Transfer scholarship

Government puts together another care package

ÖVP parliamentary group chairman August Wöginger and Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens)

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The federal government is now launching another package in the care sector (following the 2022/2023 reforms). The five points presented on Wednesday after the Council of Ministers stipulate that the nursing scholarship for career changers will also be available for university of applied sciences studies in future. Among other things, a competence center for faster recognition of foreign professional qualifications is also to be created. Substitute care for family carers is also to be made available on a daily basis. 

In addition, nationwide standards are to be created for social care professions and the skills of home helpers are to be expanded. This will be implemented via a so-called 15a agreement between the federal government and the federal states. The reform should also bring more transparency in the billing of 24-hour care workers. Some of the measures are to come into force in the fall, others in January 2025, according to Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) in the press foyer held jointly with ÖVP parliamentary group chairman August Wöginger after the Council of Ministers. The necessary resolutions in the National Council should be passed before the summer.

Search for qualified personnel
The federal government justifies the measures with reference to the increasing number of older people in Austria, which means that the need for care and nursing and for qualified staff is also increasing. The turquoise-green government also referred to the steps already taken in recent years - such as the salary subsidies for employees in the care sector, the sixth week of leave for employees aged 43 and over, the training subsidy of 600 euros and the transitional care grant of at least 1500 euros per month.

(Bild: P. Huber)

In detail, from September 2024, career changers who are studying healthcare and nursing at a university or university of applied sciences will also receive the nursing grant. According to government figures, more than 7,000 people took advantage of the nursing scholarship last year. The scholarship is intended for people who are switching from an existing profession to care and nursing and therefore have to forgo their income during their training.

New scholarships
The minimum amount in 2024 will be more than 1500 euros per month. Previously, it was available for training as a care assistant, specialist care assistant and in social care professions. For diploma training, the scholarship was previously only available at healthcare and nursing schools. Now that this training is being phased out, trainees at universities of applied sciences will also receive this scholarship in future. The prerequisite is compliance with the existing AMS training guidelines. An application is therefore possible at the earliest two years after completion of compulsory training or the Matura.

The recognition of foreign professional qualifications (nostrification) of qualified healthcare and nursing staff, for which the universities of applied sciences are responsible, is to be simplified. A new competence center will be created for this purpose, which will be the central contact and service point for applicants, employers and universities of applied sciences. The competence center will also offer support to nurses who require supplementary examinations for the recognition of their qualifications: Funding from the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) for the necessary courses, examinations or training will be increased to up to 2500 euros.

More skills for home helpers
The competencies of home helpers are to be expanded: in future, they will be allowed to administer eye and ear drops or measure blood pressure, for example. According to the government, the federal states and the federal government have jointly drawn up a corresponding 15a agreement, and the next step will be a decision by the National Council.

There will be an extension to the so-called substitute care for family carers. In future, they will receive financial support for such substitute care from the very first day. Caring relatives will be able to "take one day off" a week, for example. Previously, financial support was only possible from three consecutive days. Depending on the care level, the maximum amount is between 1,200 and 2,500 euros per year. A maximum of four weeks per calendar year can be funded. The group of recipients has also been extended to include partners, foster parents, aunts and uncles.

A new regulation for self-employed 24-hour carers should bring more transparency. According to the government, the majority of the 34,000 or so caregivers are provided by agencies, each of which concludes a contract with the person being cared for and their caregiver. In future, placement agencies will have to provide a cost sheet when first making contact and in their advertising material. 

Mixed reactions
Reactions to the package presented were mixed. The NEOS spoke of "well-known" announcements, despite which there are still enormous bottlenecks in the care sector. "The ÖVP and the Greens should stop pretending to be active before every election and finally deliver a real care reform instead of just talking," said NEOS MP Fiona Fiedler according to the press release. The Freedom Party sees the announcement as a "farce" and a "scam". "What the government is planning is further academization, which will only prolong the training period and not bring a single employee to the bedside, where colleagues could finally be relieved," criticized FPÖ Member of the National Council Christian Ragger.

The trade union federation ÖGB was similarly critical and spoke of a "political fig leaf in the pre-election campaign". According to ÖGB nursing expert Martina Lackner, the measures are in no way aimed at improving the working conditions of nursing staff. The vida trade union reacted more positively: "These are the first steps in the right direction, although we would have expected more," said Gerald Mjka, Chairman of the vida Health Division. vida called for improvements to the amount of the nursing grant and criticized the fact that the nursing, healthcare and social care professions are not recognized as hard work in order to achieve an earlier retirement age.

The aid organizations were pleased. "Given the urgency, we welcome the fact that the current federal government has succeeded in taking further steps to improve care and support in Austria during this legislative period," said Caritas President Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler in a statement. A number of adjustments had been made and this should be acknowledged. At the same time, she emphasized that even with the care reform measures that have already been implemented in recent years, there is still a lot of political work to be done: "Care remains a piecemeal affair", for example, there is currently a shortage of 3,000 skilled workers every year.

"This package helps to ease the pain here and there, but it can't really cure anything," said Tödtling-Musenbichler. She is already appealing to the future federal government to "initiate an urgently needed overall reform". Such a reform must include "the end of the patchwork", for example a "uniform staffing ratio from Bodensee to Neusiedlersee". On Wednesday, the aid organization spoke of "correct and important decisions". The package would help to make it easier to enter the care profession, make the home help profession more attractive and provide better support for caregiving relatives, explained Hilfswerk Managing Director Elisabeth Anselm.

The project was also well received by the Red Cross. Much of this has been called for "for years", said Michael Opriesnig, Secretary General of the Austrian Red Cross, in a press release: "It is important that it is not just an announcement, but that it is also implemented quickly."