Uniform Quality Criteria Planned for 24-Hour Care

The commission, established in 2024 under the turquoise-green government, includes delegates from the federal government, the states, the municipalities, and the cities. At the next meeting in the coming year, it will be discussed how the care of people in need at home, for which a legal model including subsidies was introduced in 2007, can be reformed.

Schumann: "Central Component" of Good Care Provision

"Quality in personal care is a central component of good care provision in Austria. Our goal is therefore - as provided for in the current government program - to establish nationwide uniform and binding quality criteria for placement agencies operating in Austria (for the placement of care workers, note) and to further develop the framework conditions for 24-hour care," explained Health and Social Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) in a written statement to the APA. "We definitely want to realize these important steps in this legislative period."

She now wants to turn to this task - "after implementing the heavy labor regulation in care." "I have therefore already addressed the topic in today's meeting of the Care Development Commission, and we have agreed with the states to put the topic on the agenda of the next Care Development Commission." In addition to the measures mentioned by Schumann, the government program also lists the mediation of "sufficient German language skills," the examination of activity possibilities for self-employed individuals from third countries, and the raising of the income limit for the subsidy of 24-hour care.

Union: "Important Step"

The union initiative for one-person businesses (EPU) "vidaflex" spoke of an "important step" regarding the announced initiative. "Good quality can only be achieved if the perspective of care workers is centrally anchored in development, implementation, and control," says Yvonne Heuber, vidaflex Secretary General for 24-hour care.

"We welcome the Social Minister's plan for uniform standards. But quality assurance must not only be considered from the perspective of agencies and the public sector," emphasized Heuber. "What really works in everyday life is known by the care workers themselves - their experiences must therefore also become the guideline." Clear minimum standards for fair working and contractual conditions, effective controls - "and the systematic involvement of those who provide daily care, namely the personal caregivers," were demanded in a release.

Calls for More Quality in 24-hour Care

Recently, there have been renewed calls for stronger control of quality standards and more transparency regarding pricing in 24-hour care. Both the association "ChronischKrank" and the co-managing director of the placement agency Bestcare24, Bettina Löfler, called for appropriate steps from the politicians just over a week ago. The compliance with the criteria for the (currently voluntary) quality certificate "ÖQZ-24" must also be more strictly controlled, it was said.

(APA/red)

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