Your free care platform: simple, fair & direct with noracares

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Nora Peneder, Founder & CEO of noracares

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The content in the noracares blog is created by the content team and editorially reviewed by Nora Peneder. noracares connects people seeking care and qualified caregivers in Austria with an intelligent matching system.

Reviewed by the noracares expert team – nursing educators & HR experts.

More about Nora & noracares

Are you looking for care or would you like to offer care? At noracares, you will be quickly and easily connected with suitable caregivers or people in need of care. We show you step by step how to find the right job as a caregiver or 24-hour care worker, or the right support as a family.

More and more people in Austria are searching online for a care platform to quickly, legally, and transparently find care for relatives – or to discover suitable jobs as a caregiver.

• But what exactly is a care platform?
• What types are there?
• What does it cost?
• Is it legal?
• And how does it differ from care agencies or government portals?

This guide gives you the complete overview – including regional offers, legal framework conditions, and why digital platforms like noracares are now the preferred solution for many families.

Imagine a modern care platform as a digital marketplace or an “intelligent compass.” While in the past people had to painstakingly call through phone lists or rely on recommendations, today a platform brings together the entire care ecosystem in one central place.

The digital link in the care jungle

At its core, a care platform is an efficient matching tool: It directly brings together people looking for support with suitable caregivers or providers. In doing so, it does not act as a rigid service provider, but as a dynamic intermediary that brings transparency to a market that is often difficult to navigate.

Depending on its focus, the platform takes on different roles:

• The guide: Providing neutral information (often through government portals).
• The price comparison tool: Direct comparison of costs and services of various homes or services.
• The organizer: Coordination of home care and help with getting everyday life started.
• The job board: A meeting place where caregivers and searching families can find each other directly and flexibly.

The distinction: Who does what?

To better understand the role of the platform, it helps to take a look at the differences from classic models:

In a nutshell: While the care service performs the actual work on the patient, the platform is the digital bridge that ensures help arrives exactly where it is needed – efficiently, transparently, and in a modern way.

At the beginning, many families face the fundamental question: Should I hand over the search completely to a traditional agency, or choose the digital route via a platform? While agencies often present themselves as an “all-inclusive carefree package,” reality shows that the loss of control and high ancillary costs often become a burden.

The direct comparison makes it clear why more and more people are taking control of their care themselves:

In a nutshell: With an agency, you are mainly paying for administration – with noracares, your money flows directly into the quality of care. You not only save costs, but also regain the freedom to decide for yourself who moves into your home.

In both countries, the digital care landscape has developed rapidly. If you are faced with the task of organizing care, you will come across various “digital helpers.” Even if the laws in Vienna are different from those in Berlin – families’ needs are the same.

Here is your compass through the four most important types of care platforms:

Government information portals

Imagine these portals as a digital encyclopedia or the official citizens’ office. They are your first point of contact for legally reliable facts – neutral and trustworthy.

• In Austria: You can learn everything about care allowance and support for caring relatives.

Example: pflege.gv.at or the portals of the individual federal states (e.g. gesundheit.steiermark.at).

• In Germany: Here, everything revolves around care levels, benefits from the care insurance fund, and assessments by the MDK.

Example: pflegebevollmaechtigter.de or the official portal of the Federal Ministry of Health (bundesgesundheitsministerium.de).

• Your benefit: Maximum seriousness and neutral knowledge without any sales intention.

Search & comparison portals

These platforms function like an industry directory with a filtering function. They list hundreds of providers – from nursing homes and mobile services to specialized therapy centers.

• What they do: You can compare facilities by region, cost, or amenities.
• Your benefit: A quick overview of available places near you, often supplemented by reviews from other families.

Networks & Care Apps

These are the industry’s social meeting places and tools. They are often aimed at caregivers themselves or family caregivers looking for exchange.

• What they do: Exchange in forums, continuing education offers, or apps for care documentation and organizing everyday care (e.g. medication planners).
• Your benefit: You are not alone. You find like-minded people for everyday tips or (as a professional) new career opportunities.

Digital Matching Platforms (Direct Matching)

Here we leave pure information behind and move into action. These platforms are digital bridge-builders that connect families and self-employed caregivers directly with each other – without the detour through a traditional agency.

This is where noracares comes in: noracares is not a rigid agency, but an intelligent system that connects you directly with vetted caregivers. You create a profile, specify your wishes, and an algorithm (Nora) shows you exactly the people who are a good human and professional fit for you. You negotiate directly and transparently – without hidden placement fees.

At a glance: Which platform suits you?

Ms. Hendrik’s father, a passionate gardener from Graz, comes home from the hospital after a fractured neck of the femur. Suddenly, the familiar independence is gone. Mobility is limited, and the fear of being alone is growing – for him and for his daughter. Ms. Hendrik is faced with the “care jungle”: agencies are expensive, and the waiting lists are long.

This is exactly where the noracares care platform becomes a lifesaving anchor. It is like a digital marketplace that finds the “puzzle piece” that fits exactly into the gap in your family life.

The way out of overwhelm: step by step toward renewed confidence

Whether it is about sudden care after a fall, loving support for dementia or support with increasing frailty – the path on a platform is clearly structured and takes the burden of organization off your shoulders:

1. Define your needs: You specify what your loved one really needs. Is it help with cooking and dressing? Does someone need to be on site at night? What does the budget look like?
2. Discover suitable profiles: Instead of trusting blindly, you see faces and résumés. You filter by language skills, experience with dementia, or special qualifications.
3. Getting to know each other: You have the first conversations through the platform. Here the “gut feeling” counts – is the chemistry right between the caregiver and your relative?
4. The conscious decision: You choose the person you have the best feeling about. No assignment from above, but a decision from one person to another.
5. Contract & start: The platform supports you with the formalities so that care can begin legally and without complications.

Why this path is often the best for relatives

While traditional care services often only come for short visits (such as administering medication), a platform makes it possible to organize real quality time.

An example from everyday life: Through targeted matching on a platform, Ms. Hendrik found caregiver Lukas, who also enjoys gardening. Today, Ms. Hendrik’s father and Lukas sit together on the terrace planning the raised bed – a form of quality of life that no standard care package in the world can capture.

Lian’s mother, who always proudly managed her household, is becoming forgetful. The diagnosis of dementia hits you like a blow, and suddenly it becomes clear: living alone is no longer possible, but a home is out of the question for her. Lian wants someone for her mother who is truly there. Not just for ten minutes to give a tablet, but for coffee together, safety at night, and the familiar feeling of being in her own four walls.

This is exactly where 24-hour care through a platform becomes the “perfect match.” It is as if you are regaining control over your family life instead of handing it over to an anonymous agency.

The "live-in" model: More than just care

In this model, a caregiver moves directly into your relative’s home. This is often called rotational care, because usually two people alternate in a rhythm of two to four weeks. On a platform, you have a direct line to these people.

Why the digital way makes the difference for you:

• Direct communication instead of a “telephone game”: You chat or talk on the phone directly with potential caregivers. You immediately sense whether the chemistry is right, without an intermediary in between who barely knows the people themselves.
• Selection based on real criteria: You specifically look for someone who speaks perfect German, has experience with dementia, or maybe even shares a hobby with your father. The qualifications can be viewed transparently.
• Transparent costs: No more guessing. On the platform, you can usually see at a glance what the care costs. Since expensive agency overhead does not have to be financed, more money goes directly to the caregiver – and it remains affordable for you.
• Security through verified profiles: Platforms like noracares verify the identity and credentials of caregivers in advance, so you can open the door with peace of mind.

Another example: Markus was desperately looking for 24-hour help for his father in Innsbruck. Through a platform, he found Elena. She is a trained cook and comes from Romania. During the first video call, both laughed at the same joke – and today, three months later, they cook dumplings together every Tuesday. Markus knows: his father is not only “taken care of,” but in company.

24-hour care via platform is therefore not an impersonal service package, but the modern way to bring human closeness and professional help in a fully individual way into your home.

Ana is an experienced caregiver with heart who is fed up with anonymous agencies deciding over her head where she travels, who she lives with, and how much of her hard-earned fee ends up sticking with others. She loves her profession, but wants to regain control over her own life.

This is exactly where a modern care platform becomes the digital partner for freedom and fairness.

Your workplace, your rules: The new self-image

A platform is not a strict boss for you, but a modern marketplace where your competence and your personality take center stage. You do not work for a system; you use the system for yourself.

This is how a platform like noracares changes your working day:

• Find the perfect family: You do not browse dusty files, but scroll through profiles of families who are looking for exactly your help. You decide: Is the chemistry right? Do I like dogs? Would I like to work in a city like Vienna or rather in the countryside?
• Real fairness in your wallet: Since no expensive administrative apparatus is interposed, you negotiate your fees directly. That means: fair pay that reaches you one-to-one, because the platform creates transparency instead of swallowing hidden fees.
• Flexibility that breathes with you: You plan your assignments (your rotation) in a way that fits your life. Do you need two full months off in the summer for your own family? On the platform, you communicate that openly and find families who are looking for exactly that rhythm.
• Safe and legal: You do not work in a gray area. The platform supports you in ensuring that all framework conditions for your self-employment in Austria are right. That gives you the security to focus fully on what matters most: the person.

An example from practice: Ana used a traditional agency in the past and often felt like a number. Then she switched to a care platform. There she found the Leitner family. In her profile, she wrote honestly: “I love classical music and am passionate about cooking.”

Today she cares for Mr. Leitner. In the afternoons, the two listen to opera recordings together, and Ana receives a fee that truly appreciates her qualifications. When she returns home after three weeks, she knows exactly when her next assignment starts – because she booked it herself.

Whether you are looking for support or want to start a care job: with noracares, only three simple steps lead you to your goal.

Step 1: Registration & profile creation

Your registration is completed in just a few minutes. Your profile is your digital business card:

• For caregivers: Show what makes you stand out! Mention specializations (e.g. dementia), your experience, and add a friendly photo.
• For families: Describe exactly what kind of help you need (e.g. 24-hour care or hourly help) and which values are important to you.

[Pro tip: Keep your profile up to date. A fresh photo and current availabilities massively increase your chances of a perfect match.]

The noracares security check: Trust is good, verification is better

We know: anyone who opens the door to their home needs security. That is why noracares is not an anonymous database, but a system with a “safety net.” Every profile goes through our multi-stage verification process:

• Identity check (ID check): We verify the identity of caregivers to ensure that behind every profile there is a real, verified person.
• Qualification proof: Certificates, diplomas, and references are stored in the profile. You can see in black and white what professional expertise they bring.
• Business license check: We support the review of the legal framework conditions (e.g. an active business license in Austria) so that the collaboration is legal from the very beginning.
• Real feedback: The rating system allows families to share their experiences. This transparency ensures that quality and warmth are rewarded.

Step 2: Finding instead of Searching

Use noracares like an intelligent compass. Our filters help you avoid wasting time:

• Filter families by region, qualifications, and language to immediately see the right people.
• Caregivers find requests that match their desired work model (rotation, working hours) and expertise.

Step 3: Get to Know Each Other & Make Arrangements

When the chemistry feels right in the profile, it is time for the first contact:

1. The “Hello”: Write a direct message through our secure system.
2. The exchange: Use our communications hub for chats or video calls to clarify details and get to know each other.
3. The arrangement: Does everything fit? Then you clarify your collaboration directly – from the tasks to the start date. Safe, direct, and without detours.

Care is not a question of distance, but of closeness. Whether you live in the Tyrolean Alps, in the flat Burgenland, on the North Sea coast, or in the urban areas around Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, or Berlin – a care platform overcomes geographic hurdles and brings help directly into your living room.

Why regional search is crucial

Although the care systems in Austria and Germany have different names (such as care allowance in Austria or care grades in Germany), they have one thing in common: support must work locally.

A modern platform like noracares understands these regional nuances:

• State-specific: Whether it is about the special subsidies in the state of Styria or care counseling in North Rhine-Westphalia – digital search allows you to find experts who are familiar with your specific region and the local conditions there.
• Short distances, quick help: With radius search, you can find caregivers who are already working in your state. This not only makes travel easier, but often communication too – because a familiar dialect can often be a wonderful door opener for trust in care.
• Borderless possibilities: Especially in border regions, the platform offers the advantage of looking beyond the horizon and finding cross-border solutions that would previously have remained invisible in the analog jungle.

An example from practice

The Bergmann family from Salzburg urgently needs help, while the Schmidt family from Saxony is facing the same challenge. Both use the platform not to find just “anyone,” but someone who knows the regional structures and perhaps even comes from nearby.

While the Bergmann family finds someone who understands the Salzburg care landscape, the Schmidt family benefits from a caregiver who is familiar with Saxon relief services. The platform is the tool that matches local needs with tailored profiles.

At a glance: Your regional advantage

What does care cost? This question is often the first thought when families plan support. Since care platforms like noracares are not rigid agencies but create individual connections, there is no “off-the-shelf price.” Instead, you decide your budget yourself.

Here is an overview of the cost factors and subsidies in Austria and Germany.

What do the costs depend on?

No matter where you live, these five factors determine the price:

1. Hours required: Hourly everyday assistance (e.g. 10 hours/week) is naturally cheaper than 24-hour care, where the caregiver lives with you.
2. Qualifications: An experienced professional with special knowledge (e.g. palliative care or dementia expertise) has a higher fee than a general caregiver.
3. Language skills: Very good language skills are often slightly more expensive, as communication runs more smoothly.
4. Travel costs: Especially with 24-hour care, travel costs arise for rotation changes (usually every 2–4 weeks).
5. Platform model at noracares:

• No hidden fees: Since noracares is not a traditional agency, your payments go directly to the caregiver. There are no high monthly agency margins.
• Transparent subscription: Caregivers as well as care seekers and families use a fair subscription model to find jobs.

[Read more about care costs for 24-hour care here.]

The price check: Care without hidden costs

Search queries for “care without hidden costs” reached a record high in 2026. The reason is simple: many families realize too late that with traditional agencies they pay a high monthly “administration fee” that never reaches the caregiver.

A concrete calculation example (annual comparison):

Your message: Save up to 5,000 euros per year in pure placement fees. With noracares, this money is not lost – you can instead invest it directly in a higher fee for your caregiver. This leads to higher motivation for the caregiver and noticeably better quality of care.

Subsidies & care allowance (as of 2026)

The biggest advantage of a legal care platform is that you can fully make use of all government subsidies.

In Austria (AT)

Here, care allowance is your most important building block. In 2026, it looks like this:

• Care levels: Range from level 1 (approx. 206 euros) to level 7 (approx. 2,215 euros).
• 24-hour subsidy: If you organize a 24-hour care arrangement (from care level 3), you also receive up to 800 euros (for two self-employed caregivers) or even 1,600 euros (for employed caregivers) per month.

In Germany (DE)

In Germany, support is based on the care grade. As of 2026:

• Care allowance: With private home care, you receive, for example, approx. 347 euros in care grade 2 and approx. 990 euros in care grade 5.
• Combination benefit: You can combine care allowance with in-kind care benefits (for professional care services).
• Respite care: For vacation or illness of the caregiver, an annual budget (shared annual amount) of approx. 3,539 euros is available to you.

[You can find more about care allowance here:

Austria

Germany]

The issue of legality is the foundation of stable care. Those who save money in the wrong place or rely on “grey markets” risk not only heavy fines, but also lose entitlement to state support such as care allowance or tax relief.

Here you will learn how, with a reputable platform like noracares, you can stay on the safe side and effectively avoid illegal employment.

Provide Care Legally: Your Guide Against Illegal Employment

In Austria and Germany, there are clear rules for how care at home must be organized. A good platform is your shield against legal risks by ensuring transparency in employment relationships.

The Two Paths: Self-Employed or Employed?

There are essentially two legal models for employing a caregiver:

• The Self-Employment Model (Trade License): In Austria, this is the standard for 24-hour care. The caregiver has a trade license (personal care) and is responsible for their own social insurance (SVS).
• Direct Employment: You become the employer yourself (private household). Here, you must register the caregiver with the health insurance fund, pay wage tax, and comply with statutory rest periods.
• Posting: Here, the caregiver is employed by a company in another EU country and is posted to AT or DE. In this case, the A1 form is mandatory as proof of social insurance in the country of origin.

Contracts and Documentation

Illegal employment often begins where payment is made “with a handshake.” A reputable platform helps you create clear conditions:

• Service Contract: For self-employed caregivers, there must be a written contract governing services, fees, and notice periods.
• Invoicing Requirement: Fees should never be paid in cash without a receipt. Only with a proper invoice can you deduct the costs for tax purposes or apply for subsidies.

Registration and Contributions

• Austria: Self-employed personal caregivers must register their trade with the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and insure themselves with the SVS . As a family, you should ask to see confirmation of valid insurance coverage.
• Germany: In the case of direct employment (including in the mini-job sector), registration via the Minijob Center or the health insurance fund is mandatory. Only then is insurance coverage for workplace accidents in place.

The Risk of False Self-Employment

A critical point in Google searches: when is a self-employed person actually a hidden employee?

• Important: Self-employed caregivers must be able to decide largely independently how they work (within the framework of the agreement) and ideally be able to work for several clients (rotation model). A platform helps preserve this independence through clear contract design.

[Here you can find your personal checklist for download.]

noracares is more than a database – it is the direct path to care that remains human while still working in a modern way. Here you benefit from three crucial pillars:

Directness & Full Transparency

No more detours through expensive agencies. With us, you speak directly with people.

• Your budget: Since there are no monthly agency fees, 100 percent of your money goes to the caregiver. That is fair and saves you real money.
• Your choice: You decide, based on personal fit and qualifications, who comes into your home. No assignments, but a genuine getting-to-know-each-other.

Tailored Flexibility

Life is not rigid, and your care should not be either.

• Tailor-made models: Whether hourly support, holiday cover, or 24-hour care – you filter exactly by the time model you need right now.
• Regional search: Find help directly in your federal state. This saves travel costs and ensures faster solutions thanks to geographic proximity.

Security & Trust

We create the framework so that you can focus on what matters most: the care.

• Verified profiles: We rely on verification so that you only come into contact with reputable and qualified caregivers.
• Legally secure framework: We support you in organizing care in Austria and Germany legally and transparently so that you can make full use of all state support.

With noracares, you can quickly and easily find the right caregiver or family that exactly matches your needs – and initially completely free of charge. Whether you are a caregiver looking for a new job or a family in need of support, the platform offers everything you need for a successful care partnership: from a detailed profile and precise search and filter functions to a secure communication center. Registration is simple, and all functions are available to you immediately. Whether for intensive 24-hour care, hourly help, or specialized care – noracares opens the doors to your ideal care solution.

Do you want to be part of it? Then do not hesitate any longer and sign up for noracares now! Experience how easy care placement or the search for caregivers or a suitable care job can be.

Secure direct access to verified caregivers now and save yourself the agency fees. [Register for free]

• A1 Form – An official EU document that confirms in which country a caregiver is socially insured. It is mandatory when posting from another EU country to Austria or Germany.
• Caregiver – A person who supports people in need of care in everyday life – e.g. with personal hygiene, household tasks, mobility, or social companionship. They can work as self-employed or employed.
• Direct Matching – The direct digital matching of families and caregivers through a platform, without the detour through a traditional agency.
• Service Contract – A written contract between a family and a self-employed caregiver that clearly regulates services, fees, and notice periods. A prerequisite for legal and tax-deductible care.
• Posting – An employment model in which a caregiver is sent by a company in another EU country to Austria or Germany. Social insurance remains in the country of origin and is proven by the A1 form.
• Trade License (Personal Care) – The official trade authorization in Austria that self-employed caregivers need in order to work legally. Issued by the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO).
• Household-Related Service – A tax category in Germany under which care services may fall. Up to 4,000 euros per year can be deducted directly from tax.
• Fee – The direct payment a caregiver receives for their care services. At noracares, the fee goes 100 percent to the caregiver – without agency deductions.
• Combined Benefit – In Germany, the option to use care allowance (for private care) and care benefits in kind (for professional care services) at the same time and combine them with each other.
• Matching – The process by which a platform brings together families and caregivers in the best possible way based on qualifications, wishes, and personal characteristics.
• Minijob Center – The responsible body in Germany for registering household helpers or caregivers as part of a mini-job. Registration is mandatory and ensures insurance coverage for workplace accidents.
• Care Agency – A traditional intermediary that places caregivers with families and often charges high monthly fees for doing so. In contrast to the platform, the agency selects the caregiver.
• Care Allowance – A monthly, tax-free cash benefit from the state to help finance home care. In Austria there are 7 care levels, in Germany 5 care grades.
• Care Platform – A digital marketplace that connects families and caregivers directly with each other – transparently, flexibly, and without expensive middlemen.
• False Self-Employment – A legal risk that arises when a self-employed caregiver effectively works like an employee. Indicators include, for example, fixed working hours, being bound by instructions, and having only a single client.
• SVS (Social Insurance for the Self-Employed) – The responsible insurance institution in Austria for self-employed caregivers with a trade license. They are required to insure themselves there.
• Rotational Care – A care model in which two caregivers alternate regularly (usually every 2–4 weeks) in 24-hour care.
• Verification – The process by which noracares checks a caregiver's identity, qualifications, and legal prerequisites before the profile becomes visible to families.
• Respite Care – A benefit in Germany that steps in when the regular caregiver is temporarily unavailable (e.g. due to vacation or illness). The annual budget in 2026 is approximately 3,539 euros.
• WKO (Austrian Economic Chamber) – The official representative body of Austrian businesses. Self-employed caregivers must register their trade here.