Quality Assurance
To ensure quality in home care, home visits to recipients of care allowance, as well as mandatory visits to those receiving subsidies for 24-hour care are carried out for the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs. The aim of the home visits is to assess the home care situation of individuals in need of care, to provide advise and to offer support.
Quality assurance by means of home visits
To ensure the quality of home care, home visits are carried out for the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs. These visits are free of charge and voluntary for care allowance recipients and mandatory for those receiving subsidies for 24-hour care. The aim of the visits is to assess the actual care situation, provide information, guidance and support. The visits are conducted by qualified health and nursing professionals.
The Competence Center for Quality Assurance in Home Care was established at the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (Sozialversicherungsanstalt der Selbstständigen). It organises and coordinates home visits for all recipients of long-term care allowance.
The assessment of care situations is based on a concept developed by the Research Institute for Economics of Aging at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. It considers six key areas of life that can be influenced by support and care: functional living conditions, personal hygiene, medical and nursing care, nutrition including fluid intake, hygienic living conditions as well as activities/occupations/social life. The assessment scale is presented in the table below.
| Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| A | The person is cared for fully and reliably |
| B | Minor reduction of quality of life; needs are not completely covered |
| C+ | Their mental/physical health could be impaired if the situation does not improve |
| C- | Their mental/physical health is impaired. |
Qualified health and nursing professionals assess the situation in the six key areas using a standardised situation report.
Data on home visits to as well as information on the care situation, are available on the website of the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed.
Home Visits on Demand for Care Allowance Recipients
Since 2015, it is possible to request a free home visit by a qualified nurse from the Competence Centre for Quality Assurance in Home Care. These home visits on demand can be requested free of charge by email at wunschhausbesuch@svqspg.at or by calling +50 808 20 87.
Quality assurance in 24-hour care
Mandatory Home Visits for Recipients of Subsidies in 24-hour Care
As part of quality assurance in home care, mandatory home visits are carried out for all recipients of a 24-hour care subsidy. These visits are a prerequisite for receiving the subsidy for 24-hour care.
The visits contribute to quality assurance and are a low-threshold advisory service for recipients. In this way, they contribute to improve the quality of care provision and support.
Home visits in the context of 24-hour care are commissioned on a case-by-case basis by the Social Ministry Service (SMS). The Competence Center for Quality Assurance in Home Care coordinates and organises these visits.
Expansion of Home Visits in 24-Hour Care
Home visits by qualified nursing staff have been expanded to up to four visits per year. This ensures continuous support by qualified personnel and improves the quality of care in the home environment. Recipients of 24-hour care subsidies, as well as their relatives and close contacts, receive more frequent counselling and comprehensive information through the expansion of home visits.
Further information
• 24-hour care on the website of the Social Ministry Service (German Only)
• Competence Centre for Quality Assurance in Home Care (German Only)
The Austrian quality certificate for employment agencies offering 24-hour care services ÖQZ 24)
The Austrian quality certificate for employment agencies offering 24-hour care services is an important measure in relation to quality assurance. The certificate is intended to improve the situation of all those involved and in this way to contribute towards a sustainable increase in the quality of care and support. Further information is available in the section on ÖQZ 24.