24-hour care at home – an alternative to a nursing home?
Not just since the Corona Crisis, more and more elderly people want to be cared for with nursing home care rather than move to a nursing home.
But the relatives of seniors usually can not be on site around the clock, because they work, have children or live far away. A solution here is the so-called 24-hour care at home by Polish nurses.
In this model, the caregiver from Eastern Europe moves in with the senior at home and takes care of the basic care (e.g.B. Help with personal hygiene) and the household.
How much does 24-hour care at home cost??
The cost is usually about 2.200,- Euro up to 3.000 per month. For most providers, prices are based on the staff’s knowledge of German, the amount of care required, and the number of people to be cared for.
German language skills have the greatest impact on price, as few people in Eastern Europe have a good command of the German language.
Do caregivers in 24-hour care really work around the clock?
No, the forces do not work around the clock. This is physically, psychologically and labor-legally not possible at all. However, the terms 24-hour nursing and 24-hour care have come into common usage as a term for this type of care, since the Eastern European women and men live with the family at home.
How quickly a caregiver from Eastern Europe can arrive?
Until a caregiver from Poland / Eastern Europe can arrive, it usually takes only about a week. Sometimes it is even faster. On the other hand, you often have to wait a few months for a place in a retirement home in Germany.
How do the caregivers travel and how long do they stay on site??
Usually the care forces with the minibus directly to the house are brought, say Michael Schröter, founder of the Germany far in the range of the switching of care forces from Eastern Europe active care agency Bavaria care.
Only in exceptional cases does the caregiver have to be picked up at the train/bus station. On-site forces usually stay between two and three months. If the family is satisfied with the caregiver, the caregiver usually comes again.
Thus, it often happens that two caregivers alternate in a two-month rhythm. That has for the care forces the advantage that they know where they come and for the families it has the advantage that they do not have to become accustomed to a new person.
Are there also disadvantages compared to a nursing home?
Yes, because the agencies that place Eastern European workers are generally not able to bill the nursing care insurance fund. Families must therefore pay for the care themselves in full.
In addition, the staff working in 24-hour care are usually not trained nurses or geriatric nurses, so the staff in nursing homes are usually more competent.
Conclusion:
Care at home by women and men from Eastern Europe is a real alternative to a nursing home for many senior citizens. However, an outpatient care service should still be consulted for medical care, as those working in 24-hour care often have no training in the medical field.
