What responsibilities do we have as live-in care workers?
Simple care activities, as well as some nursing activities, can be carried out by live-in careworkers in Austria - the latter, however, only under certain conditions! As live-in careworkers are not trained or legally authorized to carry out nursing activities (in German: Pflege), training by certified medical staff and "delegation" of these services by medical staff to care staff (delegation is a written medical confirmation transferring these competences from qualified staff to care staff) are mandatory.
In order to know what care activities are needed for the person you are caring for, you should pay particular attention to informing yourself as accurately as possible about their health status. This will determine what care tasks you will have to carry out.
Important! If you carry out medical or nursing activities without a written delegation, you could face an administrative fine of up to EUR 3,600.00.
Basic care services
Live-in care workers are allowed to carry out the following activities:
■ Household services, in particular
- Meal preparation
- Shopping
- Cleaning activities
- Light household work
- Running errands
- Ensuring a healthy environment in the household
- Plant and pet care
- Washing, ironing, sowing
■ Day-to-day support
- Organizing the daily schedule
- Assistance with simple everyday tasks
■ Maintaining/ensuring an active social life for the cared-for person:
- Company
- Conversational activities
- Maintaining social contacts
- accompanying the cared-for person to various activities and appointments
■ Recording the expenses incurred for the cared-for person in the budget book (evidence of payments should be kept for a period of two years!)
■ The proper preparation of the cared-for person for any change in location (for example, for vacation or temporary hospitalization)
■ Ensuring a replacement care worker if, for various reasons, you cannot come to work.
Specialized care services
As long as there are no medical reasons to the contrary (so if the person being cared for is in good health)
OR
if you have received professional training from qualified medical staff, you are allowed to provide the following services
- Assistance with oral intake of food, liquids, or medications
- Assistance with body hygiene
- Assistance with dressing and undressing
- Assistance with the positioning and mobilization of the cared-for person (standing up, sitting in a chair/bed, moving and/or transfer, etc.)
Medical services
You may carry out the medical activities listed below only if they have been directly assigned to you by means of a written medical authorization signed by a doctor or a qualified nurse:
- Medication administration (oral tablet administration etc.)
- Application of bandages and dressings
- Administration of subcutaneous insulin injections or anticoagulants
- Capillary blood sampling to determine blood glucose levels using test strips
- Simple treatments using heat and light
Important!
The nursing or medical activities are limited to the private household of the person being cared for and may only be carried out for a limited period (no longer than the duration of the care relationship) and with the consent of the person being cared for (or their legal representative). The delegation of activities must be recorded in writing and a record must be kept of the activities ordered. The healthcare professionals must be notified of any changes in the condition of the person being cared for and any interruption of care activities.
Important!
You have the right to decline to take on nursing and medical duties!
Avoiding endangering the health and life of the person being cared for
As a professional, you are responsible for ensuring that the health and life of the person being cared for is not endangered during the provision of your services.
You are obliged to:
- take measures to prevent accidents when providing household-related services,
- take into account the dietary restrictions of the cared-for person when preparing meals,
- take into account the physical mobility of the cared-for person
Guidelines for everyday life and emergencies
Live-in careworkers must have a written agreement with the cared-for person or their legal representative regarding daily routines and in case of emergency situations - especially regarding notification or involvement of relatives, doctors or mobile service providers in case of a visible deterioration in health.
Confidentiality (§160 Gewo)
In their relationship with the cared-for person, live-in careworkers are obliged to maintain confidentiality with regard to all information entrusted to them or of which they become aware. This obligation of confidentiality does not apply if and to the extent that the person in need of care or his/her legal representative expressly exempts them from this obligation.