Enforcing enhanced home care for residents of NRW requires a crackdown on the illicit employment of nursing professionals.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, a significant shortage of nursing professionals has been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. This crisis, according to Sonja Bongers, Chair of the SPD City Council fraction and a member of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament, has highlighted the fragility of the black economy in home care provision.
Experts estimate that nine out of ten nursing and care workers from abroad in home care are employed illegally and underpaid. The German Institute for Applied Nursing Research and the social association VdK suggest that this extends nationwide, with around 500,000 illegal employment relationships involving foreign nursing professionals. In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, the estimate is 125,000.
The lack of legal certainty in home care is a current problem, affecting not only those in need of care and their families, but also the employees themselves. The Corona pandemic has further emphasised the need for action, as many foreign nursing professionals who were often employed illegally have returned to their home countries.
This has led to the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia initiating an initiative in 2018 to regulate illegal employment in home care. The aim is to address the lack of legal certainty with an amnesty regulation. This would allow workers and employers to register without fear of subsequent prosecution by a certain date.
According to Bongers, tolerating a system that fills gaps in state-funded care with the black economy is dangerous. People in need of care and their relatives need financial support, as stated by Bongers. Relatives are often left to take over the care or support in the absence of nursing professionals, a situation that is both overwhelming in terms of time and expertise, in addition to their own jobs or households.
The amnesty regulation is aimed at providing a solution to this problem. By legalising the employment of nursing professionals in home care, it ensures that they are registered in the social security system, providing them with the necessary protections and benefits.
This move towards addressing the illegal employment crisis in home care is a step towards ensuring the wellbeing of both those in need of care and the nursing professionals who provide it. It is a necessary step towards creating a fair and sustainable system of care in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
