Nursing shortage has become a buzzword in Austria and Germany in recent years. It describes the current shortage of staff in care facilities - and also means that around 950,000 people in Austria are caring for family members or loved ones, often without professional help. This means that up to 80% of care in Austria is provided by relatives and often without the involvement of professional services.
A new app that „ERSTE“ Foundation is developing together with Austria's care organizations and the Ministry of Social Affairs aims to bring change here. The app called „Alles Clara“ aims to provide caregivers with online advisors from the fields of care and psychology free of charge. In the future, users of the app will be able to communicate anonymously with experts via chat, and it will also be possible to upload photos and documents. Video calls are also planned.
Pilot operation for partner companies
Partners in the app development are the aid organizations Caritas, Diakonie, Hilfswerk, Rotes Kreuz and Volkshilfe, as well as ÖBB, Erste Bank and Sparkassen, Wiener Städtische, Deloitte, Jank Weiler Operenyi, Magenta, IBM and Coca Cola HBC. The project led by Nicole Traxler is also supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and scientifically accompanied by the Karl Landsteiner Private University. In pilot operation, 65,000 employees in the partner companies can already use the app. The app is then scheduled to go into regular operation at the end of 2023.
The app is currently not yet open to all interested parties - it can only be used as an employee:in of a participating company that provides a login code. Those seeking help who want to try the app can sign up for the newsletter to then receive info for participation.
There are many reasons for nursing shortage, including the fact that baby boomers have either retired or are taking early retirement. In addition, more workers are taking more time off for parental leave, and nurses working in cities are filling in for those working in rural regions, which frequently strains the workforce. This creates a vicious cycle where many of the surviving nurses leave their positions as a result of the heavier workloads.
Innovations like this app, help relieve existing nurses and find sustainable solutions to existing problems. This creates better working conditions and increases economic efficiency.
More information: https://www.alles-clara.at