"Urgent Need for Long-term Reform"

An online survey among Austrian municipalities revealed the great importance of the topic of long-term care for mayors. Around two thirds of the municipalities surveyed stated that, in their view, the issue of organising and financing care has so far not been given enough consideration to the needs of the municipal level.

In order to take a more intensive look at the situation and needs at the municipal level, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) was commissioned to carry out a study that is currently being prepared and will be presented in May. "There is an urgent need for reform, as the demand for long-term care services is increasing, partly due to demographics, but also because informal care within families will continue to decline", says Famira-Mühlberger. Against the background of these developments, it is also to be expected that inpatient care will continue to gain in importance, even if politicians are placing their hopes very strongly on mobile models.
 

© Christian Dusek

On 2 March 2020, nursing care expert Famira-Mühlberger also gave a keynote speech to the Vienna Home Commission headed by Sigrid Pilz on the challenges in nursing care. In her speech, she confirmed that a shift towards more mobile care would curb the cost path somewhat but would not be able to prevent a growing demand for inpatient services.