Information for those seeking care
Receive the right care professionally, quickly, and competently
Professional Austrian placement companies are the perfect contact point for independent care services. Placement companies ensure that qualified and suitable care is available as needed on site as quickly as possible. The quality of Austrian placement companies is guaranteed by the regulations published in the Federal Law Gazette for the Republic of Austria on "ethical and practical rules for the organisation of caregiving." These ethical requirements explain comprehensive due diligence, contract, and documentation requirements.
The core service of placement companies is to place independent caregivers. Placement companies ensure the continuity, safety, and reliability of care services, a smooth transition with the organisation of two alternate caregivers and for substitute care if the caregivers are impaired or unavailable. They are also available as a contact point for those requiring care and their family members throughout the whole caregiving relationship.
The key steps to caregiving
After making contact with the placement company, the desired service profile is immediately determined together with the person requiring care, their family member, or representative.
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Based on this information, the prescribed needs assessment is carried out. After this, the placement company selects one or more suitable people from its pool of independent caregivers. The proposed independent caregivers of course have the expected qualifications and all permissions necessary for performing the work.
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Based on the material submitted and qualifications or in an individual interview, the decision for a particular caregiver is then made.
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The caregiver can then be picked up at a specified time at the nearest station or driven by a transport service directly to his or her destination.
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In a placement contract, the agendas between the person requiring care and their family members, agents or representative and the placement company are regulated in detail and transparently, for example regarding the agreed scope of work and payment.
Caution!
The caregiving relationship between the person requiring care and the independent caregiver is separately regulated in a caregiving contract. Independent caregivers directly bill their customers for their services. They are also responsible for paying taxes and social contributions themselves
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In addition to the placement service, most placement companies remain a contact point for the entire duration of the caregiving relationship.
Caution:
Local placement companies usually offer a number of other services, mainly designed to ensure quality and increase comfort, in addition to counselling and assistance with grant applications.
Placement contract
The relationship between those seeking care and their relatives, agents, or representative and the placement company is regulated in a placement contract.
A placement contract includes the information of both parties, the beginning and the duration of the placement contract, a description of all services, the amount and due date of payment for work carried out, as well as the methods of payment, and also provisions for the termination of the caregiving contract.
The individual services of the agency are reported accurately and transparently in the placement contract. The described benefits may include not only placing an independent caregiver but also ongoing activities such as arranging replacement workers, regular visits, administrative support for establishing work contracts or grant applications, and support with any questions or problems during the care.
Placement company services
In addition to simply placing caregivers, many companies offer a range of other comfort and quality-based services, such as:
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Telephone support
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Organising replacement care if the caregiver is impaired or unavailable
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Support in administrative procedures and in concluding a caregiving contract
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Help in applying for care allowance and funding
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Visits and inspections for quality assurance
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Moderation between caregiving providers (independent caregivers) and the person requiring care or their family members
Professional ethics and obligations of the placement company
According to the professional ethics and rules of practice for organising caregiving, there are numerous obligations and rules for those responsible in placement companies, such as:
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the conscientious exercise of the profession with the necessary care
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omission of any professional misconduct
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no placement of people who do not have the necessary rights and qualifications to perform the work of caregiving, especially the proper business licence
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care for the well-being of the person requiring care
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no misuse of the professional position for personal gain
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no placement work without an explicit request
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no approaching prospective customers unsolicited for advertising purposes or acquisition of contracts, but only after an explicit request
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no payment for work which has not been carried out
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no misleading information in commercial transactions
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In business transactions, placement companies must also declare the price for their placement services and make the respective service contents transparent for the respective costs incurred.
Caution:
For specific price examples, the total cost of all services must be specified. If 24-hour funding is included in the price or is advertised as such, the conditions for granting this funding shall be given.
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In its advertising, the placement company shall provide information on in its placement work, including a phone number and information about permitted activities, compulsory measures of quality assurance, the requirements for the independent caregiver and minimum content of a caregiving contract, or it must publish a website or link to a page on which this information can be viewed.
Background:
Due to the trade law division of "caregiving providers" (independent caregivers) and "placement companies" (organisers of caregivers), a new legal framework for the activities of placement companies has been created. The regulation of professional ethics and rules of practice for the organisation of caregiving was published on 1 December 2015 in II Nr. 397/2015 of the Federal Law Gazette.
