24-Hour-Care
In 2007, the legal conditions for quality-assured 24-hour care were created, and at the same time, a corresponding subsidy scheme was developed on the initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The first point of contact for questions on 24-hour-care and for making applications is the Sozialministeriumservice with its nine offices in the Federal States.
The most important information is available for download in the following brochure: 24-hour Care at Home – an Overview (in German).
The brochure is also available in an easy read version (in German).
Caring for persons in private households can take place as self-employed or employed work. This is regulated by the labour law for 24-hour carers.
Financial support of 24-hour care
The Ministry of Social Affairs has developed a subsidies model with which benefits for persons in need of care or their family members can be granted from the support fund for people with disabilities. Subsidies are available from care stage 3 as specified in the Federal Long-Term Care Allowance Act.
The subsidy for two self-employed personal care assistants amounts to a maximum of € 800 per month. The subsidy for two employed personal care assistants amounts to a maximum of € 1.600 per month. Care is provided according to the provisions of the Home Care Act.
Conditions for entitlement to financial support for 24-hour care
In order to obtain financial support for 24-hour care, the following conditions have to be fulfilled:
- A need for (up to) 24-hour care
- Receipt of long-term care Allowance at Stage 3 or higher
- Existence of a care relationship between a personal care assistant and the person in need of care or a family member, or between either of these persons and a non-profit organisation offering care services
- Personal care assistants need to be able to prove that they have either completed a theoretical training course (which is essentially the same as that for a home help), or have appropriately cared for the person applying for the subsidy for at least six months. Alternatively, the personal care assistant must possess official authorisation for carrying out certain nursing and/or medical activities.
Income limits for the financial support of 24-hour care
The income of the person in need of care is taken into account during the application process. The maximum earnings limit is € 2,500 net per month, whereby benefits such as long-term care allowance, special payments, family allowance, child care benefit and housing benefit are not taken into account. In the case of fluctuating incomes, a twelfth of the income earned within a calendar year is considered to be the person’s monthly income. The maximum income limit increases by € 400 for every family member who is dependent or entitled to maintenance, and by € 600 for every family member with disabilities entitled to maintenance. The subsidy is granted independently of the assets of the person in need of care.
The brochures Financial Issues and Rehabilitation from the Ministry of Social Affairs’ EIN:BLICK series are available for download (in German).
The Austrian quality certificate for agencies recruiting personnel for offering 24-hour care (ÖQZ-24)
Information on the ÖQZ 24 are available in the section Quality Assurance as well as on the website of the ÖQZ 24.
Multilingual informational videos for personal care assistants
Gesundheit Österreich GmbH has created informational videos in eight languages on initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The videos cover topics such as help with loss of consciousness, mobilisation and support after a fall. This provides support to personal care assistants and improves the quality of 24-hour-care. Caregiving relatives can also benefit from this service.
The videos are available at https://pflege.gv.at/de/schulungsangebote.