WIdOmonitor: Caring relatives spend an average of 49 hours per week on…

Berlin (ots)

Survey shows: Almost one in four primary carers between the ages of 18 and 65 have reduced or completely given up their employment due to taking on home care

Caring relatives still spend a lot of time providing care at home: While respondents reported 43 hours per week in 2019, in 2023 this number was 49 hours per week for caring activities such as personal care, nutrition, medication and help at night. This high time burden is also relevant with regard to employment: only 46 percent of the main carers of working age work full-time. Of those working part-time, around half say they have reduced their work due to care obligations, and 28 percent have given up employment completely for this reason. These are the central results of a representative survey by nursing level by the Forsa Institute for the WIdOmonitor 2024 of the AOK Scientific Institute (WIdO). For the study, the WIdO surveyed around 1,000 primary caregivers in a home setting in August/September 2023. Since a previous WIdO survey from 2019 is available, statements can be made about the development of the situation of caring relatives over time.

“The stress that arises from nursing and care work was and remains high,” says Dr. Antje Schwinger, head of the nursing research department at WIdO. “This can be seen in the weekly hourly volume and the stress score. One in four respondents said and still states that they are highly stressed and that they “actually can’t cope with the care situation at all anymore” or “only with difficulty”. can.” The measure used to determine the stress is the so-called “Domestic Care Scale” (HPS), which provides comparable values ​​based on ten questions on, among other things, physical exhaustion, life satisfaction and psychological stress. For both 2019 and 2023, the HPS scale showed a high level of stress for almost 26 percent of the carers surveyed. The households most affected are those in which people with dementia or a care level of 3 or more are cared for.

“The survey suggests that the high time commitment of an average of 49 hours per week also has a direct impact on gainful employment and that a work-life-care balance is difficult for many to achieve,” says Schwinger. 52 percent of those working part-time said they had reduced their working hours because of taking on care, and 28 percent of non-working carers said they were employed before taking on care. Overall, 46 percent of the working-age caregivers surveyed were employed full-time and 37 percent were employed part-time. 18 percent said they were not employed. The compatibility problem predominantly affects women, because at 67 percent they make up the majority of the main carers of working age.

Low use of offers to better combine care and work

The WIdOmonitor 2024 also asked about the relief offers created by the legislature to better combine work and care. The majority of those surveyed are aware of these offers, but have hardly taken advantage of them so far. Only 3 percent made use of the option to be fully or partially released from work for up to six months. However, 73 percent of those surveyed are aware of the offer. Slightly more people, at 13 percent, took advantage of the right to be absent from work for up to ten days in an acute care situation while receiving wage replacement benefits, although only around half (55 percent) of the employed primary caregivers surveyed knew their entitlement to benefits.

Outpatient care: Average monthly additional payment of 290 euros

In addition to the time commitment, home care also incurs costs. In the 2023 survey, less than half (45 percent) of participants said there were costs for services such as: B. the nursing service or day care arose that were not covered or reimbursed by the nursing care insurance fund. In 2019, this proportion was slightly lower at 39 percent. The average amount of additional payments increased between 2019 and 2023: in 2019 the personal contribution was around 200 euros, in 2023 it was 290 euros. In 2023, the most was spent on care services (325 euros per month) and day care (299 euros), the least was spent on short-term and preventative care (103 euros/87 euros). However, the variance in financial burdens is significant. The survey shows, among other things, that households in which people with dementia or a higher level of care live pay disproportionately more. However, a higher household income does not go hand in hand with the purchase of more services. Schwinger: “Overall, despite the slightly increased proportion of those who have to make additional payments and despite the slightly increased costs for the additional payments compared to 2019, there is a significantly lower financial burden in home care than in full-time inpatient care. Here the costs were based on length of residence staggered surcharges in 2023 average 874 euros.”

More than one in two primary carers would like more support

However, the majority of those in need of care continue to make little use of the support services available. 32 percent of those surveyed said they had used the nursing service, 34 percent respite care, and 8 percent each day and short-term care. The relief amount for low-threshold services alone is used by one in two (49 percent). Antje Schwinger on the reasons: “According to the survey, the main reason for caregiving relatives not making use of support services is that the person being cared for does not want to be cared for by strangers. In contrast, only a minority cites a lack of local services as a reason, and cost reasons only play a role for around one in five.”

At the same time, those who use the offers wanted more of it: 62.5 percent wanted more help with “personal care, nutrition and mobility” in 2023, compared to 49 percent in 2019. In 2023, 59 percent wanted “help with running the household,” while in 2019 only 50 percent said this. Overall, care households classified as highly burdened according to the HPS scale particularly wanted more relief (91 percent said this); This also applies to those in which relatives with dementia (69 percent) or a care level greater than 2 (68 percent) are cared for. Schwinger: “The situation in outpatient care is still not satisfactory – not overall, however, but in relation to households with specific constellations of needs. Questions about needs, accuracy and relief effects of outpatient care services must be prioritized on the reform agenda. It would be conceivable, for example, to introduce Home care communities or the expansion of neighborhood help and civic engagement.”

Notes for editors:

The results are based on a survey of around 1,000 adult primary caregivers via the forsa.omninet online panel. People who care for and look after people in their own home were surveyed. The complete results including graphics can be found here: https://ots.de/2aRvsi https://ots.de/AKJaPA

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Original content from: AOK Scientific Institute, transmitted by news aktuell