20 years without movement

Nursing care crisis: politicians fail to implement reforms

Nursing staff are coming from ever more distant countries. New strategies are needed.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The situation in the care sector is becoming increasingly dramatic and politicians have failed to implement comprehensive reforms for two decades. Instead, there is still a patchwork of federal states and a lack of real strategies.

"There is certainly no care crisis" - with these words, Wolfgang Schüssel lost the National Council election to the SPÖ almost 20 years ago. Two decades later, Austria is once again struggling with a nursing crisis. This is shown by reports from hospitals and nursing homes.

When Schüssel played down the nursing crisis in 2006, the main issue was the 24-hour care provided by women from the neighboring East who were employed illegally.

Less undeclared work, but staff shortages remain
The problem of illegal employment has now been solved by recruitment agencies. However, the shortage of staff has remained. Only the countries of origin have changed. Austria is now bringing in workers from Asia and South America. However, there has been no comprehensive care reform to date.

Nursing staff are coming from increasingly distant countries. New strategies are needed.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Instead, there has been a lot of symbolic politics and cutbacks. For example, initiatives to promote independence in old age are not sustainably funded or have even been discontinued. One example is the Community Nursing pilot project, which offered preventative home visits for older people.

Facts and figures on care in Austria

• 750,000 people in need of care are expected by 2050, almost twice as many as today.
• At the same time, around 200,000 additional carers will be needed. Around 80 percent of people in need of care are looked after by relatives.
• There are currently around 65,000 24-hour caregivers, almost all of them from abroad.

A standardized care system is needed
There is a lack of a uniform care system throughout Austria - instead, there is a confusing patchwork of federal states with different regulations. This can be seen, for example, in the private co-payments for mobile care: while Vienna and Lower Austria charge around 700 euros per month, Styria and Carinthia charge around 450 euros. The lowest amount is paid in Salzburg (330 euros).

"Instead of investing, further savings are being made and even greater reliance is being placed on 24-hour care and foreign care workers. This strategy is short-sighted and irresponsible," says Raphael Schönborn, Managing Director of KompetenzDemenz.at and Promez.at.

Demo announced in Salzburg
Meanwhile, resistance is stirring among care staff. On Tuesday, care workers will demonstrate in Salzburg against the cuts to the care bonus - part of the state government's austerity package under Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) and Marlene Svazek (FPÖ). However, it is also intended to relieve the burden on low earners.

In other federal states, however, the money, most of which comes from the federal government, will continue to go to nursing staff. So much for the patchwork mentioned at the beginning.