Aus den Augen, nicht aus dem Sinn - Wie Angehörige Unterstützung bei der Pflege leisten können

Many don't know how they can contribute in this situation and feel overwhelmed. This is also the case for Sonja, who is trying to find a way to support her mother in her home environment.

Sonja's balance between work, family and care 

Sonja is a woman in her mid-forties who has both feet firmly on the ground. She has worked her way up the career ladder in her company over the last twenty years, and not without diligence.

Like many family carers in Lower Austria, she spends her already very limited free time with her husband and two daughters. Last but not least, she visits her single mother at least once every two weeks to support her.

The first signs of the need for care

As much as Sonja likes to lose herself in her job, there are some things she can no longer ignore: 

that her mother usually greets her with the words "You haven't been home for months", that she often chooses the wrong doors in her own house and always says goodbye to her daughter with her sister's name, whereupon Sonja drives home with an increasingly anxious feeling 

Slowly, but clearly, an unmistakable fact emerges: Your mom will, sooner rather than later, need support.

In Lower Austria, relatives can receive care allowance from at least level 3, which provides necessary financial relief for many families.

The inner turmoil

Sonja already has countless questions on her mind. How much can and should you contribute to supporting relatives? How can you find a compromise between family, work and your own health? What do you owe your close relatives anyway?

In the province of Lower Austria there are some support measures that can help Sonja and other family caregivers to fulfill their duties.

The right intention

Sonja is aware that she owes a lot to her mother, who has lovingly cared for her all her life. She remembers all the costs her parents went to in order to bring her up. 

The importance of gratitude

Not only in a material sense, but also in an emotional sense. Starting with the provision of maintenance, through the granting of an education, to emotional care and, last but not least, financial support. Without her parents, she would certainly not be in a leading position in her company today. Caring with heart is an attitude that Sonja has always maintained.

She knows that helping her mother care for her is a way to give back some of that care. This mentality of gratitude is extremely important because many caregivers act out of a wrong impulse. They feel guilty towards those who raised them and therefore feel obligated to provide support. Care at home tips for relatives can be a great help here.

However, if you want to be a real help to your loved ones in the long term, you should abandon this attitude. A sense of responsibility that stems from guilt serves neither you nor the person you are caring for and will only lead to overload and emotional stress in the long term.

Making a contribution - caregiver leave

Realistically speaking, many people in employment will not be able to take care of their relatives themselves and work at the same time. In this case, taking time off work to provide care can be a good way of providing support, particularly in acute situations, but also for the actual care itself.

This is a daily or hourly leave of absence with normal remuneration, which is often associated with cases of illness of one's own children, but is not limited to this. 

It can also be claimed for all close relatives, including spouses, partners, (grand)parents and (great)grandchildren, provided that no other suitable person can take over, i.e. only if the carer is not present. Furthermore, both must live in the same household.

Conditions and entitlement for family caregivers in Lower Austria

The possibility of care leave can be particularly relevant if professional carers are only used occasionally, especially at the beginning. In total, employees are entitled to one week of care leave equal to the weekly working hours per year. For full-time employment, this would therefore correspond to 40 hours.

Support for decision-making

However, support for relatives in need of care goes far beyond physical assistance. Especially when it comes to choosing the right carer, you can actively support them, because it is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Care agencies in Austria offer various options that should be carefully considered.

Together, you can better navigate the agency jungle to find reputable and, above all, affordable nursing staff. Together, you can also think about the type of care or support and personal needs can also be better communicated with support, which is just as important.

However, one should not assume guardianship, but only guide, advise and support the person concerned in making decisions.

Emotional support

Emotional support is just as important as choosing the right caregiver. Ageing still has a very negative connotation and is difficult to accept for many of those affected. It is not easy to admit to yourself that you can no longer do certain things on your own and the thought of having support with everyday tasks can be overwhelming.

It is a process that the person concerned should not be left to go through alone. Animals in care, for example, can play a positive role here.

Dealing with emotional needs

For this very reason, it is important that relatives are always there to lend a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to lean on, even if the actual care is provided by a professional. If emotional needs are not addressed, those affected can quickly feel worthless or like they are being pushed away.

At the same time, there is also the other extreme: especially when dealing with dementia, many people fall into a certain pattern and begin to address and treat the affected person like a child. But a person with dementia is also an adult and this should not be forgotten.

Financial relief for family caregivers in Lower Austria

Not least, the occurrence of the need for care also raises the central question of financing. In this area, help can be provided on the one hand through joint information and on the other hand through financial support.

The financing of care costs

In the first instance, the care costs are borne by the person receiving care and covered by the pension or other income. There is also the option of receiving state care allowance at level 1 or higher, which can provide additional financial support.

Many of those affected are entitled to at least level 1 care allowance, but it can be difficult to submit the relevant applications and find your way around. Care levels Austria Dementia provides a helpful overview of this topic.

This is a graduated model that is linked to a minimum care requirement of 65 hours of care per month. The higher the requirement, the higher the subsidy.

There are seven levels in total. You can read more about this in this article

Apart from this, the remaining costs are covered by the private funds of the person in need of care, i.e. by their pension and other income. In order to relieve the burden on the state and those affected, relatives are therefore advised to take on the financing of the costs if their financial situation allows.

In a nutshell - What can family caregivers in Lower Austria do?

The Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Abteilung Soziales und Generationenförderung , offers information and support for this purpose.

 

With these facts in mind, Sonja can clearly see that she will never be able to fully support her mother on her own. But that's okay, because there are plenty of ways in which she can make an equally valuable contribution. 

 

After all, it is not only a personal concern of hers, but it is equally a social task to guarantee every person a dignified life in old age.

 

And apart from that: What would you want from your family when you get older?