Home care is an essential and irreplaceable part of care for elderly people who are dependent on it due to the advanced age, illness or loneliness, and not only in Austria.

Number of patients is increasing, the number of caregivers is decreasing

Currently, approximately 25 000 people use 24-hour care in Austria. In Styria alone, which is one of its federal republics, there are up to 8,000 elderly and sick residents in need of home care. But despite the fact that the number of patients is increasing, the interest in the work of a careris gradually decreasing. There are a number of causes that lead to this situation. The reason of the loss of interest in working as a carer was also Covid. Many caregivers did not go back to work after the pandemic. Either their living conditions have changed or, for example, salaries have risen in their home countries, so it is no longer worthy for them to come back. There is currently a shortage of up to 2,000 carers in Austria.

The main problem is salary

The biggest reason for the lack of staff is that salaries are not moving up at all, but are staying on the same level. There has not been a pay rise for caregivers in Austria since 2002. 20 years is an extremely long time, especially in times of inflation, when the prices of everything have been rising rapidly over the years and the overall cost of living is increasing as well. It is not only the carers themselves who are suffering from wages that are not rising, but it is also reflected in the care of patients. Because carers feel undervalued and understaffed, they are tired and unable to do their jobs adequately. The work of a carer is physically and emotionally very demanding. And so the 24-hour care for families in Austria is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Carers who work in Austria come from Romania (more than 50%), Croatia (20%), Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary. A total amount of carers working in Austria is 60 000.

Initiated by the WKÖ

The petition was initiated by the WKÖ – the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, which is calling for an increase in salaries of carers. The subsidy of EUR 550 per month for the family of the cared-for person, which was decided by the Austrian Government in 2007, has not been adjusted for inflation even once since then. The salaries of caregivers depends on this subsidy. “Home care is hitting its limits,” said Andreas Herz, president of the professional association for personal counseling and personal care in the WKÖ. They are demanding an indexation from 550 to 700 euros, which, as they stress, is the minimum requirement. Indeed, at least a doubling would be desirable.

The WKÖ is an institute in which all business entities in Austria are grouped. Each federal state has its own chamber. They represent the interests and rights of companies. It focuses its attention on a friendly business climate, tax breaks, subsidies, and cutting red tape. Every carer becomes a member of the Chamber of Commerce and is assigned a WKÖ number when he/she open the trade. Carers in Austria must work exclusively as trade workers. Working as a self-employed carer is also more disadvantageous than working under a contract, because the self-employed carer has to pay the own health and social contributions.

Therefore, an increase in salaries is clearly necessary, especially given the demanding nature of the profession. In Atena, we share the idea that these carers should have their salaries raised. We regularly increase salaries of carers who are employed directly by us. We are also constantly looking for different ways to reward them and provide them with benefits.

20 000 signatures

The petition has so far 4,322 signatories, of which 1,657 are Austrians. It was launched 25th. 10. 2022. There are still 33 days to go before it is signed. With this petition, the WKÖ Vienna expert group for personal counselling and personal care will contact the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, represented by Minister Johannes Rauch. It must have 20 000 signatures to be accepted. You can sign it at this link. Slovak Bibiána Kudziová, spokesperson for a professional group for carers, who herself works as a caregiver, was one of the initiators of the call.