Because many retirement homes cannot find enough employees, they are forced to reduce beds. However, rising costs and bureaucratic obstacles also contribute to the fact that one in three senior citizens’ facilities in Hesse now sees itself threatened with insolvency. This is the result of a survey of almost 100 institutions, the results of which were presented by the Diakonie in Wiesbaden.
Ralf Euler
Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung, responsible for the Rhein-Main section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.
According to the Diakonie Hessen, the leading association of the Protestant Church for social and health care, the serious shortage of staff is forcing retirement homes to reduce beds. In view of the often long waiting lists with interested elderly people and the progressive aging of society, this is a worrying development. Three quarters of the facilities surveyed have therefore had to limit their services in the past six months in order to maintain their quality of care, as the welfare association further reports. Fewer beds, less income – that affects liquidity.
High failure rates
In view of the high inflation, cost pressure is increasing. Because of bureaucratic hurdles, such as longer waiting times for the classification of a resident in a higher care level, facilities often only benefit from additional income later. According to Diakonie, the ability to pre-finance is not even enough for a month in a good two-fifths of the institutions surveyed.
Vacancies in senior care often remain vacant for a long time. “The gap in supply is often bridged by using expensive temporary work or overtime by permanent staff,” it says. This could lead to higher sick leave. For years, the health insurance company’s health report has reported a high failure rate in elderly care.
Nicole Ruthof, area manager in a Wiesbaden retirement home, says: “30 years ago we had time for the residents, there was no bureaucracy madness” with detailed prescribed documentation of the work. Now she has to sit in front of the PC a lot more: “That’s not why I took up this job.” Three decades ago, she wrote a “D” for showering a resident and a “B” for making the bed once – that’s it.
Less bureaucracy, more digitization
Ilka Müller, authorized officer for the elderly care of the evangelical association EVIM, says that the official reports for a higher degree of care sometimes come so late that a resident “has already died by then”. Then to insist on outstanding payments from relatives is “an ethical conflict”.
According to Frank Kadereit, managing director of EVIM-Altenhilfe, temporary employment agencies also poach nursing students with better pay. Authorized officer Müller adds that employees of these companies also suggest that permanent staff in retirement homes switch to them. The head of the Diakonie Hessen, Carsten Tag, emphasizes that the use of temporary work is also important in the care of the elderly in the event of bottlenecks – “but we should limit them”.
Overall, Diakonie Hessen calls for less bureaucracy and more digitization in order to speed up and simplify care processes. A fundamental financial and structural reform is needed, which goes beyond the planned care reform in Germany. There must also be more backing from the state of Hesse. Diakonie department head Sonja Driebold explains: “This includes the refinancing of more flexible working models such as springer pools and also training that is sufficiently financed for nursing schools.” Diakonie Hessen boss Tag called for a new social summit in the state to improve nursing care.