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Altenpflege Many shortcomings in Germany's nursing homes
The majority of German nursing homes have significant quality deficiencies. This has resulted in a comprehensive analysis of the research center correctiv.org, the "World" and the NDR television editorial staff of "The Reportage". Thus, in more than half of the facilities, the residents were not adequately supplied with medication. Also, the supply of food and liquid apparently leaves much to be desired in many cases. Nursing homes in Rhineland-Palatinate achieved the lowest price-performance ratio nationwide in the evaluation. Here, four out of five homes were negative in the annual quality checks of the health insurance companies.
Evaluation of data of all nursing homes
In many German nursing homes, there are apparently massive shortcomings with regard to the care of the elderly. This is the result of a comprehensive research carried out by the research center "Correctiv" in cooperation with the "Welt" and the NDR television editorial staff of "Die Reportage". Half a dozen corrective reporters had spoken to hundreds of people in recent months and evaluated data on all nursing homes in Germany. The reporters have their results now in the book "Everyone cares alone: How it really gets in German homes" together, also shows the NDR television in "The Reportage" on Thursday, a documentation of the research.
A recent research draws a worrying picture of German care institutions. Thus, in many homes, for example, patients are not properly supplied with medication. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com) Nursing notes say little about quality of care
As reported by the employees of "Correctiv", the analysis involved, on the one hand, the breakdown of the so-called "nursing grades", which are awarded annually by the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MDK). These have long been criticized, as 77 different and sometimes less meaningful factors are summarized to an overall rating. As a result, most homes cut "very good" (nationwide grade point average: 1.2), because "a well-readable diet can compensate for a poor handling of drugs," the reporters said in their research report. As a result, the grade actually says very little about the quality of the care.
Food supply often not in accordance with regulations
In order to draw a more realistic picture, Research Center staffs have identified five areas relevant to the care of old and dependent people. These include, for example, the adequate supply of food and liquid, the handling of pain patients and incontinence or the administration of medication. The frightening result: If only these five areas are considered, 60 percent of all homes are negative. According to the report, more than half of the facilities would not provide the elderly and ill residents with proper medication, and in more than 30 percent of the homes, the supply of food and fluids would not be according to the regulations.
Rhineland-Palatinate: A lot of money for the worst care
The evaluation shows that especially in Rhineland-Palatinate the conditions in the homes are often worrying. For here, according to the information, four out of five homes would be negative in terms of the medically relevant part of the care in the annual quality checks of the health insurance. A paradox situation, because in hardly any other federal state so much has to be paid for the care as there. According to Correctiv costs in Rhineland-Palatinate a home in nursing level 3 an average of 3453 euros per month. People in need of care must pay more than 1800 euros themselves. In Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony and Lower Saxony, however, the private copayment is only about half as high and the homes around 1,000 euros cheaper, the report goes on. But why is Rhineland-Palatinate doing so badly? The Rhineland-Palatinate Social Affairs Minister Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler (SPD) on the request of the "world" apparently had no answer. A country comparison of the nursing is "not meaningful," said the politician.
The evaluation also revealed serious differences in terms of staff in the facilities. In Bremen, for example, just under four out of five nurses work part-time, whereas in Saarland this is less than half as many. In some districts, such as The Saale-Orla district in Thuringia, according to the data of the statistical offices, according to even 90 percent of employees work part-time. However, a high proportion of part-time workers can make good care difficult, say the reporters. Because in this case, the residents have several caregivers and it will take more time for votes and handovers needed. Nonetheless, caregivers are often employed by the home operator only part-time, in order to have flexible "jumpers" for possible overtime and emergencies. (No)