Nursing home scandal: Forgotten patients suffer from open wounds

Nursing home scandal: Forgotten patients suffer from open wounds

In a Tyrolean nursing home, a serious maintenance error occurred, which triggered concern with the public. According to Kosmo , a bedridden resident was left behind on a bed pan at not distant, which led to threatening open wounds. This incident was confirmed by Julia Klingenschmid, spokeswoman for the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office, and has already resulted in police investigations.

The support organization of the nursing home, the municipality concerned, has filed a complaint after an investigation by the country's nursing department. The home management immediately started the internal processing of the incident and implemented various measures. Surprisingly, the mayor was not informed about the events at the beginning.

internal processing and warnings

The municipality expressed warnings, but decided to waive dismissals, which could possibly further increase the pressure on the staff. A nurse of the affected ward had ended their employment before the advertisement, although it remains unclear whether there is a connection with the incident. Georg Berger from the Tyrolean Alters' home working group expressed his regret about the events and emphasized the importance of transparency in the design of care facilities.

The incident not only raises questions about the specific situation in this home, but also questions the general situation in Tyrolean care facilities. According to a study by the Tyrolean Chamber of Labor, 70% of the nursing staff reported constant lack of personnel, which is considered a risk factor for overload situations and nursing errors. This topic is not only local, but also has larger dimensions.

Lack of personnel in care

In the context of increasing lack of personnel in geriatric care, the effects are serious. Deutschlandfunk reports that the number of people in need of care in Germany has been increasing annually by an average of 326,000 since 2017. Forecasts indicate that this number will increase to around six million by 2040. This means that the shortage of skilled workers in the nursing industry urgently needs to be tackled in order to meet the increasing demand.

The German nursing council estimates that more than 500,000 nursing staff will be needed by 2034, although around 115,000 jobs are currently vacant. At the same time, studies show that nursing staff are often busy with tasks that could also be done by auxiliary forces, which further reduces efficiency in the care sector.

Technological approaches, such as the Dutch care concept "Buurtzorg", offer new perspectives to optimize care, but are encountered in Germany. In order to counteract the challenges in geriatric care, a comprehensive reform is essential that includes both training and incentive systems for nursing staff.

The current incidents in Tyrol once again illustrate the precarious situation in geriatric care and the need for structural improvements to ensure both the quality of care and working conditions for nursing staff.