The 86-year-old shares a joint account with her husband. Now it is urgently necessary, also in view of her increasingly poor eyesight, that Bach also receives power of attorney for the account. But the bank advisor explained that the husband would have to come in person to countersign it. That won’t be possible for him in his current condition, “we also need an ambulance for that,” groans the Germanist.
And then there’s that, the next setback after the bank. The apartment door doesn’t open. She left the key inside. The senior citizen sits down on the stairs, visibly straining, and takes a deep breath. She has a saying ready: “When things start going downhill, the stone rolls faster and faster.” Finally, a neighbor manages to get the door open with a trick. But just asking for his help took Schneider a lot of effort: “I don’t like asking for help,” she says. When asked whether this also applies to Mr. Bach, she says: “No, that’s something official.”
Martin Bach has been a certified expert and partner in senior assistance since summer 2021. Senior assistant is not a protected profession. Bach was certified by the Help Academy. “Help from experts for quality of life with examination and certificate” is what Help stands for, the only training provider for senior assistance in southern Germany. The trainer based in Munich is TÜV-tested as part of quality management and has certified over 200 senior assistants since 2016, says academy director Ursula Mayr. Bach has become completely self-employed as a senior assistant or, as he calls it, senior companion.
After successfully opening the apartment door in Solln, Bach tells us at the dining table how he came to the decision to get certified – and thus change careers at the age of 60. He worked in various positions for film and television for almost 40 years, starting in 2005 as an independent producer. He hasn’t been really happy in or with the film industry for a long time. With Covid, the already difficult order situation was tantamount to an “emergency brake”. In addition to the economic aspect, there was also an emotional initial spark, he adds.
His aunt, who devotedly looked after her husband, who was in need of care and had cancer, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the beginning of the pandemic. In the end, she would have lost the desire for life. After a hospital stay, “there was nothing waiting for her at home.” No conversations, hardly any support in everyday life – her nephew now sees meaning in this.
At some point he lost this sense of purpose as a film producer, “even the awards don’t help.” Among other things, Martin Bach received the German Television Prize in 2001 and a Grimme Prize in 2002 for the film “Romeo”. One of his most famous films as a producer is “In Matters Kaminski”. The last prize he received in 2013 was the German Film Prize Lola in Gold for “Kaddish for a Friend”, the first film that the Munich-based artist produced entirely himself.
The Federal Employment Agency writes, among other things, about the job of film producer: “In the production area, they primarily carry out business tasks such as calculations, fundraising, accounting and budget management. They monitor filming and post-production.” Bach himself says succinctly that he was the “girl for everything.” Moderation skills and empathy were required, skills that are now also important in caring for seniors, he believes.
In the film industry, it’s often about sensitivities, such as organizing “the largest caravan for an actor” on set. Now people get help from him “who really need it,” says Bach. He attaches importance to the distinction between senior assistance and companionship. On his website he has listed the different activities he offers. Accompaniment in everyday life means, among other things: “chat, cry, listen”. At the meeting he put it this way: “don’t leave people alone.” He also offers joint activities such as cinema or theater, which he finds most fulfilling. He actually wishes that contact would often take place much earlier, so that a relationship of trust “on an equal level” could develop over the years. According to the motto: first go to the theater together and then, if necessary, go to the authorities or care facilities together. Because he also offers that, like Anna Schneider.
Not in his offer: care, “because I’m not allowed to,” craftsman services, “because I can’t,” and cleaning, “because I don’t like it,” the senior companion writes on his website. He learned what he is allowed to do and what he is not allowed to do at the Help Academy. The certificate, which Bach acquired at a slightly lower price back then, now costs 23,00 euros for 148 hours of training, says academy director Mayr. Bach currently charges an hourly rate of 60 euros, additional costs such as gas money, additional costs and extras for companionship on the weekend can drive this up even further. He admits to being among the most expensive companions.
This means it may be particularly interesting for a wealthy target group, says Renate Volk, one of the two heads of the non-profit organization Machendrang. Urgency coordinates voluntary work in Munich, financially supported by the city’s social department. Seniors who, among other things, are looking for support in everyday life turn to the organization, which then gets in touch with facilities such as the old people’s and service centers (ASZ) in order to find volunteers. The elderly and service centers – there are 33 in the various parts of the city – offer advice and concrete help for older people and their relatives. Unlike Bach, volunteers only come by once a week, Volk admits. In principle, the need is high. She knows that the issue of loneliness in particular affects many older people. Urge of action is trying to get them “out of their shell”.
The Münchner Bildungswerk, a non-profit Catholic organization, has long been offering a basic course for senior care, with a fee of between 70 and 140 euros. The full-time employees and volunteers receive compensation for their support.
Bach once played Uno at a first meeting with a man suffering from dementia. The woman said: Well, she could do that without paying any money. Bach assures us that he has no problem with rejection. He offers his help on his own terms; as a self-employed person he couldn’t be much cheaper.
He simply no longer wants to work a 40 to 60 hour week like he did when he was a producer. This leaves more time for his private life, for his wife Sigrid and their dog Gustl. At the moment he is not fully utilized and works 15 to 20 hours a week: “Now I can take more time for one thing,” says Bach. Like the currently very close care of Anna Schneider, for which he should also receive a living will. The senior citizen looked after her husband, who was becoming increasingly demented, at home for five years, then she came to the realization: “If I’m out, it’ll be a total failure.” After a very short sniffing period, Martin Bach helped organize the man’s admission to a nursing home and has been an important contact person in the home ever since.
During the time without a senior companion, Anna Schneider always had to consult with her brother. Now that Bach is taking on some tasks, she can simply “chat” with her brother again. The relatives appreciate the freedom gained through accompanying seniors, says Help Academy director Mayr: “The relatives are sometimes so happy that mom and dad are in good hands when they are too far away or don’t have time.” The relatives were often totally stressed and plagued by a guilty conscience: “If there is a senior assistant on board, you can actually have a coffee with your mother. You don’t have to run around and do things.”
Senior companion Bach offers both: time for a chat and, as Anna Schneider calls it, “messing around” with documents. A client suffering from dementia confided in him: “You are now my second self.” And another client, who has since died, once said to him: “You are an angel with a beard and gray hair.” In 40 years of the film industry, he has never received such a reception, says Bach with a smile.