The care bonus planned by the federal government is to be paid for “outstanding performance” in the corona pandemic.
The maximum amount for staff in elderly care should be 550 euros, as stated in the Federal Ministry of Health's key issues paper on the care bonus, which was available to the AFP news agency on Tuesday.
EUR 500 million each are to be made available for care premiums in hospitals and care facilities.
As an "outstanding performance", the key issues paper mentions special stresses to which the employees were exposed due to the treatment of Covid patients.
These include more comprehensive hygiene measures and the increased risk of becoming infected yourself, or the greater need for care for people infected with Covid.
According to the key points, the care bonus in geriatric care should be paid out by employers from June 30th, or by December 31st, 2022 at the latest.
Who was employed in care from November 2020
Employees of nursing services and nursing homes who worked in geriatric care for at least three months between November 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022 and are still employed on June 30, 2022 should benefit.
The bonus in geriatric care is to be paid out in stages: full-time employees in direct care and support receive the highest amount of up to 550 euros.
There should be up to 370 euros for staff who work at least 25 percent of the working time in direct care and support.
These could be employees from administration, building services, the kitchen, building cleaning, reception and security services, gardening and grounds maintenance, laundry or logistics.
Trainees should get up to 330 euros, up to 190 euros for other employees and up to 60 euros for helpers in voluntary service or in the voluntary social year (FSJ).
Above all, caregivers at the bed should receive the bonus
The key issues paper mentions a possible expansion of the financial framework in geriatric care to EUR 1,000, analogous to the procedure in 2020. This is under discussion.
In the hospital sector, the bonuses should “primarily be aimed at nursing staff in bedside care,” according to the key points, which the newspapers of the Funke media group had initially reported on.
Nurses in critical care should receive a higher bonus than nurses in other areas.
The 500 million euros for the hospitals are to be distributed to clinics that had more than ten ventilation cases between January and December last year.
According to this, 280,000 nurses in around 837 hospitals should benefit.
95 percent of all Covid patients were cared for in these.
According to the will of the federal government, the state corona premiums for care should be tax and duty-free up to an amount of 3,000 euros.
According to the timetable, the federal cabinet will decide on a formulation aid for the draft law by March 30th, which could then be discussed for the first time in the Bundestag on April 7th or 8th.
The law could then be passed in the Bundestag on May 19th or 20th and in the Bundesrat on June 10th.
The Patient Protection Foundation described the plans as inadequate.
In the end, only one-sixth of the promised 3,000 euros will end up in geriatric care, said foundation board member Eugen Brysch to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany.
In addition, employees would be disadvantaged who would have taken care of other patients.