Slovakia – They put their health on the altar of helping others. Who will help them?

PRESS RELEASE

Health is elementary for the sustainable growth of the quality of life of all citizens and for the fulfillment of the Government of the Slovak Republic’s priority TO LIVE BETTER, CALMER AND SAFER (PVV SR 2023-2027 pp. 42-50). The care system is based on the health of those who provide care directly in facilities and in households.

“The work of carers and nursing assistants is not attractive and is becoming dangerous! There is a lack of people in the system. Of course, working for the minimum wage to exhaustion, the prospect of living in poverty and illness is a scarecrow! Not to mention the physical, psychological, biological and psychosocial risks that accompany this work. There is a lot of work and employers often do not comply with the law so that it is not necessary to deal with the consequences of finding an occupational disease,” says the Vice-chair of the Chamber of Caregivers of the Slovak Republic (KOS), Mrs. Ždiľová.

KOS, together with partner organizations, point out the threat to the provision of care posed by the health of workers in social and health services, especially in the caring professions, and the health of informal caregivers (relatives) who have been caring for a person with a severe health disability for years. There are more than 70% of women in caring roles who do not care about their own health, but about the health of those cared for. “Everyone puts their health on the altar as a sacrifice for the health of those they care for. The average age of caregivers is 50+. It is associated with menopause and hormonal changes. In conjunction with long-term overload in caregiving, women are more likely to develop musculoskeletal and neurological problems. With age, a person naturally loses strength, dexterity, speed, and her cognitive abilities change. And naturally. The ability to provide 100% care and take responsibility for it also decreases. These are nurses, caregivers, nursing assistants and women with caring responsibilities at home, who sometimes work 24 hours,” adds Ždiľová.

In 2023, the Statistical Office, in its Health Yearbook 2024, recorded an increase in the number of visits and an increase in the number of hospitalizations in neuro-, cardio-, onco-, rheumato-, endocrinology departments. The number of people aged 65+ is approaching 1 million. We have the shortest healthy life expectancy in the EU (approx. 57 years). Since 2021, we have been in a minus birth rate. Diseases are often disabling, treatment and care is long-term and demanding. “These are frightening indicators of the need for health and social care for the future. We cannot just deal with the consequences indefinitely. We call for improved prevention and averting health degradation. This trend will one day overwhelm us. The state will have no one to provide care!“, adds Mrs. Ždiľová. A strong and socially just state should not forget about caregivers. The solution is to improve prevention and health protection of carers, and to make this work more attractive. Carers deserve a dignified old age for making it dignified for others today, not a pension in sickness, poverty and uncertainty.

„In partnership agreement, we jointly appeal to the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Parliament of the National Council, to the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Health, as well as representatives of other ministries, to of the Act, they took into account the moral and social benefits of care, which saves the state hundreds of thousands of euros, often by caring for a relative free of charge.

We urge to:

•  Enabling early retirement for women from the age of 58 in the care professions, without reducing the pension, taking into account the care of a relative in the household, or the number of children raised
• Enabling informal caregivers to count all years in care retroactively towards years of service;  – Taking into account the provision of care in addition to employment in the calculation of the personal wage point (OMB). Today, certain forms of employment, in addition to receiving the care allowance, are more likely to threaten the safe, healthy and well-being of caregivers, because they reduce their OMB.
• Adjustment of table salaries, classify the profession of caregiver into the 3rd salary grade and 3rd risk category class, according to a fair key. In doing so, they will recognise the right to a decent income and to protection of the health of women and men in the care sector. We also need men.

Last but not least, as part of the announced changes, we ask that when adopting measures to support single parents and families, in the form of more advantageous loans, family cards, VAT waivers, adjustment of the OCR, or a discount on travel, legislators do not forget about those who do the state an elephant service by responsibly taking care of their disabled parents, children and loved ones without the right to care allowance and without the possibility of employment“, calls on Mrs. Ždiľová

These would be strong motivational factors for those who hesitate to work in helping professions, or for the return of caregivers from abroad. We believe that early retirement and the necessary benefits will attract young people, Slovaks from abroad, help stabilize staff and make the long-term care sector more attractive.

“Help and protect” is the motto of the police force, but also of caregivers.

The KOS requirements are supported by:
Association for protection of rights of patients
Slovak Chamber of Medical-technical Workers in Healthcare