More and more nurses are turning their backs on Austria. Because the job no longer pays off financially.
A 24-hour service for 80 euros gross. This is currently the average wage for self-employed 24-hour informal carers. In Austria there are about 62,000, mainly from Eastern Europe, who care for 40,000 people in need of care.
No pay rise in 15 years
Monika Kovacs (43) is one of them. She takes care of her client in Vienna, is from Serbia. “My daughter has started her studies. I decided to do this work to fund it,” she says. But wages have not increased for 15 years – since 2007, the government subsidy has been 550 euros per month. The customer pays the rest himself.
3000 caregivers left Austria
“We demand a valorisation of the funding,” says Kovacs. In the past two years, 3,000 informal carers have already stopped. It no longer pays to be away from your family for weeks on end.
Support comes from the Chamber of Commerce and the president of the professional association “Personal guidance and personal care”, Andreas Herz, who advocates an increase in funding of 900 euros per month – to prevent the shortage of nurses.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
