rethink the use of measures that restrict freedom and evaluate them
self-critically on a regular basis. Sometimes, this does not occur with
the necessary attention. However, there are also traditional nursing
homes that set this as a concrete goal for themselves and plan their
care in detail so as to look for and find individual solutions for
problems without intruding upon the autonomy of the affected person.
IT-supported care documentation systems (e.g. Vivendi) facilitate the
identification of risks and also allow targeted assessment of measures
taken to restrict freedom as a basis of ongoing self-evaluation. The
CPT recommends introducing a central register in psychiatric hospitals
to record all measures taken to restrict freedom. The NPM and its
commissions demand the same for retirement and nursing homes.
The Federal Ministry of Health also concurs with this viewpoint and has
sent an appropriate informational letter to the Laender.
As in the previous year (Annual Report 2013, p. 29), the commissions
repeatedly found people under 60 in nursing homes during their visits.
The basic problem throughout Austria is that institutions and facilities
for persons with disabilities are generally not geared toward care of
residents needing more intensive care and rarely have permanently
employed professional nursing staff. Therefore, younger people with
greater needs for care or medical care are accepted into nursing
homes or geriatric centres. Their concept is geared to the very elderly
and persons with dementia and they do not offer a suitable
environment for considerably younger people.
It is therefore necessary to develop appropriate concepts and to
provide a sufficient number of beds for this group of persons. It is
important to create options for younger persons with restricted
function due to disabilities who require care and to actively offer such
options. This includes concepts and models that make care in their
own residence affordable.
In Vienna, the Association for Viennese Social Institutions
(Dachverband der Wiener Sozialeinrichtungen) created a working
group dedicated to this topic. The NPM participated in this group in
addition to representatives of various aid organisations as well as selfadvocates. Within the scope of this working group, the Vienna Social
Fund conducted an assessment in the facilities of the nursing homes
and geriatrics centres of the Vienna Association of Medical Institutions.
At the time of this visit in spring 2014, there were a total of 308 persons
under 60 in the care centres of the Vienna Association of Hospitals, 50
of whom expressed the explicit wish to change their residence.
Figures were also collected in Lower Austria: there are currently 245
persons under 60 in long-term care in 107 homes with more than
9,000 beds. No information has yet been collected as to whether there
are improper placements or if residents desire to change their
residence.
31
Improper placement of
young people in
retirement and nursing
homes
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