Hundreds of thousands of senior citizens in Germany are cared for at home by caregivers from abroad. Without them, home care would collapse in many places. With a few exceptions, most work black.
Andrea K. is satisfied and her mother, as far as one can speak for the demented old lady, too. For three years now, the 91-year-old senior citizen has been cared for by two Eastern European care workers. At home in a familiar environment in Reinbek near Hamburg. The 27- and 51-year-old Polish women take turns taking care of each other for three months before being replaced by the second for the next three months.
“The women are only allowed to stay in Germany for a long time,” K explains. They were referred to her through an agency in Osnabrück, which in turn was affiliated with a Polish agency. This has a contract with the two. “Everything is legal,” she says.
Many caregivers are illegal in Germany
That, however, is the exception. Only about ten percent of the approximately 600,000 foreign caregivers living in German households, according to the estimates of home care associations, have a contract and pay social security contributions. The rest works black. The Institute for Applied Economic Research (IAW) in its study on undeclared work from the year 2017 saw the care of senior citizens ranked third in the black economy – surpassed only by the construction industry and the craft trades.
The importance of foreign caregivers in home care is hushed up by politicians in the view of the Federal Association of Home Care for the Elderly (BHSB). “Everyone is talking about the immigration of specialized staff,” complains vice-chairman Stefan Lux. “But there is a much higher demand for low-skilled care workers, whose legal immigration is hardly possible until today.” That was another engine for rampant undeclared work in this area. “Many Ukrainians are already illegally in the country.”
Researchers call for a look at politics
In the view of the nursing expert and jurist Thomas Klie, the politicians are not responsible for these employment relationships for reasons of cost. “This is actually always beyond what is legally allowed, and yet German policy does not care about it either at state or federal level in any serious way,” he says.
Hardly anyone misses the reality: “It is known to all – the home care would be impossible without this care,” says Prof. Michael Isfort, who conducts research at the German Institute for Nursing Research (DIP). “It has become a large area that contributes significantly to care.” The topic must be disappointed.
The director of the Association for Home Care and Care (VHBP), Frederic Seebohm, calls for an end to moralizing criticism. If there were no foreign support staff, “it would require 250,000 to 300,000 additional in-patient care places at one go,” he says. These employment relationships are, so to speak, without alternative. “All the more surprising that the policy is stuck in the sand, 90 percent tolerated undeclared work and does not want to establish legal certainty.”
Are foreign nurses exploited?
Seebohm cites an unrepresentative investigation alleging an exploitative 24-hour service, claiming that the total working time of a caregiver is 6.75 hours. From an actual round-the-clock use could not be spoken. The vast majority would not even accept that, but then quit very quickly, he says. Because caregivers are sought after, “the balance of power has changed”.
Although nurse researcher Isfort does not quite see it this way: there is certainly abuse and it must be ensured that carers – over 90 percent of women – would not be exploited. Conversely, the old people would also have to be saved from exploitation and exploitation.
But he also complains about looking away from politics. “You will have to systematically address the issue,” says Isfort. Germany relies on these caregivers in the households – outpatient care services can not absorb the demand in any way. “They are overrun with demands that they can no longer serve.” It lurks here a collapse in the area supply.
This is the opinion of the Federal Ministry
For the associations, the foreign caregivers are an unrealistic reality of life and an indispensable pillar of professional care. The Federal Ministry of Health does not want to comment on this and refers to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which is responsible for labor law issues. From there comes the economical answer that the social situation of foreign care workers is intensively monitored. “At present there are no special regulations for the mentioned group of people.”
For Andrea K., the two Poles were the salvation. She had looked after her mother for half a year and almost gave herself up. In the home but she did not want her mother under any circumstances and finally contacted the recruitment agency. She has since been full of praise for the model. “I have only positive experiences,” she says. “I would recommend it to anyone.”