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Rosa Meier's mother-in-law nearly blew up the apartment. She opened the faucet and was no longer closed, so the water flowed for hours. It is only by chance that Meier, who lives in the same building, heard a rushing noise as he was entering the apartment below. "Such things happen all the time," she says. She checks if the stove is off, the iron is unplugged, and yet there is always the fear of leaving her mother-in-law alone a moment too much. The 85-year-old girl suffers from dementia and is cared for by her family at home. "A house is absolutely unthinkable for them, and currently it still works," says Meier
.Fritz Huber's wife also suffers from dementia and also takes care of her at home. " makes you weary, "he says Daily life: always the same thing The structure feels good at the age of 72, it evaporates It has imagined life in old age differently Beautiful, nice, more free. "Instead, I must always think of two. Do everything yourself. Sometimes I'm really angry, "says Huber
Only nursing care is covered
Currently, there are about 148,000 people in Switzerland suffering from some form of dementia, like the Alzheimer's Association Switzerland appreciates. Nearly two-thirds are cared for at home. Relatives, in 70% of cases, are women, sometimes support their neighbors to the point of exhaustion and are reluctant to exercise their sense of responsibility and discharge – for example through a private Spitex or a house.
They are also hesitant because these offers are very expensive and in many cases there is no financial aid. The health insurance companies only cover the benefits considered as care. But not those who run under the term care. The costs of care have to pay for the people themselves – so he wants the law.
Despite the diagnosis of dementia, the health insurance funds do not pay
Thus, if the hip of an elderly person goes on strike, the crates of 39, health insurance pay for care. If she has dementia, however, the necessary help is not funded. After all, what dementia patients often need is not care, but intensive care – to steer them in everyday life, eat, dress, do not let the bath overflow, find the way home. The situation is paradoxical: Although people with dementia are diagnosed by the doctor. But the consequences of the disease do not pay the funds – because they can not be billed as a care.
Christina Krebs of the Alzheimer's Association of the Canton of Zurich knows the needs of loved ones. There are people who simply could not afford the care home for their loved one who was suffering from dementia without asking for social assistance or additional benefits. "It is rightly said that dementia is the disease of loved ones, everyone suffers – emotionally, but also financially," she says, and Antonis Purnelis from Zürcher Oberland, a support center. among others relatives of patients with dementia, says: "I always meet relatives who collapse with a burnout, then have to give their neighbors an emergency home and go to the spa for month "Sometimes they sold their own home to finance the care of a loved one.
Care is not only expensive for those affected, they are also completely unregulated. While nursing homes at home have to prove exactly every minute to pay by health insurance, they are free to pay in many cantons.For dementia and also for the mentally ill, prices are particularly high because of the high level of s care.
Another factor: in nursing, homes must comply with cantonal staffing codes for the number of employees and their qualifications. For support staff, there are no such requirements.
This lack of transparency is shocking because it concerns the money of the people affected. But also because there are homes that make profits with the care of people with dementia or mental illness. Among the top five beneficiaries of the list of outbreaks in Switzerland, four were in 2016, specializing in patients with dementia or the mentally ill. Data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) bear witness to this. These are private investor houses or foundations.
The Sonnhalde in Grüningen in the canton of Zurich is in first place. The house belongs to the Di-Gallo Group, a company that runs more than a dozen retirement homes and nursing homes. According to BAG figures, the Sonnhalde made a profit of 3.8 million francs in 2016, compared with more than 6 million the year before.
Certain figures are not significant
Depending on the degree of dementia or psychological restriction, this house costs between 65 and more than 100 francs per day, the cheapest room being 135 francs . For people with severe dementia, it costs more than 100,000 francs a year that they themselves have to pay or, through additional benefits, to the state.
According to Daniel Bänziger, director of the establishment, the figures Somed are not significant only one million francs in profits in 2015 and 2016 The key factors of success are the synergies that different Di-Gallo houses use between they, as well as the high use of capabilities.
Harsh criticism of the Federal Councilor
Only the policy could relieve families of patients with dementia horrible costs. But in Bern moves little. Marcel Durst, Managing Director of the Spitex Private Switzerland Association, severely criticizes the Federal Council and the Federal Office of Public Health. The fundamental problem is not health insurance, but the government's inaction: "Although there is a national strategy on dementia, which should improve the situation of people with dementia , the funding is not regulated at all. "That was unacceptable, he said.
The Federal Council has just rejected a general increase in the cost sharing of health insurance funds for the care of the elderly. Nevertheless, the original association Curaviva wants to try a new proposal: "We continue to believe that the contributions of health insurers must be increased," says director Daniel Höchli. But they "should be helpful, especially to fund the care of insane people, who are not yet covered as a health insurance tax." Instead, the Swiss Seniors Council (SSR) focuses on the introduction of three levels of care – similar to the allowance of impotence. "With this solution, the health insurance companies could no longer be billed," says Lukas Bäumle, who chairs the SSR, the health working group. Although the care of her mother-in-law, Rosa Meier, cost a lot of energy, it would not be so serious if there were not many allegations, d & # 39; insults and reproaches. "Given too much water to the flowers, misplaced the knitting, lost the wallet: I'm the scapegoat of everything.It's hard to bear," she says.Fritz Huber also feels little gratitude from his wife, however, on her birthday, she wrote him a card and it touched him: "We are still in a relationship. Nevertheless.
Search Notes for: [email protected] (SonntagsZeitung)
Created: 21.07.2018, 22:23
"The demented have no lobby" [19659025] Many parents of people with dementia take care of their loved ones until exhaustion. Why do not they get help first?
They are afraid. First of all, before the costs of home care. But also the many outpatient services cost. They therefore prefer to take care of family members with dementia at home – all the more so that society expects them to be. Especially in women, there is enormous pressure. Add to that his sense of duty.
The health insurance companies and also the communities pay for the care of the elderly, but not the care. They have to pay for the people themselves. What do you think about this?
In 2011, Parliament dismantled care and support during the revision of the law on health insurance. A consecutive error. There is no professional care without care, and there is also no high quality care without at least minor nursing services. These two things are inextricably linked.
In the current funding system, it is not taken into account that poor people need little care, but a lot of care. How could this be neglected?
Guilt is our for-profit thinking. Demented people do not pay, so politics do not care. Unlike the peasants or the army, the dementians do not have a lobby in Bern. They just forgot. In part, the intention was behind. The closer you get to the concept of care, the less expensive it is.
"An error in the system that we urgently need to revise." 
Monika Stocker, former city councilor of Zurich
It is perhaps also because the disease is sometimes difficult to grasp
The disease is certainly more difficult to insure than for example, a fractured hip joint. Dementia is a condition, a life situation. A new hip joint costs, say, 30,000 francs, plus a few hours of paid physiotherapy – and done. For patients with dementia, they may feel better today than yesterday. Your situation is similar to that of the mentally ill. Dementia is foreign to many of us. The disease frightens people
Today, homes can decide for themselves what inhabitant must pay what care fee. There are no defined criteria. It's a wild growth – at the expense of lunatics.
Above all, it's arbitrary. This is the scope that houses have because the law is designed accordingly. You can not blame them for that. This is an error in the system that we urgently need to revise.
There are more and more people with dementia, and at the same time, loved ones have less time to work. Where does it lead?
Today's sons work in Singapore, girls in America, the idea that they take for granted to take care of their demented parents, no longer matches the reality . We will need networked systems in the communities where Spitex Associations, Volunteers and, if they are, the parents are caring together. It must be organized and secure. For example, semi-stationary facilities could be considered for which seed funding would be needed, however, similar to the crèche system.
Politics currently provides no solution. What must happen to make him move?
I do not really expect politics. It is therefore the civil society that must bring people with dementia into public perception, through petitions, initiatives, demonstrations or concrete projects in communities. I'm sure something must change and will change. Also because the state has the duty to take care of its demented fellow citizen
Monika Stocker is president of the Independent Complaints Board for the time
Simone Rau met with Monika Stocker
(SonntagsZeitung)
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