[Municipalities as places for social work for the elderly]

Against the background of social and demographic changes, this article addresses the design and organization of processes of aging within municipal contexts. It is assumed that the renaissance of the local communal situation corresponds to processes of individualization and subjectivation, which are characteristic for (post)industrial western societies, and that this development is one of the reasons that community-based social work is regaining importance. A case study of social work for the elderly in a municipality of the Ruhr area, which is imbedded in a municipal senior citizens policy concept, illustrates this assumption. The conclusion identifies the scope of actions for social work for the elderly as well as their limitations.