Caritas calls for system reform: “The care sector needs care now!”

2023-09-22 09:26:10

Landau sees negotiations on financial equalization as an opportunity for system reform – towards personnel orientation, harmonization of federal structures and financial security.

Vienna (OTS) – Against the background of ongoing negotiations on financial equalization, Caritas is committed to strengthening the care sector. At a press conference on Friday, Caritas President Michael Landau, General Secretary Anna Parr and Caritas Director Klaus Schwertner demanded: “The path to the care and support of the future leads through system reform. Away from piecemeal and towards a holistic view. Care needs care, well beyond this legislative period!” Landau refers to the ongoing negotiations on financial equalization: “The negotiations offer the opportunity to secure investments in the area of care and support. To do this, however, it will be necessary to provide the nursing care fund with significantly greater resources than is currently planned.” This federal government has succeeded in taking the first steps in the right direction with the nursing care reform, but, according to Landau: “There is still a good future for nursing care Care is by no means guaranteed. The road ahead is long. What is needed is system reform. A system reform that must include, among other things, long-term financing, a care power package and Austria-wide harmonization – across federal state borders.”

Parr appeals for a real care-power package

The focus of any system reform must be the people affected who work in the area of care and support as well as those who are dependent on care and support. Anna Parr, Secretary General of Caritas Austria: “We appeal to politicians to continue sensible measures, such as the training offensive – AND, for a real care-power package. This is the only way we can attract as many people as possible to care and support and retain them in the long term.” Because although more people than ever before are working in care and support, there will be a shortage of around 75,000 skilled workers in this area by 2030. This is where the care strength package comes in: “We need good salaries in the long term – for all professional groups, not just temporary treats. At the same time, we must finally create a better work-life balance with new models of personnel and deployment planning. And thirdly, we have to think beyond borders: Austria needs a welcoming culture and must make itself more attractive to skilled workers from other countries who want to live and work here. “It’s about simplifying the red-white-red card and professional recognition,” says Parr.

Training offensive: continue and expand

The federal government has already set the right focus with its training offensive, and Caritas also sees this in its 19 schools throughout Austria. Many people are only able to complete training in this area through the training grant or nursing scholarship. Parr: “It is clear, however, that these measures not only have to be continued, but also expanded. Expanded to include subsidized access to higher degrees and time and money for practical instructions.” Due to the high demand in schools and the high costs of teacher training, Caritas is also proposing public financing of teacher training in nursing or social care .

Schwertner calls for harmonization: massive differences in federal states

For Caritas director Schwertner, previous reforms are not far-reaching enough: “So far, a lot has happened in care, but not enough has happened,” says Schwertner. How urgent a system reform is becomes clear when you look at the frightening differences in the federal states: “Nursing care is currently neither available across the board nor is the quality consistently assured. In Austria, each federal state decides for itself how people should be cared for and cared for.” Schwertner refers to a report from the Court of Auditors from 2020: “If you look at lower levels of care: While in Vienna one carer is responsible for 20 people in need of care, it is the same Caregivers in Tyrol are responsible for an average of 10.52 people. In an average-sized nursing home with 71 beds, 22 full-time nursing staff would work in Burgendland, whereas in Vienna there would be more than twice as many – namely 45.7. People’s needs do not depend on where they live – neither should the care offered.” Caritas is therefore calling for uniform care, quality and financing standards from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl. Schwertner: “Financial equalization and resources from the care fund must now be used as control instruments to harmonize the care system in Austria.”

Care allowance valorization is good, but the loss in value is still almost 40 percent

In addition, Schwertner also advocates extensively valorizing the care allowance: “Especially in times of rising prices, it must be ensured that care remains affordable. The annual adjustment of the nursing allowance to inflation was an important step. But the care allowance has lost around 40 percent of its value since its introduction, and this loss should urgently be corrected in order to provide concrete relief to the approximately 467,000 recipients.”

Caritas Nursing: Because helping is more than just a job.

Around 5,300 Caritas employees care for and look after people in 53 senior citizens’ and nursing homes throughout Austria. Caritas also provides mobile care and has been involved in 24-hour care as well as hospice and palliative work for many years.

In the current care campaign, Caritas positions itself as a future-oriented employer for a diverse professional profile. We would like to thank Wiener Städtische Versicherung AG for supporting the care campaign.