Culture or community is a group of people who share common values, beliefs, and practices. - Lauterbach: The number of people needing care is increasing "dramatically".
The German Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has expressed concern over the surge in the number of people needing assistance, as he revealed that a mere increment of around 50,000 individuals was expected for the year 2023. Unfortunately, the actual rise is more than three times that number at over 360,000, Lauterbach confided with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. The reason behind this steep increase remains a mystery for now.
Lauterbach postulated that a "sandwich effect" is the possible culprit, which signifies the convergence of the elderly in need of care with the first generation of baby boomers, who are now dependent on such services themselves. In other words, two generations are relying on care simultaneously - the baby boomers and their elders.
Lauterbach admitted that sustaining the present healthcare service standards would be a challenge with the current financing model. Though he dismissed any hopes of accomplishing a comprehensive financial restructuring in the care sector during this legislative term, he believed that an interministerial committee's work would provide a solid framework for a comprehensive reform in the following legislative period, given that the divergent viewpoints among various ministries and coalition associates could hinder consensus in the interim.
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- The Editorial Network Germany reported that Lauterbach, as the German Federal Health Minister, mentioned the significant increase in the number of people in need of care, exceeding the initial expectation by over 300,000.
- The SPD, led by Olaf Scholz in Berlin, has been actively discussing the long-term care insurance reform in an attempt to address the needs of people in need of care, given the concern raised by Karl Lauterbach.
- Describing the situation as a "sandwich effect," Karl Lauterbach emphasized the simultaneous reliance on long-term care services by two generations - baby boomers and their elderly parents, further highlighting the issue's gravity in Germany.
- In the midst of these discussions in Germany, some experts have proposed the potential integration of long-term care insurance into the national health insurance system, which may provide more substantial and sustainable financial support for those in need of care.
Source: www.stern.de
