New state strategy

92,000 Upper Austrians will need care by 2040

Andreas Rabl, Deputy Chairman of the Upper Austrian Association of Municipalities, Governor Thomas Stelzer, Provincial Councillor Christian Dörfel and Christian Mader, President of the Association of Municipalities, present the new care strategy.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Margot Haag)

Upper Austria is facing a major problem, as the population is getting older and older. For this reason, 92,000 women and men will be dependent on care by 2040 - which poses a problem for politicians. 

There are currently a good 62,000 people in Upper Austria who need care. By 2040, this figure will rise to 92,000 people - which means that 70 additional retirement homes will have to be built over the next 15 years. This is a completely unrealistic scenario in terms of staffing and finances, said Governor Thomas Stelzer and State Councillor for Social Affairs Christian Dörfel (both ÖVP) on Monday.

Two strategically important steps have been taken with the nursing staff strategy announced for 2022 and the establishment of a nursing GmbH in order to be able to recruit staff more easily and in an organized manner. The third step in the Upper Austrian care strategy now follows with the redesign of the care architecture.

We will continue to develop the services for the various care needs and break new ground in the process.

Soziallandesrat Christian Dörfel, ÖVP

Care architecture 2040 process
Together with the Association of Municipalities and Towns, new forms of care are to be developed and existing services supplemented. "We will continue to develop the services for the various care needs and break new ground in the process. With the Care Architecture 2040 process, we want to give the municipalities the tools they need to ensure that care remains affordable," says Provincial Councillor Dörfel.