Publications & studies

The University of Graz commissioned the study “Die Vereinbarkeit familiärer Altenbetreuung mit Erwerbsarbeit im Kontext der österreichischen Pflegepolitik” (The compatibility of caring for elderly relatives and employment in the context of Austrian care policies). The study was conducted under the direction of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Margareta Kreimer from the Institute of Economics in cooperation with inter-university childcare information centre unikid.

The study contains a critical analysis of the care system in Austria and uses interviews with affected persons to provide an insight into the situation of employees of the University of Graz who have long-term care responsibilities. It identifies measures that the university could implement to improve the situation of affected employees working in academia and administration.

You can read the abstract here.

The topic of employment and care responsibilities is becoming more and more important due to the increasing life expectancy in Europe. The development of sustainable systems of care - in particular regarding long-term care responsibilities - presents a great challenge.

Social change has led to the development of new needs and requirements with regard to family care. Eurofound* undertook the study Workers with care responsibilities between 2009 and 2010 with the aim of identifying these needs and requirements, and developing strategies that make it possible to cope with the situation as well as possible.

The study investigated 50 initiatives found in 10 member states which are designed to support employees working in different sectors who have care responsibilities. unicare was also investigated within the context of this study as it supports those combining family care responsibilities with working/studying.

If you are interested, you can read more here:

• Final report
• unicare at the University of Graz as a case study

*Eurofound: The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions is one of the first organisations in the European Union founded with the aim of analysing EU policies. It was founded in 1975 to help in the improvement of living and working conditions in Europe. Its tasks include providing information, giving advice and communicating specialist knowledge based on comparative data, research and analyses.

• Here you can find the presentation and documents from the Ambient Assisted Living Conference entitled “Leben-Pflegen-Älter werden” (living - caring - aging).

• Österreichischer Pflegevorsorgebericht 2013 (Austrian Long-Term Care Report) commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection.

• Here you can find all studies commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection.

• Here you can find further studies on long-term care.

• Hochaltrigkeit in Österreich: Eine Bestandsaufnahme (increasing life expectancy in Austria: a survey).  
  Coordination: Büro für Sozialtechnologie und Evaluationsforschung  (office for societal technology and evaluation research), Josef Hörl, Franz Kolland, Gerhard Majce, 2009
  Topics: Ways of life and living situations, access to (social) infrastructure, financial situation, safety, mobility, health, care, violence 

• Zu Gast im Pflegeheim: was erwarten sich pflegende Angehörige von Kurzzeitpflege als entlastende Maßnahme? (visiting the care home: what can family carers expect from temporary care as relief?) Final report 2006; Department of Nursing Science, Vienna
  Content: Empirical investigation into relief for family carers in the form of temporary care and what you can expect from temporary care

• WIFO Study Mittel- und langfristige Finanzierung der Pflegevorsorge, (commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection), Mühlberger, Ulrike/ Knittler, Käthe/ Guger, Alois:  Mittel- und langfristige Finanzierung der Pflegevorsorge (medium-term and long-term financing of care insurance). Vienna 2008
  Content: Costs of care insurance, international comparison of the financing of care, development of costs

• WIFO study Alternative Finanzierungsformen der Pflegevorsorge, (commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection), Mühlberger, Ulrike/ Guger, Alois/ Knittler, Käthe/ Schratzenstaller, Margit: Alternative Finanzierungsformen der Pflegevorsorge (alternative ways of financing care insurance). Vienna 2008
  Content: Different ways of organising care insurance, alternative forms of financing

• ICG InforaConsulting Group: Evaluierung von Modellprojekten zur Beratung und Unterstützung von Menschen mit Demenzerkrankung und deren Angehörigen (evaluation of model projects: advising and supporting people with dementia and their family) 2009
  Content: Comparison of model projects, evaluation of relief for family carers, evaluation of the effect on dementia sufferers and their relatives

• Austrian Federal Institute for Public Health: Situation pflegender Angehöriger (the situation of family carers). Final report Vienna 2005
  Content: The living situation of family carers, costs for family carers, dealing with stress, level of familiarity with institutes

• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions: Company initiatives for workers with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults. Luxemburg 2011
  Content: Study on companies in 11 member states of the European Union, who have implemented measures to support employees who need to care for children with disabilities or for adults or older family members

• Institute of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz: Breimeier, Helga/ Lohrmann, Christa: Forschungs- und Wissenstransfer in der pflegerischen Praxis (research and knowledge transfer in nursing). Graz 2011
  Content: How carers can apply research results in nursing practice, knowledge of care research and evidence-based care, perceived obstacles/barriers & aspects beneficial to implementing research results, participation in further training and the desire for employers to offer provisions, approaches to care research and research application

• Lohrmann, Christa (ed.): Europäische Pflegequalitätserhebung (evaluation of care quality in Europe), Graz 2012
  Content: Qualität der Pflegeversorgung; Prävalenz, Prävention und Versorgung von Dekubitus, Inkontinenz, Mangelernährung, Intertrigo, Sturz und freiheitsentziehenden Maßnahmen (quality of care; prevalence, prevention and care in the case of bedsores, incontinence, malnutrition, chafing, falls and measures entailing deprivation of liberty)

• Department of Nursing Science, Vienna Prävalenzerhebung zur Bettlägerigkeit und Ortsfixierung - eine Pilotstudie (evaluation of how many people are bedridden and confined to one place - a pilot study) Vienna 2011
  Content: Phases of being bedridden, being confined to one place, encouraging movement