Even with all the current problems that we are facing, we cannot deny that we live in an amazing world. We can easily travel to almost any part of the planet. Information about anything is just a click away. Medicine is evolving every day. In the last 50 years, we have managed to cure previously fatal diseases and increase life expectancy by about nine years!
However, the rule that there is a reaction for every action isn’t valid only in physics. The increased lifespan leads to a demographic crisis and more people that need care and assistance. However, we cannot call these people a “burden”. After all, they are the people who raised us, who paved the roads we’re walking on, and just as they took care of our future. It’s simply time to give back to them. And today we will talk about the options we have.
Retirement homes in Germany
Although the number of retirement homes in Germany has increased from 8,859 in 1999 to 14,480 in 2017, this is still nothing when we know that more than four million pensioners in Germany are in need of care.
Such facilities are not only overcrowded but often understaffed. Finding qualified medical staff is one of the most common problems nursing homes face. And even if a nursing home is not crowded and has enough staff, it cannot be compared to live-in care.
Live-in caregiving in Germany
Live-in care is an incredible alternative. The patient stays at home, where they’re comfortable, and where their relatives are. At the same time, there is a person whose only goal is to make sure they’re happy, comfortable, and as healthy as they can be. However, to do this, you need to find the right person who has the required skill set.
Why does Germany need caregivers from abroad?
If we were to look at this issue through the eyes of a professional recruiter and do the mathematical calculations, we would come to the conclusion that finding the right people in Germany alone is impossible. A recent study has shown that the ratio of applicants to recruits ranges on average from 1 in 93 to 1 in 129. Let’s be generous and make it 1 in 50. Then add in the fact that approximately 30% of employees leave within the first three months.
After some quick calculations, we come to the conclusion that in order to find a suitable candidate for all of the roughly 1.6 million Germans in need of live-in care, we would need 104 million applicants. Statistically speaking, if the entire working class of Germany is interested in this profession, there will not be enough employees for more than half of the elderly people who need care.
Why is live-in healthcare staff from abroad a win-win?
As we have just mentioned, the first problem is the number of applicants. It is not possible to get the right people for the job from Germany alone. But that’s not all. Not many Germans would be willing to spend all their time with the person they are going to take care of.
Their home is probably nearby and they would like to spend nights and weekends there. On the other hand, when hiring a foreigner, you kill two birds with one stone. A caregiver is available at all times and at the same time you solve the biggest problem a foreigner has when going to work abroad – accommodation.
There are even more advantages associated with this. If an employee is happy at work, if their needs are met, they will be motivated at work and perform their job well. We have already written about the importance of employee motivation and you can read more about its benefits here.
How to find qualified healthcare staff from abroad?
Of course, you can try to do it yourself and spend months to find perhaps the right person for the job, for example by using social networks. Even if you do that, it’s only a small part of the process. The employee needs a contract, social and health insurance, means of transport to the place of work, and more. Overall, you will not only be looking for a caregiver, but also a lawyer, an accountant, and a transportation company.
Instead of dealing with all these problems, you can leave it to a professional. For 14 years, we have been helping families find the ideal caregiver for a family member who needs help. We operate in 16 different countries and have extensive knowledge in healthcare as this is our core focus.
With us, you won’t need a lawyer, accountant, or transport company, because we’ll take care of all that too! All we need from you is to provide us with information about the vacancy and we will select the best candidates for the position on your behalf. Work with professionals, success is no accident.
