After a long debate

“Milestone”: Styria has a new care law

Nursing care is being put on a new footing in Styria in many cases

(Bild: Diana_Drubig)

Shortly after the kick-off of the match between Austria and Turkey, a long political match was concluded in the provincial parliament: Styria has a new nursing and care law. What the main changes are and why there is still criticism.

"It's a milestone," said both ÖVP parliamentary group leader Barbara Riener and SPÖ MP Klaus Zenz. The new Care and Assistance Act was passed on Tuesday with the votes of both state government parties - after years of discussions and debates that did not stop in the state parliament final.

The law contains changes in many areas. Here are some of the key points:

Transitional care: After a stay in hospital, many patients are not yet fit enough to live at home. Until now, the only alternative was a nursing home. Mürzzuschlag has had its own transitional care department since last year, where patients can be cared for for up to four weeks. The model is now to be rolled out.

Priority for non-profit organizations: In future, non-profit organizations will have priority for new nursing home beds. This is remarkable, as private companies have dominated the market in Styria to date.

There was another heated debate in the provincial parliament.

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Emergency power supply in care homes: When the power went out all over the Murtal valley in December, it remained dark and cold in care homes too. Residents had to be relocated in the middle of the night. An emergency power supply is therefore now mandatory. 

Care hubs: They offer support for people in need of care and relatives and are intended to guide them through the jungle of information in the districts. The hubs will now be enshrined in law. If home care is requested for people under care level 4, future mandatory advice from the care hubs will be required in order to explore alternatives.

Nursery assistance: From September 1, children with disabilities will have a legal right to assistance when attending a nursery - up to the age of 3.

Styrian Health Minister Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP)

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

Why there is still criticism
Styrian Health Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP) speaks of a "mammoth task", State Councillor for Social Affairs Doris Kampus (SPÖ) of a "future-proof basis for the all-important social sector". The opposition was not entirely opposed, but individual points were sharply criticized - which is why no one ultimately agreed.

One of the most frequent points of criticism is that there is still a care regress for 24-hour care - it was abolished in the (much more expensive) care home sector in 2018. Riener regrets this, but abolishing the recourse would place an additional heavy burden on the state and municipalities. 

Concern about community nurses
One concern is the future of the "community nurses", who are the central point of contact for care issues in municipalities. Government representatives emphasize that the project is not at risk. However, they are not yet enshrined in law because their remit still needs to be clarified. A working group has been set up to prevent possible duplication.

For the KPÖ, the centralization of home inspections at the state level is a red rag. The city of Graz, where Robert Krotzer, a communist, is the responsible city councillor, is being stripped of its authority. Previously, inspections were carried out twice a year here, whereas the state only carries out one inspection per year. The government promises to increase the number of staff in the inspection team.

Personalmangel

20 Prozent der Heimbetten gesperrt

Right at the beginning of the parliamentary session, Provincial Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl had to answer an explosive question from the FPÖ. Following a "Krone" report about a planned reduction in beds in the district of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, he wanted to know how many beds are blocked in the homes of the six Styrian care associations. It is 432 out of 2154, i.e. exactly 20 percent! The rate is highest in the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district at 32.8 percent and lowest in Voitsberg at 9.7 percent.

According to Kornhäusl, the main reason for the vacancies is the shortage of skilled workers. However, he also mentions the expansion of alternative offers such as day centers or mobile services.