed Vice Chair Research of the European care network on February 4, 2025. Students of social gerontology also benefit from the knowledge gained in this way, particularly in the seminars on social policy for older people in Europe.
The focus of the part-time MA in Social Gerontology at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is the discussion of specific issues and recent research findings on the optimal care of older people and their relatives. The course begins every year in the summer semester. The course starts in March. Further information can be found on the website.
