Smiling happily, Heinz Müller dabs his mouth with a napkin. He enjoyed his lunch at the Albert-Schweitzer-Haus social welfare and care centre in Cottbus today too. Seeing her husband in need of care so happy is a great joy and relief for Brigitte Müller. Just over six months ago, the elderly couple suddenly found themselves in a serious crisis after an accident.
Brigitte Müller suffered several broken bones in a fall. It wasn't just the pain that made the 85-year-old despair. It was also the prospect of what inevitably followed: The Müllers had to leave their home. "I can no longer care for my husband because I'm now in need of care myself," says Brigitte Müller. "I just cried for 14 days. When you're young, you can't imagine what it's like when everything falls away in old age."