Thank you for your help: Strengthening families when caring for people with dementia!

Thank you for your help: Strengthening families when caring for people with dementia!

More and more people are faced with the challenge of caring for relatives with dementia, which often places an immense burden on the entire family. Gertrude Weinberger and her family from Steinbach describe their worries and dilemmas after her mother fell ill with dementia. In an emotional thank you letter, they emphasize the support they have received from various organizations and professionals to provide their mother with the best possible care. Despite all the challenges, such as the nurses being overwhelmed and the feeling that they are not getting enough help in the hospitals, they find comfort in the professional care provided by teams such as the mobile palliative team in Gmünd and Volkshilfe Schrems. Loud MyDistrict.at, the support of the Red Cross and specialists was crucial in supporting the family during this difficult time.

Legal regulations regarding care leave

In Germany, legal provisions such as care leave and family care leave have been created to support caring relatives. Family care leave makes it possible to reduce working hours to a maximum of 15 hours per week for up to 24 months without the risk of losing your job. Nevertheless, reality shows, as Raphaela Scheidmann's story makes clear, that such regulations are often inadequate. She had to care for her mother after a serious stroke and was not adequately informed about the use of existing laws. Despite the possibility of being released for up to six months, she was unable to take advantage of this and was dependent on her own financial resources. Loud Zeit.de The use of these aids is low in practice, which indicates that the current regulations are not practical for many.

The introduction of the care support allowance, which provides 90 percent of the net salary for ten days of support, shows another approach by the state to accommodate caring relatives. However, it remains unclear how long-term care can actually be covered by these regulations, because many of those affected see their financial options as severely limited. It remains to be seen what further steps politicians will take to improve the situation for carers and ensure that no one is left alone.