What happens if...
there is an emergency?

Emergency

Independent caregivers are obliged to conclude an agreement with respect to the guidelines for everyday care and emergencies with the person requiring care, their families, agents or representative officer (trustee, legal representation, person authorized to manage affairs). In the event of recognizable deterioration, these guidelines should specify in particular communication and consultation with family members, health care professionals or institutions offering mobile services. These guidelines are to be laid down in the caregiving contract. 
> In an emergency, in the case of massive deterioration in the condition of the person requiring care, especially in the case of shortness of breath, severe nausea, fainting, paralysis, convulsions, chest pain, the emergency services (144) must be immediately contacted.
> First aid measures must be taken.
In the case of deterioration of the condition of the person requiring care, the measures established in the caregiving contract must be carried out, such as communicating with the family doctor.
> In an emergency or if the condition of the person requiring care deteriorates, any family members specified in the guidelines must also be informed.

Change of location

The main activities of independent caregivers also include practical preparation for a change of location. This includes organisational aspects related to this sort of change (e.g. redirection of post, informing relatives and acquaintances of the person requiring care, looking for a new home for pets).

It is advisable to have a termination clause in the contract in the event of the care recipient moving permanently into a home or other facility. If need be, an agreement can be reached on whether the independent caregiver should continue to perform certain activities for a time after the change (e.g. cleaning the apartment for transfer to the new tenants).

Illness

A doctor must be informed at the first sign of an illness or deterioration in the condition of the person requiring care. Family members must likewise be informed. A doctor decides whether and in what way care can be continued at home or whether the recipient of the care must be admitted to a hospital. In the case of hospitalisation, the caregiving contract remains in effect unless it is expressly agreed in the contract that hospitalisation (possibly after a certain time) leads to the end of the contractual relationship. The care provider must continue to provide their services – as far as possible - and the person requiring care must continue to pay them for their services.

Death

If the person requiring care dies at home, the relevant person (usually the family doctor) must be called to confirm the death. Family members must be informed immediately.
The caregiving contract ends with the death of the care recipient. Wages paid in advance must be repaid pro rata. A final statement of account must be made in the housekeeping book.

Caregiver illness

In their function as a care provider, independent caregivers are contractually obliged to provide the agreed caregiving services. If they - for whatever reason - are prevented from doing so, they must provide a replacement. If the caregiver becomes ill, a replacement for the person requiring care must be provided. This replacement must perform all the same services as the original care provider. No separate caregiving contract is concluded between the person requiring care and the replacement caregiver. 
The replacement caregiver needs the appropriate trade licence for caregiving.
Additional arrangements for the replacement caregiver can be made in the guidelines.

In the case of replacement, it is recommended that independent caregivers contractually establish with their replacement what services must be provided and what payment for the work is to be made.

Change of caregiver

If two (or more) care providers alternately work for one person, each should conclude their own contract with the person requiring care. Therefore nothing changes for the person requiring care - except the individual caregiver. Nothing changes for the caregivers either. They do not have to give up their trade licence or report it inactive in the case of a two or multiple-week absence. Nor do they have to deregister their residence in Austria - even if they travel outside Austria.

The replacement caregiver may only perform nursing activities if these have been transferred to them according to legal provisions by health care professionals - after appropriate training. In the guidelines, other arrangements can be made, such as what to do if the caregiver becomes ill (e.g. avoiding any direct contact with the person requiring care).

The guidelines may include regulations for the regular exchange of caregivers such as disclosure of information about the state of the person requiring care or transfer of care documentation and the housekeeping book.