Jena (dpa/th) – After a setback due to the corona restrictions, the work of the self-help groups in Thuringia has stabilized again. There are currently an estimated 1,500 self-help groups in the Free State, about as many as before the pandemic that began in spring 2020, said Katrin Wieacker from the state contact point for self-help in Thuringia on request. Although groups are given up again and again – often for reasons of age or lack of members – there are also many new foundations. There are now also self-help groups for those affected by Long Covid, for example in the Eichsfeld district, according to the local district office.
According to various regional contact points, the main problems are caused by the sometimes high average age of the groups and bureaucratic hurdles. Throughout Thuringia, the search for suitable premises is always an obstacle to the work of self-help groups.
Interested parties can contact one of the currently 22 contact points in the districts and urban districts. The work of self-help groups is financially supported, among other things, by the statutory health insurance companies, which are obliged to do so.
