The 5 factors offered on Wednesday following the Council of Ministers present that the nursing scholarship for profession changers will in future even be accessible for college of utilized sciences research. A competence middle for quicker recognition of international skilled {qualifications} can also be to be created. Substitute look following caring family can also be to be accessible each day.
As well as, nationwide requirements for social care professions are to be created and the abilities of residence helpers are to be expanded. Implementation will happen through a so-called 15a settlement between the federal authorities and the federal states. The reform can also be supposed to carry extra transparency within the billing of 24-hour care employees. Among the measures are to come back into power within the autumn, some in January 2025, mentioned Well being Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) within the press lobby held collectively with ÖVP parliamentary group chief August Wöginger following the cupboard assembly. The mandatory selections within the Nationwide Council are to be made earlier than the summer season.
Authorities pointed to growing demand
The federal authorities justifies the measures by referring to the growing variety of older individuals in Austria, which additionally will increase the necessity for care and nursing and for certified employees. The turquoise-green authorities additionally referred to the steps already taken in recent times – such because the wage subsidies for workers in nursing, the sixth week of trip for workers aged 43 and over, the coaching subsidy of 600 euros and the nursing scholarship for these switching to a brand new occupation of at the very least 1,500 euros per thirty days.
Intimately, from September 2024, those that are altering careers and are finding out well being and nursing at a college or technical faculty can even obtain the nursing scholarship. In keeping with authorities figures, greater than 7,000 individuals took benefit of the nursing scholarship final 12 months. The scholarship is meant for these people who find themselves switching from an present job to care and nursing and subsequently must forego their earnings throughout their coaching.
Nursing scholarship: at the very least 1500 euros per thirty days
The minimal quantity in 2024 shall be greater than 1,500 euros per thirty days. Up till now, it was accessible for coaching as a nursing assistant, nursing assistant and in social care professions. For diploma coaching, the scholarship was beforehand solely accessible at well being and nursing colleges. After this coaching expires, trainees at technical faculties can even obtain this scholarship sooner or later. The prerequisite is that the prevailing coaching pointers of the AMS are met. An software can subsequently be made on the earliest two years following the top of the obligatory coaching or the Matura.
The popularity of international skilled {qualifications} (nostrification) of certified well being and nursing employees, for which the schools of utilized sciences are accountable, is to be simplified. For this objective, a brand new competence middle is to be created, which is to be the central contact and repair level – for candidates, employers and likewise for the schools of utilized sciences. The competence middle can also be to supply assist to these nursing employees who want supplementary examinations to have their {qualifications} acknowledged: the funding from the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) for the required programs, examinations or coaching programs shall be elevated to as much as 2,500 euros.
Nationwide requirements for social care professions
There ought to be a nationwide growth of requirements for social care professions – concerning job description, actions and coaching. The age restrict for all social care professions shall be lowered to 18 years nationwide. Till now, some younger adults needed to wait following their coaching earlier than they had been allowed to work as an expert or certified social employee.
The competences of the house helpers are to be expanded: sooner or later, for instance, they are going to be allowed to manage eye and ear drops or measure blood stress. In keeping with the federal government, the federal states and the federal authorities have collectively drawn up a corresponding 15a settlement, and the subsequent step shall be for the Nationwide Council to move a decision.
Enlargement of substitute care
There may be an growth of so-called substitute look following caring family. In future, they are going to obtain monetary assist for such substitute care from the primary day. Caring family can, for instance, “take sooner or later off” per week. Beforehand, monetary assist was solely doable for 3 consecutive days. The quantity is a most of 1,200 to 2,500 euros per 12 months, relying on the extent of care. A most of 4 weeks per calendar 12 months are eligible for funding. The group of recipients can also be being expanded to incorporate life companions, foster mother and father, aunts and uncles.
A brand new regulation is meant to carry extra transparency to self-employed 24-hour carers. In keeping with the federal government, the vast majority of the roughly 34,000 private carers are positioned by businesses, every of which concludes a contract with the particular person being cared for and their carer. In future, placement businesses should present a price sheet when first contacting them and of their promoting materials. The worth of the position exercise, the providers offered by the position company, the full prices and the cost phrases should be said. It’s also necessary to state whether or not the position company presents a debt assortment authorization for the non-public carers.
Deal with digital coaching for 24-hour care
An extra focus can even be positioned on digital or on-line coaching within the space of 24-hour care. Gesundheit Österreich GmbH will publish movies within the coming days and weeks that can present transient and concise info on varied subjects related to care – reminiscent of assist with lack of consciousness, primary ideas of mobilization, assist following a fall or vitamin and hygiene. The movies shall be accessible on the knowledge pages pflege.gv.at and gesundheit.gv.at.
Reactions to the bundle offered had been blended. The NEOS spoke of “well-known” bulletins, regardless of which there are nonetheless huge shortages within the care sector. “The ÖVP and the Greens ought to cease pretending to be energetic earlier than each election and at last ship an actual care reform as a substitute of simply speaking,” mentioned NEOS MP Fiona Fiedler, in keeping with the press launch. The ÖGB commerce union federation was equally essential and spoke of a “political fig leaf within the pre-election marketing campaign.” The measures usually are not aimed toward enhancing the working circumstances of nursing employees, mentioned ÖGB nursing knowledgeable Martina Lackner. The vida union reacted extra positively: “These are first steps in the appropriate path, though we had anticipated an even bigger breakthrough,” mentioned Gerald Mjka, chairman of the vida well being division. Vida referred to as for enhancements within the stage of the nursing scholarship and criticised the truth that nursing, well being and social care professions usually are not recognised as arduous work with a purpose to obtain an earlier retirement age.
Reward from support organizations
The help organizations had been happy. “Given the urgency, we welcome the truth that the present federal authorities has managed to take additional steps to enhance care and nursing in Austria throughout this legislative interval,” mentioned Caritas President Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler in a press launch. “Some changes have been made,” and that is to be acknowledged. On the identical time, she confused that even with the care reform measures already carried out in recent times, there’s nonetheless a substantial amount of political motion to be taken: “Care stays a piecemeal subject,” and there’s presently a scarcity of three,000 expert employees yearly.
“This bundle helps to ease the ache right here and there, however it can’t actually heal,” mentioned Tödtling-Musenbichler. She is already interesting to the long run federal authorities to “provoke an urgently wanted general reform.” Such a reform should embody “the top of the patchwork of issues,” for instance, a “uniform staffing ratio from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl.” On Wednesday, the aid group spoke of “appropriate and vital selections.” The bundle will assist to make it simpler to enter the nursing occupation, make the sector of residence care extra engaging and supply higher assist to household carers, defined aid group supervisor Elisabeth Anselm.
