Worries about the future of geriatric care in the Heidenheim district!

Worries about the future of geriatric care in the Heidenheim district!

In the district of Heidenheim, the signs are clear: the geriatric care situation is currently being considered well, but the future raises many questions. At a meeting of the educational and social committee of the district council last Monday, Sibylle Schumann from the Altenhilfefächberatung in the district office presented the necessary data and forecasts, provided by the municipal association for youth and social affairs Baden-Württemberg (KVJS), until 2030. The result: While the number of nursing places is currently satisfactory, the challenges of recruiting qualified nurses remain.

Currently the Heidenheim district offers sufficient offers with 1395 nursing places in 22 homes. As of December 31, 2024, 1288 places were occupied. This also includes the Karl-Kaipf-Heim in Herbrechtingen, where 45 places are to be replaced by 60 new places in an upcoming new building. "The start of construction is planned for the end of 2026 at the earliest," said Schumann. 45 new places are also to be built in the Brenzpark quarters in Heidenheim by mid-2026.

The need for nursing staff is growing

The numbers speak a clear language: According to the forecasts of the KVJS, a maximum of 1237 people could be dependent on the support of a nursing service by 2030. The people in need of care become older, which is also evident in the structure of the nursing home residents. 55% of the residents are already 85 years or older, and 39% have levels of care 3, while 30% even have level of care 4. In view of these demographic changes, the lack of nurses becomes an increasingly urgent topic. The future forecasts from Destatis.de show that the need for nursing staff in Germany by a third to 2.15 million could, Which can mean a dramatic gap of up to 690,000 missing forces.

The demographic developments, led by the BabyBoomer generation, which will retire in the coming years, are the main drivers of the future decline. This will face numerous institutions and force politics to find solutions.

diverse care offers

The existing offers in geriatric care are as colorful as it is important. The district administration has set up 116 short -term care places in the 22 nursing homes and 23 places in the "House of Nursing" of the DRK in Heidenheim. There are also 12 other places available in Nattheim. This type of care enables support to offer support for a limited period of time if home care is not sufficient, for example after a hospital stay or in the event of a serious illness. Purchasing people in need of care can also fall back on 165 day care places - however, they are not sufficiently busy. To make the offers better known, the district has set up a brochure and a homepage, www.seniorenzeit.org.

day care is a valuable resource that enables relatives to better agree on work and care. This can be used up to four to five days a week for half or all day. It is crucial that those in need of care feel good in the day care facility and may even meet well -known. The support from the Diakono specialist agencies benefits many families who rely on professional advice on questions of care and support.

But however, many relatives often remain alone with the challenge of bringing care and work under one roof. If it is necessary, employees have the right to be released in acute care cases up to ten working days. Diakoneo offers numerous programs such as "Education Dementia" to support and support relatives.