24-Hour-Care
In 2007, the legal conditions for quality-assured 24-hour care were created, and at the same time a corresponding subsidy scheme was developed on the initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The first point of contact for questions on 24-hour care and for making applications is the Sozialministeriumservice with its nine provincial offices.
The most important information is available for download in the following brochure: 24-hour Care at Home – an Overview (in German).
The brochure is also available in an easy read version.
Caring for persons in private households can take place as self-employed or employed work. This is regulated by the labour law for 24-hour carers.
Financial support of 24-hour care
The Ministry of Social Affairs has developed a subsidies model with which benefits for persons in need of care or their family members can be granted from the support fund for people with disabilities. Subsidies are available from care stage 3 as specified in the Federal Long-Term Care Benefit Act.
The subsidy when two self-employed carers are deployed is a maximum of € 640 per month. The subsidy when two employed carers are deployed is a maximum of € 1.280 per month. Care is provided according to the provisions of the Care at Home Act.
Conditions for entitlement to financial support for 24-hour care
In order to obtain financial support for 24-hour care, the following conditions have to be fulfilled:
- A need for (up to) 24-hour care
- Receipt of long-term care benefit at Stage 3 or higher
- Existence of a care relationship (i.e. a formal or informal contract) between a carer and the person in need of care or a family member, or between either of these persons and a non-profit organisation offering care services
- Carers need to be able to prove that they have either completed a theoretical training course (which is essentially the same as that for a home help), or have cared for the person applying for the subsidy in a suitable manner for at least six months. Alternatively, the carer must possess official authorisation for carrying out care work or nursing work.
Income limits for the financial support of 24-hour care
The income of the person in need of care is taken into account during the application process. The maximum earnings limit is € 2500 net per month, whereby benefits such as long-term care benefit, special payments, family allowance, child care benefit and housing benefit are not taken into account. In the case of fluctuating incomes, a twelfth of the income earned within a calendar year is considered to be the person’s monthly income. The maximum income limit increases by € 400 for every family member who is dependent or entitled to maintenance, and by €600 for family members who are disabled and entitled to maintenance. The subsidy is granted independently of the assets of the person in need of care.
The brochures Financial Issues and Rehabilitation from the Ministry of Social Affairs’ EIN:BLICK series are available for download (in German).
The Austrian quality certificate for employment agencies offering 24-hour care services (ÖQZ 24)
Information on the ÖQZ 24 can be viewed in the section Quality Assurance as well as on the website of the ÖQZ 24.