Investing in care: experts warn of financial cuts!

Investing in care: experts warn of financial cuts!

In Austria, five organizations from the Federal Free Welfare Association are sounding the alarm. They warn of massive cuts in the social sector, which would only exacerbate existing system errors. Diakonie director Maria Katharina Moser calls for smart investments in care, digitalization and the fight against child poverty. “Every euro invested in long-term care is worth 1.70 euros,” she emphasizes, while warning that savings could lead to higher costs in the health system. In order to find a sustainable solution, Caritas General Secretary Anna Parr appeals to the government to prioritize the implementation of the urgently needed measures to expand mobile care. These could result in significant savings, says Parr.

Gerry Foitik from the Red Cross sees unclaimed savings potential in the focus on prevention and emphasizes that prevention measures should not only be important for healthy people, but must also be applied in care. Volkshilfe director Erich Fenninger warns: “Child poverty costs us all in Austria 17 billion euros a year.” These investments are crucial for the future of our children, which is irrevocably affected by current social policy.

Grow old healthy and independently

The Federal Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent illnesses in old age and to maintain independence. Through regular exercise, a healthy diet and social participation, older people can improve their quality of life and avoid the need for care. According to the principle of “rehab before care”, rehabilitative measures should help to improve the health of older people and reduce the need for care. These measures are determined during the care assessment, whereby individual recommendations are made to improve the living situation. Information about a healthy lifestyle can be found on the relevant health portals that focus on active aging.

The urgent need to invest in both care and health is becoming increasingly clear. In order to defuse the tense situation and ensure the quality of care, smart measures and courageous action by the government are required, as any delay could have serious consequences for society as a whole Small newspaper and Federal Ministry of Health report.