Tyrolean lowlands

Successful pilot project: next dementia flat share to come

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Johanniter set up the first dementia residential community in Tyrol in 2022. The experience has been very positive. Now another facility of this type is being added in the lowlands. 

Families can hardly afford round-the-clock care for relatives suffering from dementia. But care homes are also reaching their limits. The lack of staff is just one reason for this.

The Johanniter aid organization has taken up the idea of care in shared apartments. People with dementia and 24-hour carers live together in small units. The care ratio is one to two. "The quality of life is improved with this care ratio - a ratio that you won't find in any regular care home," emphasizes Franz Bittersam, Managing Director of Johanniter Tirol.

Proximity to family is important for residents
The first dementia residential community of its kind in Tyrol was set up in Volders in 2022. The experience has been positive and Johanniter is now taking the next step. The next shared flats will open in the summer at "Haus im Leben" in Kaltenbach in Zillertal.

Each shared flat consists of two rooms, a kitchen, sanitary facilities and a lounge and bedroom for the caregiver, who is provided by an agency. The shared flats are primarily intended for people from the region, explains Bittersam. This is because it has been established in Volders how important it is for residents to be close to their families.

In the first stage, four places will be allocated. The costs depend on the individual care level, income and any subsidies.