"Support for Caregivers Urged to Increase"
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the need for care is on the rise, and caring relatives will play a central role in ensuring good care and a dignified final stage of life. SPD politician Sonja Bongers, the Chair of the SPD City Council fraction and a member of the NRW state parliament, has put forth several proposals to address this issue.
Bongers advocates for the abolition of the surcharge for childless caring relatives, believing that their contributions to caregiving should be recognised and rewarded. She also emphasises the need for municipalities to be supported financially and personally to improve the care infrastructure. This support could take the form of investments in the development of care hotels and short-term care places.
Bongers believes that improvements in care can be made by creating more care places and care hotels. She suggests a state program to promote short-term, day, and night care places, which would provide respite for family carers, enabling them temporary relief from caregiving duties. Bongers also supports full wage compensation for caring relatives who reduce their working hours.
Recognising the importance of scientific research in shaping care policy, Bongers proposes commissioning a suitably qualified institute for applied nursing research to scientifically accompany the current GemeindeSchwesterPlus models and evaluate them at the end of the project. This research would help obtain valid data about care needs and inform future policy decisions.
Bongers also suggests establishing a Bundesrat initiative to better represent the interests of caring relatives. She believes that increasing the care allowance would make significant progress, but does not mention any changes regarding pensions for caring relatives or the surcharge for childless caring relatives in her proposals.
In addition, Bongers calls for comprehensive relief, advisory, and support measures for caring relatives. She emphasises the need for municipalities to be supported financially and personally to improve the care infrastructure.
While the current publicly available search results do not provide specific information on proposed policies or initiatives in NRW that address care needs, particularly with respect to the roles of caring relatives, pension payments for carers, or the establishment of care hotels, relevant initiatives often include support for caring relatives, legislative or funding measures to incentivise family caregivers, and the development of care hotels and short-term care places.
For precise current policies and initiatives, official North Rhine-Westphalia government or health ministry communications, or state-level care strategy documents should be consulted.
- Sonja Bongers, an SPD politician, advocates for the abolition of the surcharge for childless caring relatives, acknowledging their valuable contributions to caregiving.
- Bongers proposes the establishment of more care places and care hotels to enhance the care infrastructure and provide respite for family caregivers.
- She suggests a state program to promote short-term, day, and night care places, which would aid family caregivers by offering temporary relief from caregiving duties.
- Bongers also emphasizes the need for scientific research to accompany current care models, seeking to obtain valid data about care needs and inform future policy decisions.
- In addition, Bongers calls for comprehensive relief, advisory, and support measures for caring relatives, requesting financial and personal support for municipalities to improve the care infrastructure.
- While specific policies and initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia addressing care needs, particularly related to caring relatives, pension payments for carers, or the establishment of care hotels, are not extensively covered in publicly available search results, relevant initiatives often include support for caring relatives, legislative or funding measures to incentivize family caregivers, and the development of care hotels and short-term care places.
