"Services for care providers require enhancement"
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Sonja Bongers, a member of the State Parliament and the Chair of the SPD City Council faction, has put forth a series of proposals aimed at improving and supporting care for family members. Bongers, a legal expert, believes that the rising need for care in the coming years necessitates a more robust support system for caring relatives.
Bongers' proposals focus on three main areas: enhancing pension rights for family caregivers, improving information policy, and establishing professional contact points or advisory centers.
Regarding pension payments, Bongers advocates for recognizing and compensating caregiving work within the pension system. This means family caregivers would receive appropriate credit for their efforts when it comes to retirement benefits. She has not specified how the pension payments would be increased, but she emphasizes the importance of considering care time in the pension calculation, regardless of previous help received.
In terms of information policy, Bongers emphasizes the need for clear, comprehensive, and accessible information for family caregivers. She proposes improving the dissemination of relevant information about care options, benefits, and rights to help caregivers make well-informed decisions and access available support more easily.
Bongers also supports the establishment and strengthening of professional contact points or advisory centers dedicated to family caregivers. These centers would offer guidance, counseling, and coordination of services, acting as a reliable resource to help caregivers navigate the complexities of the care system and connect them with necessary assistance.
Moreover, Bongers proposes a state program to promote short-term, day, and night care facilities, as well as an expansion of care hotels. She believes that these measures will play a central role in care and a dignified final stage of life in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Bongers also calls for financial and personal support for municipalities in the area of care. To this end, she suggests increasing the care allowance to make a significant improvement. Furthermore, she proposes the creation of a suitably qualified institute for applied care research to evaluate care models.
Bongers has also suggested abolishing the surcharge for childless caring relatives and a full wage compensation for those who reduce their working hours to care for a family member.
Lastly, Bongers has proposed a Bundesrat initiative to better represent the interests of caring relatives in North Rhine-Westphalia. The establishment of this initiative could provide relief for caring relatives in the region. Bongers emphasizes the need for a comprehensive advisory and support infrastructure for carers to ensure they have the resources they need to provide care while maintaining their own well-being.
Science can benefit from Bongers' proposals by studying their impact on health-and-wellness outcomes for family caregivers. The policy-and-legislation changes she suggests could offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of different caregiver support systems.
Bongers' proposals touch upon politics, as they involve discussions and decisions regarding pension rights, financial support, and care facilities, which are all matters of public policy.
In the realm of general news, Bongers' efforts to improve care for family members in North Rhine-Westphalia is a significant development, highlighting the importance of family caregivers and the support systems in place for them.
