Associations demand protection

Dogs, snakes, weapons: What carers experience

Diakonie and Hilfswerk Salzburg are hoping for more protection for their mobile care workers. A draft law now offers the opportunity to achieve this.

(Bild: Utrecht Robin/ABACA)

On home visits to elderly or mentally ill people, Salzburg care workers also experience danger, threats and verbal abuse. Will there be more protection for them by law? A new one is being drafted in Salzburg and is due to come into force in the first half of the year.

"All kinds of craziness" - this is how Salzburg Hilfswerk Managing Director Hermann Hagleitner describes what sometimes happens to his employees in mobile care.

There are threatening incidents, although fortunately they are rare. Hagleitner gives a few examples: "Someone has their relative under surveillance with a video camera - and therefore also our staff. Or there is a weapon lying around. Dogs or reptiles that are not kept appropriately can also be dangerous."

Weapons, snakes or dogs endanger Salzburg care staff in individual cases. But they still have to come into the building.

(Bild: Honorar)

Unacceptable behavior
At the Salzburg Diakoniewerk, another large sponsoring organization, there are problems in individual cases. Managing Director Michael König describes unacceptable behavior: "It can go as far as threats or racist and insulting remarks."

If a snake is not kept safe, it poses a danger. "Everything that happens in households also happens in home care," says one sponsoring association.

(Bild: TSV Tirol)

A smaller association in the country says that physical attacks and "verbally very bad things" can happen. You have to protect your employees as best you can, because: "You're happy to have every employee you have." 

Everything that happens in homes also happens in home care. A change in the law is absolutely necessary.

Hermann Hagleitner, GF HIlfswerk Salzburg

Is a legal framework finally coming?
The providers have been calling for a legal guideline for precisely such cases for some time - so that their employees are protected and the care of the clients is ensured at the same time. After all, you can't just leave them unattended from one day to the next. This is why Hilfswerk, Diakonie and the Salzburg Social Services Association are calling for stricter regulations to be included in the newly drafted Salzburg Care Act. They recently submitted corresponding statements to the state within the review period.

Currently no immediate termination possible
Carers should no longer visit clients after threats. At present, they must continue to do so for four weeks after incidents. Only then may the provider remove the carer. Diakonie is urging that these unacceptable situations must be corrected by the new law.

State Councillor: "Protection has top priority"
Provincial Councillor for Social Affairs Christian Pewny is aware of the demands. "We are currently evaluating the comments. The proposals are being reviewed for applicability and expediency," says Pewny. The protection of care workers is his top priority.