Home care
In Switzerland, home care deals with the care and support for seniors within their own four walls. Professional home care is usually provided by domestic help as part of a 24-hour care and in most cases is carried out by women. The private assistants are at the side of those in need of support with the daily challenges of everyday life. The Pro Senectute Foundation is the central point of contact for advice on home care options in Switzerland . In contrast to this, Spitex takes on health care home care services that are subject to statutory health insurance , including health care, acute care and transitional care. In Germany home care is referred to as outpatient care .
Goal of home care
This type of care for the elderly is about the human need for independence and self-determination. The top priority here is to enable the elderly to wish to stay in their familiar surroundings and social environment for as long as possible and should be seen as an alternative to accommodation in a nursing home.
Non-medical home care
In most cases, this form of home support is provided as part of 24-hour care. These are often middle-aged women of Eastern European origin with housekeeping skills, who are placed in the respective households by personnel service providers. This type of care has been controversial from a socio-political point of view since the 1990s, as the foreign domestic helpers were sometimes placed illegally at the locations, which was also discussed in the media. Since May 1, 2016, the approval for the leasing of personnel in this area has been subject to restrictive regulations that are subject to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Services of this kind are offered by verified private sector providers.
Medical home care
Medical home care or social medical care is usually carried out by nursing staff. The services are usually prescribed by a doctor and most of the costs are borne by the health insurance company. The guidelines for carrying out business activities are set and controlled by the health department of the respective canton. The largest state-approved provider in Switzerland is the nonprofit Spitex.
Burden on relatives
Having a family member in need of support means a time-consuming and, above all, extremely emotional burden for the relatives. This situation often harbors great potential for conflict - not least because of the lack of distance between relatives. Accusations and expectations that are too high can cause symptoms of stress and lead to neglect of one's own life and even to self-abandonment.
Legal basis
- Federal Act on the General Part of Social Insurance Law (ATSG)
- Explanations on the legal basis of care in Zurich
- Regulations and guidelines are formulated in the GAV staff leasing
Individual evidence
- ↑ spitex.ch ; accessed on February 11, 2019
- ↑ SR 830.1 Federal Act of 6 October 2000 on the General Part of Social Insurance Law (ATSG) . In: admin.ch .
- ↑ Care Act . In: zh.ch .
- ^ State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO: GAV for staff leasing . In: admin.ch .