Due to increased costs - AfD-Faction demands support in care
The AfD in the Saxon State Parliament holds the Free State accountable for care. "It is irresponsible to shift rising care costs onto seniors and their families alone. With their often meager pensions, many nursing home residents cannot afford the strong price increases," explained AfD parliamentarian André Wendt. People would be reduced to begging at their children's homes or at the social welfare office. "This unsocial policy consumes the retirement savings of entire families."
According to the latest figures, the self-contribution in nursing homes in Saxony has more than doubled within five years. For new nursing home residents, the amount in the first year has risen to an average of 2,667 Euro. In 2019, it was still 1,279 Euro. The deputy Landtag president Wendt demanded that the Saxon government take countermeasures. The self-contributions for professional care could be reduced if the Free State took over the investment costs of the institutions.
"Furthermore, we have long been proposing a state care grant. With this, we want to enable family members to care for their parents or grandparents at home. This model is more social and even cheaper than institutional care," said Wendt and referred to experiences in the Netherlands. The AfD faction had recently started a campaign to draw attention to pressing problems in care.
The Health Insurance Fund VDEK had recently determined figures on care costs in Germany. There are regional differences in co-payments. On average, the most expensive place in a nursing home in the first year of residence in North Rhine-Westphalia is currently 3,200 Euro per month and in Baden-Württemberg 3,180 Euro. The lowest self-contribution in Saxony-Anhalt is 2,373 Euro.
- The AfD in Saxony strongly advocates for the Free State to address the rising care costs, arguing that it's unfair to burden seniors and their families alone.
- André Wendt, an AfD parliamentarian, condemns the policy of shifting care costs, stating that it could force seniors to resort to begging or seek assistance from social welfare offices.
- In response, Wendt suggested reducing the self-contributions for professional care by having the Free State take over the investment costs of the institutions.
- Besides this, Wendt proposes a state care grant to encourage family members to provide care for elderly relatives at home, citing experiences from the Netherlands as a model.
- The Health Insurance Fund VDEK revealed that there are significant regional differences in care costs, with Saxony-Anhalt having the lowest self-contribution among German states.
