Diakonie calls for more support offers and “community nurses” across the board
The care landscape is complicated. Care guides help people in need of care and their relatives find their way around. And they must be given a role in what is called demand planning. Because they know what the local people need
Diakonie director Maria Katharina Moser
Vienna (OTS) – “According to a current market survey, only 21% of the Austrian population believe that the support that people in need of care receive is sufficient. And more than three quarters say that good care and support is not affordable for everyone in Austria. This is an alarming finding. People feel left alone when it comes to care issues,” explains Diakonie director Maria Katharina Moser on the occasion of Care Day on May 12th.
The nursing reform has “stuck,” said Moser. Measures were taken to combat the shortage of skilled workers – which was important and right – and also some smaller measures for caring relatives. But: “That’s only half the battle,” says Moser. What is missing is “the expansion and further development of support offers: everyday support, affordable day care lasting several hours, day centers, visiting services or care only at night.”
Diakonie sees the Community Nurses model project, which was started in 2022, positively – and is calling for nationwide expansion throughout Austria: In a first step, the current 270 community nurses must be expanded to 550. And the “community nurses” must be further developed into nursing pilots: “The care landscape is complicated. Care guides help people in need of care and their relatives find their way around. And they must be given a role in what is known as demand planning. Because they know what the local people need
“, so Moser
Distribute care services across more shoulders, introduce fair standards nationwide
According to Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger, care expert at WIFO, the potential for informal care will decline drastically. In order to meet the increasing demand, there must be an increased expansion of formal care offerings. There is also a need for more gender equality in nursing work, says Famira-Mühlberger.
“It would also be particularly important to have uniform quality criteria and performance standards so that all people in Austria, who pay the same taxes, also receive the same level of care and support,” emphasizes Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger. Currently, the type of offers, the staffing ratio and Financial support varies greatly from state to state.
New models must focus on needs
Diakonie’s experience as a provider of care and support shows that there is not only too little support, but too little appropriate support. “When we talk about the compatibility of care and work, we need new models that are needs-based and easily accessible,” said the Diakonie director.
“Either mobile home nursing or nursing home care is no longer sufficient. There are innovative support offers beyond this, but not everywhere in Austria – and if they do exist, they are limited and not affordable for everyone. And you need intensive advice in order to find your way around the care landscape and take advantage of the offers. That’s the opposite of fair.”
Market survey: too little support for people in need of care
In the run-up to Care Day, the Market Institute for Diakonie conducted a representative survey of the Austrian population.
When asked “In your opinion, is there enough support in the district and community for older people who need care?” only 21% answered yes. 67% say: No, more help is needed! 78% are of the opinion that good care and support in Austria is not affordable for everyone. The community nurses’ support offer, which is still new, has met with a high level of approval. To the question: “So-called community nurses have been deployed in some municipalities and districts in Austria for two years. These are nurses who act as contact persons and helpers in nursing care in the village or in the district. Do you think it makes sense to anchor such an offer more strongly?” say three quarters of the Austrian population: Yes, that makes sense!
Around 1.5 million people in Austria are already “affected by care”: they need or provide support. In 80% of cases this is done at home, over 40% without professional support and around 70% by women.
Questions & Contact:
Diakonie Austria
Roberta Rastl
Press spokesperson
0664 3149395
presse@diakonie.at