Better pay for nursing staff should increase the attractiveness of the nursing profession. But that also has an impact on the private costs for nursing home places. The substitute health insurance association in MV sees further need for action in politics.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) – The Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds (vdek) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania expects significantly higher burdens for home residents as a result of rising energy prices and the mandatory tariff payment in geriatric care since Thursday. “Due to the developments, the risk of poverty is increasing for those in need of care,” stated vdek country manager Kirsten Jüttner on Thursday in Schwerin. She called for further measures to reduce costs for those in need of care from politicians. This includes the assumption of investment costs for nursing homes by the state, as is already regulated by law in the hospital sector.
In July, the substitute health insurance association presented calculations according to which the costs for nursing home places in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania rose more than in all other federal states. According to this, in the middle of the year the personal contribution for a place in a home in the north-east was 1828 euros per month on average. That was 132 euros more than at the beginning of this year. On a nationwide average, the contributions calculated for home residents rose by 69 to 2,248 euros per month. However, the co-payments were lower in real terms because the federal government has been paying home residents a subsidy for care and support since January 1st – staggered according to the length of stay. According to Jüttner, the relief effect for residents who have lived in the home for less than a year has already “fizzed”.
The home costs are only partially covered by the nursing care insurance funds. The personal contributions to be paid by the residents are made up of three items. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, an average of 836 euros is currently charged for care and support, 655 euros for room and food and 337 euros per month as an investment flat rate.
Since nursing facilities and nursing services have had to pay their staff according to collective agreements or similar and thus better since September 1st in order to be able to continue to bill the nursing care funds, a noticeable increase in costs is expected. Jüttner welcomed the income improvements. “This will increase the attractiveness of the nursing profession and consequently have a positive impact on the personnel situation,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, around 20,000 people live in nursing homes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to calculations by the German pension insurance, the average pension in the north-east is around 1300 euros a month.
